Living with hearing loss can be a physically and mentally challenging experience. Aside from the physical symptoms, such as difficulty hearing in certain situations, tinnitus, and struggling to figure out where a sound is coming from, hearing loss can also lead to poor mental health. After all, hearing loss can significantly reduce your ability to communicate with your loved ones, meet new people, and take part in the things that you enjoy. It’s unsurprising, then, that this condition can often cause higher risks for depression and anxiety, often brought on by loneliness and fear of the future.
The good news is that hearing loss technology and treatments have come a long way in the past few years. Hearing aids are now more advanced and more discreet than ever before. Many are packed with innovative features that will make your hearing even better than it was before! Coupled with a positive mindset, self-care strategies, and good stress management, you don’t have to let a little thing like hearing loss impact your life that much. Here’s how you can live life to the fullest and protect your mental health – even with hearing loss.
What to Do First
First things first – let’s take care of the physical side of things. If you suspect that you are losing your hearing, then the most important thing to do is book a professional hearing test. Some providers offer online hearing tests, such as this option for providers at www.phonak.com/en-us/online-hearing-test
Something like that can be a good place to start, as it’ll give you a clearer indication as to whether hearing loss is what you are dealing with, and some pointers on what to do next.
Once you book a hearing test, the provider will test your hearing and provide you with some options. Hearing aids are the most used solutions for dealing with hearing loss. You can get either analog or digital options, but both are designed to amplify your hearing and prevent your symptoms from having a massive impact on your life.
Look for a hearing aid that’s easy to care for, easy to operate, and comfortable to wear.
Coping with the Challenges of Hearing Loss
Understanding hearing loss and putting together strategies that work for you when it comes to coping with losing your hearing can help you feel more in control and benefit your mental health.
Along with using a hearing aid or another kind of assistive technology to alleviate some of the symptoms, it’s worth spending some time learning about the kind of hearing loss you have, and what to expect from living with it. There are several different types of hearing loss, including conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss. When you have a better understanding of your hearing loss, it’s easier to understand the symptoms, how to manage them, and what the most effective treatment options are.
Along with this, it’s also important to try to stay connected. While this might seem difficult if you have lost or are losing some or all your hearing, there are lots of options available to help you stay social and avoid becoming isolated. For example, if you are struggling to meet up with people in person, you might want to consider family and friends video chats with subtitles, or messaging groups that are easier for you to follow.
Learning American Sign Language and asking your family and friends to do the same, can also be very helpful. Not only does this give you an alternative way to communicate with others, but it’ll also open up further opportunities for socialization and making friends in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. Support groups for people going through the same things as you can be very useful.
Developing a Positive Mindset – Strategies to Live By
Developing a positive mindset is one of the most important things you can do to manage the mental health challenges that often-come hand in hand with hearing loss. While this can often be much easier said than done, positive thinking can help you focus more on the good things in your life, rather than dwelling on the negative aspects. What’s more, when you can put a positive spin on things in your life, it’s often easier to come up with solutions that work for you.
If you have recently discovered that you are losing or have lost some of your hearing, and want to think more positively about it, here are some strategies that might help.
- Gratitude journaling:It can be all too easy to get caught up in the negative things that happen to us, that we forget about any of the good. Counteract this by writing down a few things that you’re grateful for each day. This simple act can be very powerful when it comes to shifting your focus from what you’re missing to what you have.
- Reframe negative thoughts:Being aware of your thoughts and reframing the negative ones to be more hopeful can also help. For example, if you find yourself thinking, ‘I can’t hear well, so I can’t meet up with any friends’, try changing that to, ‘even though I can’t hear well, my hearing aid is effective and comfortable, so I’ll be able to continue socializing whenever I want to’.
- Self-care:Making sure that you take the time to take care of yourself often is essential for developing a positive mindset. When you’re dedicated to looking after yourself, making time for yourself, and putting yourself first, it’s easier to love yourself for who you are – which means overlooking your flaws, instead of beating yourself up for them.
- Seek support:Surround yourself with positive people who always help you see the bright side of things. If necessary, you may wish to find professional support from a counselor or therapist who specializes in mental health concerns brought on by hearing loss. They can help you work through and manage negative, unhelpful thoughts and develop a more positive outlook on life.
Hearing loss is a common problem – but that doesn’t stop it having an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of those struggling with it. The good news is that there are lots of positives, from the technology to help to the support on offer. Developing a positive mindset and seeing your hearing loss as just another unique part of who you are, might take time – but it’s worth it.