Does your hearing loss ever scare you? Most of the time people accept their hearing loss, following communication best practices and self-advocacy tips to live their best life. They feel confident and capable. But sometimes they get afraid. Like when their hearing aids are on the fritz for a few days or they have a particularly challenging communication experience.
These are the times when they might succumb to worry. What will their life be like as hearing loss worsens? How will it impact relationships? Health? Livelihood?
Here are the 5 things that scare people the most about my hearing loss:
- Feeling isolated and lonely: Hearing loss makes communication more difficult and exhausting, which can often lead to self-imposed isolation. If this occurs, take a break, and then force yourself to reengage. It takes work, but the rewards of intimacy and friendship are always worth the effort.
- Passing it on to my kids: This one won’t apply to everyone, but for some, it may. Some hearing loss is genetic. If this applies to you, simple educate your children on your condition so they know that one can thrive despite hearing loss and its challenges.
- Becoming irrelevant: Communicating with someone with hearing loss takes extra time and planning. Why engage with the person with hearing loss when you can contact/hire/befriend someone else more easily? Every “Never mind” and “It’s not important” supports this fear. Speaking up against this treatment is our only choice.
- Being unable to do things I enjoy: Hearing loss makes certain recreational activities harder. Luckily technology has made it possible to successfully attend the theater, listen to music, and watch movies, even with a hearing loss. Future advancements will only improve access to these activities and more.
- Ending up alone: Hearing loss is difficult for the person with the hearing loss, but it also takes a toll on family and friends. Some worry that this burden will become too much and they will be left alone. Find support in your family and friends and a network of hearing loss friends that will be with you for quite some time.
If you are experiencing hearing loss, we hope that you will contact us at Purchase Ear Technology. We are here to help improve your quality of life!