Habituation - the "holy grail?"

You will eventually come across the term "habituation" in your research. What this means is that your brain will eventually get used to your tinnitus and stop regarding it as a threat to your wellbeing. This is what your doctor probably meant when he told you "you'll eventually get used to it".

Habituation (getting used to your tinnitus) can take a long time. Every time your tinnitus changes (gets louder, changes pitch) your brain has to start all over again. I've heard to said that it takes months for your brain to habituate your tinnitus. If your tinnitus changes over time your brain needs to go through that process each and every time.

Habituation is what will eventually allow you to return to some level of a normal life. All the techniques mentioned elsewhere (sound generators, relaxation, etc.) can help you get to habituation, but you'll want to focus on getting your brain to not regard tinnitus as important. It will fade into the background and, while it's still there, you just won't notice it as much.

Of all the "cures" for tinnitus, habituation is the thing that will eventually let you get your life back. 

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