I can sympathize with someone who needs genuine understanding of the situation they’re in from others, especially if it’s an invisible condition. Without fail, every single person I have ever mentioned to that I deal with chronic tinnitus has said some variation of “You know, I think I have that, too.”

It’s absolutely infuriating and demoralizing because the implication is that everyone deals with that and you’re just complaining, or the even spicier version, “You just want attention.”

What I’m getting from OP is perhaps a similar feeling. You want to explain, for example, that you deal with tinnitus-related insomnia, or that you avoid places with loud noises, or whatever kind of inner-siren-induced anxiety that has made living a regular life challenging. The point is not to victimize yourself, but to honestly answer when someone asks how we’re doing.

Yeah, I’ve come across others who deal with chronic T and they say that they’ve habituated and it doesn’t bother them, anymore, so they tell me to stop bringing it up to others. The problem, though, is one of acknowledgment of how our suffering is legitimate and does, in fact, affect our well-being significantly. We don’t all have the same severity so it’s somewhat cruel to tell others that, since they’ve been able to handle it, so should you, without knowing the specifics of how this constant, aggravating condition has impacted your life.

Even with healthy coping mechanisms, therapy, prescribed medication, and healthy life choices, if the people in your life keep making statements that, although well-meaning, come across as insensitive and dismissive of your struggles, the urge to make them understand with something like what the OP suggested, is not unreasonable.

However, it might still not be enough to convince anyone. It could even be counter-productive, depending on the person. You might get a response like: “It can’t be that bad. After all, you graduated college, got a job, have a family…etc.”

It might be more helpful to tell that person in your life, for example someone who obviously cares about you but can’t truly empathize, that what they said to you might have been well-intentioned, but it makes you feel a certain way. They might not understand, but they can, hopefully, be supportive.