Even now you’re missing calls. Sometimes, it’s that you don’t hear the phone ringing. In other cases dealing with the garbled voice at the other end is just too much of a hassle.
But it isn’t simply your phone you’re staying away from. Last week you missed pickleball with friends. This kind of thing has been happening more and more. Your beginning to feel somewhat isolated.
Your hearing loss is, of course, the root cause. Your diminishing hearing is leading to something far too common: social isolation – and you can’t decide what to do about it. Escaping isolation and getting back to being social can be tricky. But we have a few things you can try to do it.
Acknowledging Your Hearing Loss is Step Number One
Sometimes you aren’t really certain what the cause of your social isolation is when it first begins to occur. So, recognizing your hearing loss is a big first step. Scheduling an appointment to get fitted for hearing aids and keeping them well maintained are also important first steps.
Informing people in your life that you have hearing loss is another step towards acknowledgment. Hearing loss is, in many ways, an unseen health condition. Someone who is hard of hearing doesn’t have a particular “look”.
So when people look at you it’s unlikely they will detect that you have hearing loss. To your people around you, your turn towards isolation could feel anti-social. Talking about your hearing loss can help those around you understand what you’re going through and place your reactions in a different context.
Your Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Kept Secret
Accepting your hearing loss–and informing the people around you about it–is an essential first step. Getting regular hearing aid checks to make sure your hearing hasn’t changed is also essential. And curbing your first inclinations toward isolation can also be helpful. But you can combat isolation with a few more steps.
Make it so People Can See Your Hearing Aids
There are plenty of people who place a premium on the invisibility of hearing aids: the smaller the better, right? But if people could see your hearing aid they would have a better understanding of the struggle you are living with. Some individuals even individualize their hearing aids with custom artwork. By making it more obvious, you invite other people to do you the courtesy of looking at you when they speak with you and making certain you understand before moving the conversation forward.
Get The Right Treatment
If you’re not properly treating your hearing condition it will be much harder to deal with your tinnitus or hearing loss. What “treatment” looks like could vary wildly from person to person. But often, it means wearing hearing aids (or making sure that your hearing aids are properly calibrated). And your day-to-day life can be enormously affected by something even this simple.
Let People Know How They Can Help You
Getting yelled at is never fun. But people with hearing impairment regularly deal with people who feel that this is the best way to communicate with them. That’s why it’s vital that you advocate for what you require from those close to you. Maybe texting to make plans would be a better option than calling. If everyone is in the loop, you’re less likely to feel the need to isolate yourself.
Put Yourself in Social Situations
In this age of internet-driven food delivery, it’s easy enough to avoid all people for all time. That’s the reason why you can avoid isolation by deliberately placing yourself in situations where there are people. Go to your local grocery store rather than ordering groceries from Amazon. Get together for a weekly game of cards. Social events should be arranged on your calendar. There are lots of straight forward ways to run into people like walking around your neighborhood. Besides helping you feel less isolated, this will also help you to identify words precisely and to keep processing sound cues.
Isolation Can Be Dangerous
Your doing more than limiting your social life by isolating yourself because of neglected hearing loss. Isolation of this type has been connected to mental decline, depression, anxiety, and other cognitive health issues.
Being practical about your hearing problem is the number one way to keep yourself healthy and happy and to keep your social life going in the right direction, recognize the truths, and remain in sync with family and friends.
