I've had tinnitus as long as I can remember. I'm sure it stems from being deaf in one ear. It does have it's humurous side. While in the army I thought about becoming a heliocopter pilot. During the hearing test they put in the room with the earphones and told me to press a button when I heard a high pitched sound. Wanting to get it right I was pressing the button each time I heard a high pitched sound. After about five minutes of this the technician opened the door to tell me he had not started the test yet.
Although it's been rumored, I only heard noises, not voices.