@distortedhearing I'm so sorry to hear that you're experiencing similar issues and that it's been six years, I know how hard that is.

I looked at my post and it was from September 2020, which was five years into my deafness.

I can very happily say that I am much better now, but paradoxically, my hearing hasn't changed for the better.

I was a professional musician and when I lost my hearing, I was devastated and suicidal. That felt quite natural to me, because why would I want to be around as a musician who couldn't hear, so I didn't think of my situation as possibly being clinical depression.

It took me seven miserable years before I found out that I had major depressive disorder that came about from the trauma of losing my hearing. I had no previous history of depression, anxiety, etc.

Once I got medication for that, my life turned around and all the things that drove me crazy about my hearing loss, every minute of every day, became much more tolerable. They didn't go away, i'm still deaf, still have tinnitus, etc., but now I can handle all of that. It wasn't instantaneous, but four years later I'm no longer focused on the horror of losing my hearing, or the incessant sounds in my head, etc.

As mentioned, I still have tinnitus, but for the most part I don't even notice it. At this moment, while I'm writing about it, it is very loud because I'm focused on it, but I know that I'll wake up tomorrow and it won't even be an issue.

I wish I had a better answer that there was some neurotology, neurology, otolaryngology-based, etc., answer, but for me personally, it was dealing with the trauma of losing my hearing that made the difference.

I want to mention one other thing, and I hope this does not apply to you, but in case anyone reads this and says "that sounds similar, but I know medication wouldn't work for me."

I knew with every fiber of my being that medication was not going to help me. I was 100% sure of that. I only got on anti-depressants so that my family and friends wouldn't have to say to themselves "why didn't we push him harder to take medication" when I eventually killed myself. I was more shocked than anyone that it helped me, but I'm happy—and still here—to say that it did. So if anyone reads this and says "that sounds similar, but I know medication wouldn't work for me," please read this paragraph again and know that I felt exactly like you do—but I was wrong.

@distortedhearing I hope that things ease out for you soon and wish you all the best.
Mark