What have anyone been doing to not have their mind on what the sound is like when you first get up. Curious!!! For some reason i periodically listen for it as soon as i get up. Never use to do that

Hi everyone, I wanted to share an update on my habituation journey and ask the coaches and anyone further along a few questions. As some of you might know from my previous posts, I’ve moved past the 24/7 distress mode, but the tinnitus still demands a huge part of my attention. However, I recently had a really good phase: two weeks where the noise was mostly pushed into the background and felt very bearable. Right now, I’m in my second week of vacation. Unfortunately, the weather has been pretty bad, meaning I’ve spent a lot of time indoors. Because of this, the last few days have been much more exhausting. I’m noticing the tinnitus constantly, and honestly, I feel quite bothered and a bit down because of it. Despite these ups and downs, I haven't given up. I’ve managed to get through this challenging period without using any masking. If I can hold out until Sunday, it will be four full weeks (28 days!) without masking. Personally, I feel like this is a huge milestone for me. For me, actively choosing not to mask is my way of trying to practice acceptance and learning to embrace the sound. Looking at my journey as a whole—with these changing phases—I’d love to get some perspective from the coaches and the community: 1. Is this experience typical for the habituation journey? Do others also experience this pattern where the tinnitus recedes, then becomes louder and more noticeable again, yet you still find the strength not to resort to masking? 2. Is this what progress actually looks like? Is it a normal part of the process to hear the tinnitus more or less constantly, to feel that your days are somewhat dampened by it, but to still successfully carry out your daily activities—like reading, checking emails, or playing Xbox—without fleeing to masking? 3. Will it continue to get better? I am consciously showing my brain that the tinnitus can be present without being the center of everything, but it is exhausting. Will this eventually lead to the next level where the attention shifts more permanently?

I may need to have a dental procedure soon, and I’m wondering if there are any special protocols or precautions for people with tinnitus. Has anyone in this community had dental work done since developing tinnitus? If so, what type of procedure was it, and did it have any effect on your tinnitus during or afterward?

I just saw an Internet ad for something called ‘Ring Clear’ - supposedly a revolutionary supplement sold in the US composed of various herbs that reduces or even ‘cures’ tinnitus. Does anyone know anything about this? Can’t find anything on Internet that calls it a scam - but no references to it being a miracle cure either. Not the first claim I’ve seen about a ‘sure’ way to deal with tinnitus. The hype in the ad is a little bizarre - these researchers supposedly ‘discovered’ that tinnitus is in the brain and not the ears - but that seems typical of such ads.

I had a couple of days and moments last week that were very positive. Today I woke up with bothersome tinnitus. I am using the breathing exercises and trying not to ask what happened… The anxiety is up, of course. I am running errands to keep busy…anything else I should be doing?