8 Tips To Make Sure Your Tinnitus Is Improving

Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing, or unnatural sound that more than 50 million people in the United States alone experience. People with tinnitus can have mental and physical issues that can negatively impact their hearing, working, sleeping, or quality of life in general. Unfortunately, many people with tinnitus won’t have a solution to the problem. Instead, they will have to work to make progress in living with it. While there is no cure for tinnitus at the moment, the audiologists at Treble Health have worked towards finding ways to give you tinnitus relief.

Luckily, there are many options for tinnitus relief, so you can find the one that works best for you, from sound therapy to meditation. 

Why Making Progress With Tinnitus Can Sometimes Feel Like Going In Circles

Making progress with tinnitus can feel like you’re going in circles. You take a tiny step forward, then somehow find yourself two steps backward. It’s frustrating, and it can be hard to stay motivated when change and tinnitus relief seem so slow. However, even though it may not seem like it, you are making progress! 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss why gradual changes can feel like you’re not getting anywhere, how to stay motivated in the face of slow progress, and how step-by-step gains can lead to significant improvements over time. 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

When trying to make a change, it’s important to remember that progress is not always linear. There will be setbacks and plateaus along the way. Success is not a straight path but a winding road with many bumps along the way. So, it is essential to remember not to get discouraged if your progress doesn’t happen overnight. The process doesn’t mean that you’re not making any progress. It just means that change is gradual. It can be helpful to think of your tinnitus progress as not getting from A to B but learning that there is no destination, only a continued journey.

One of the most frustrating things about making gradual changes is that they can feel like you’re going in circles:

You might have a good week where you feel like you’ve made some progress, only to have a bad week or a tinnitus spike. This is normal! It’s important to remember that even though it may not seem like you’re progressing, sticking to it is crucial. At Treble Health, we strongly recommend committing to at least two months of tinnitus treatment to give your brain time to adjust.

Tips For Staying Motivated And Making Progress: 

1. Be patient.

Tinnitus is a complex condition that can take time to understand and treat. Be patient with yourself and your team of healthcare professionals. Trust that the process works even when you can’t see results immediately. Tinnitus habituation takes time, and the recovery length differs for everyone. But we’ve found that with the proper guidance, commitment, and attitude that people with tinnitus can retrain their brains to help block the tinnitus sensation. In fact, 80% of patients have habituated their tinnitus within 12 months!

2. Set realistic goals.

Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. In other words, don’t set yourself up for disappointment by expecting to find a cure overnight. Instead, focus on making minor changes to improve your quality of life. By setting realistic goals for your tinnitus relief journey, you increase your chances of success and motivation to continue and minimize discouragement and the likelihood of quitting.

3. Stay positive.

It can be easy to get discouraged when you’re living with tinnitus. But remember, every step you take towards managing your tinnitus is a step in the right direction. So stay positive and keep moving forward. In every challenging experience, there will be down days and failures, but staying positive and trusting yourself to achieve success is one of the best tools patients can have in attaining tinnitus relief!

4. Seek support.

Tinnitus can be a lonely condition, but you don’t have to go through it alone. There are many online and in-person support groups for people with tinnitus. Connecting with others who understand what you’re going through can be a huge help. The research even backs us up! A robust support system gives us motivation, and a sense of belonging, reduces stress, improves self-esteem, and is beneficial to our emotional, mental, and physical well-being!

5. Be proactive.

Don’t wait for tinnitus to take over your life. Instead, take charge of your condition and learn as much as you can about it. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to manage your tinnitus and improve your quality of life.

6. Find a tinnitus treatment buddy.

It can be helpful to have someone with whom you share your journey. Our group calls are a great start. At Treble Health, we are connected with numerous people going through what you’re going through and can help you with your journey so that you’re not alone!

7. Keep a tinnitus journal.

This will help you recognize where you were in the past and how far you’ve come. Tracking our journey is a great way to stay motivated because we can look back at all of the progress we’ve made. Journaling is not only a way to reflect but is also helpful in getting things out and releasing tension and stress.

8. Reflect on success stories from our program.

Progress is possible. We’ve seen it. In fact, the audiologists and hearing doctors at Treble Health have worked with several people who’ve found success in their tinnitus relief journey. In the beginning, they were all where you’re at now. They believed they would never progress in their tinnitus and have to suffer from it forever. But looking back, they all see how their success was cultivated. Working with our doctors or sound therapists enabled them to achieve tinnitus habituation.