SILENT WORLD

Understanding Hearing Loss

Sometimes, you may feel alone in your hearing loss experience. It’s okay to feel this way as you are going through a challenge especially if none of your family and friends have hearing loss.

Hearing loss isn’t easy.

You may feel like it’s harder to communicate and connect with other people with Hearing loss. Hearing Loss is the condition of losing your hearing that may be caused by noise, aging, or even genetics.

At times, you may feel isolated, sad, or even angry. There may be instances where you’re overwhelmed by having hearing loss. You may find hearing loss challenging to go through your day-to-day like how you usually did. But whatever you’re feeling and whatever your concerns may be, your counselor can help you process and understand hearing loss.

Processing Emotions Amidst Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss Is Traumatic

Hearing loss can be caused by a traumatic event and can traumatize you as well, compromising your mental health. Whether you lost it instantly or over time, hearing loss is bound to impact your mental and emotional well-being. Moving forward healthily from a trauma like this, you must process and accept having hearing loss first.

Hearing Loss

Before anything else, you need to understand your situation and how you feel about facing hearing loss. Tell your counselor about how you ended up having hearing loss. By talking to them about it, they can guide you in addressing hearing loss. This step is even more important if your hearing loss was an accident, like a car crash. The incident itself might have traumatized you.

They may also ask you about your emotions regarding your experience with hearing loss. They may suggest that you express how you feel about your hearing loss, the incident, and how you’re adjusting. These are all steps to make sure you address the things you need to discuss regarding your hearing loss. 

Often, hearing loss comes with some secondary effects.

Hearing loss may cause self-esteem and image issues, depression and anxiety, or isolation. If you already had these conditions before, then your hearing loss might make them more pronounced. Counseling can help you talk about these in the healthiest way possible.

At some point, you may feel uncomfortable with your counselor’s line of questioning. You may be overwhelmed from reliving parts of your trauma that may have caused hearing loss. If this happens, let them know. After all, their goal is to help you develop healthier mental and emotional health.

Adjusting And Moving Forward Despite Having Hearing Loss

You may or may not find it hard to adjust to your new normal. Whichever it is, your counselor will be there with you every step of the way. But first, know that your journey amidst your hearing loss moving forward will not be an easy one. That, in particular, is because of how different you are from the Deaf and hard of hearing.

Effects of Hearing Loss

The Deaf have been living deaf their whole lives. People who are hard of hearing still retain some auditory ability. Being late-deafened or someone who has hearing loss later in life is vastly different from the two. You may share some experiences, but the effects of your situation will vary depending on each person.

There will be new additions to your daily routine, and you may also encounter some lifestyle changes in your hearing loss journey. These are to accommodate your hearing loss and to ensure your safety. Know that your counselor will be all-ears if you want to talk to them about these changes, particularly your daily life with hearing loss. 

It Would Be A Challenging Journey

It’s possible for you to feel an even greater sense of loss when discussing these aspects in hearing loss. However, keep in mind that your counselor will be there to help you go through it, especially when things become difficult with your hearing loss. Having hearing loss will be a challenging journey, but they will be there with you every step of the way.

Resources for Hearing Loss

One of the goals of counseling is to help you towards a healthy headspace. And to do this, your counselor will ask you about the changes you want to see in your life, despite your hearing loss.

Talk to your counselor about your concerns. If you’re worried about schooling and career options, they will be there to help you figure it out. You may have some worries entering a new stage of your life, but they will be there if you choose to discuss those things with them, especially when it concerns your hearing loss. 

The Benefits Of Talking To Your Counselor 

In addition, it’s an unfortunate truth how late-deafened people face bias and prejudice in their lives. It would benefit you to talk to your counselor about this. They will help you process these experiences and refer you to support groups if you need them. But more importantly, your counselor will be able to guide you in learning about hearing loss, Deaf,  and self-advocacy.

By discussing these with your counselor, you may be able to feel in control of life amidst your hearing loss. Learning about those advocacies can help you understand people who share the same experience of hearing loss as well. Even better, you can know more about expressing yourself, your wants, and how to convey them to others.

Your counselor may also refer you to an audiology center if you decide to get a cochlear implant. Remember, there’s no right and wrong decision for people who have hearing loss. It all depends on what will make you happy. Talking to your counselor can help you make informed decisions about options available for you.

Experiencing Hearing Loss Is Not Easy

Especially if it’s a traumatic event for you, you may find it hard to talk to your counselor about your experiences and emotions. Remember that is okay. But also keep in mind that it’s the first step in taking care of your mental well-being. You won’t need to rush things, and it’s alright for you to tell your counselor when you’re overwhelmed with your hearing loss.

Counseling Helps 

Counseling will also help you process the adjustments and changes happening in your life. You can discuss with your counselor what you want to see and the things you want to achieve. They’ll also be there to help you find resources available for your needs, especially your health. After all, this is all so you could move forward with a healthy mind and heart.

And when times get tough, always keep in mind that you’re doing this for yourself.  Hearing loss is a challenge that your mental health may face, but something you can overcome.

Take Away

Hearing loss may feel overwhelming and isolating. But remember, your counselor will be there with you the entire way.

As a member of the deaf community, you may constantly struggle in our hearing-centric world. Unable to hear anything always has a challenge.  Maybe it’s something supposedly as simple as communication, or perhaps a more damaging issue like prejudice. 

Do you or anyone you know a member of the deaf community? If yes, this article is for you.

How can you better understand the community of the deaf? How can you help a loved one who is deaf? And does a community of deaf individuals help each other deal with life? And how can we help our deaf loved ones?

Deaf Communities

Living In A “Hearing World”

For the deaf community and deaf individuals, it may be hard to live in a world that prioritizes hearing. This isn’t to say that being deaf automatically limits you. After all, deafness itself isn’t disabling. Instead, it’s audism that might be severely restricting you.

It isn’t easy to come to terms with, but your counselor will be able to help you express your feelings about it. They may also guide you in understanding the uniqueness and intricacies of being Deaf. For one, people should treat the deaf community as a linguistic and cultural minority rather than an impairment. Talking to your counselor may help you discuss your feelings about this identity. The community of the deaf can very well benefit from having a counselor to talk to.

Understanding What Deafhood Is To You

Aside from grasping the kind of world you live in as a deaf individual, your counselor will also help you work out what Deafhood means to you. It is all so you could begin to understand what being deaf is for you.

Of course, this comes differently for each person. Being hard of hearing, late-deafened, or deaf will be significant in figuring out what Deafhood is for you. Your counselor’s goal is to teach you how to process your experiences and emotions as a deaf person and where you want to go from there. Counseling could also encourage you to join a community of the deaf where you feel more understood. By embracing yourself as a deaf yet significant person, your mental health will improve. 

Bear in mind that your counselor will not be there to dictate what you should do. Their priority is to help you be the best version of yourself despite your being deaf. That means how you feel and what you want matters.

Deafhood: Deaf Communities Guide

Learning About Available Resources

As a member of the deaf community or deaf and mute community, you may find you’re always short of available resources. It may range from educational materials to career and schooling opportunities, modes of communication, and many others. You may talk to your counselor about this lack.

Another factor is also whether you’re deaf, late-deafened, or hard of hearing. While your counselor’s advice will be helpful, keep in mind that their priority is your comfort and well-being as a deaf individual. 

Again, your counselor is not there to dictate what you should do. Instead, they’re there to assist you in your journey towards better mental well-being, that mental health for you as a deaf person is optimal, just as the other individuals. 

Exploring Your Advocacy

Deaf advocacy is another concern your counselor may discuss with you. The goal of counseling, first and foremost, is to help you or your community achieve emotional and mental well-being. And a big part of it is not teaching you to cope with the biased systems around you. Instead, your counselor will help you explore self-advocacy as a deaf individual. 

Don’t hesitate to talk to them about the changes you want to see around you. After all, the unfairness in systems and regulations for the deaf and the community of the deaf affects your everyday life. Addressing this will help you move forward healthily. It may even help lead to positive changes for the deaf community.

Counseling will be there to help you understand that the disadvantages you experience aren’t because of the deaf community. They will guide you in recognizing that being deaf is the cause of your disabling experiences. Don’t be afraid to discuss Deaf advocacy with your counselor. They would want to help you play an active part in breaking the bias against the community of the deaf.

Deaf Communities

To Wrap Up 

A lot of things are challenging for members of the community of the deaf, but this is because of the restrictions brought about by audism and not by being deaf itself. Your counselor may be able to help you understand these intricacies and process the world around you. In addition, counseling can also aid you in learning about the resources available to you as someone who is deaf. It would be even better if you also discuss your deaf advocacy with them.

It would benefit you to be truthful and open with your counselor when discussing these things. Counseling should be something that a deaf individual or the community of the deaf can turn to for comfort. 

If you are deaf, you have a loved one who is deaf, or you are part of a community of deaf individuals, perhaps you should consider counseling for your mental and emotional health.

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Every family faces various challenges. Your teenage son has problems in school, your baby girl is on her difficult years, your spouse is too busy to pay attention to you, or your relatives are judgmental. The truth is, each home has a burden to bear. However, there are rather distinct challenges for a family with mixed deaf-hearing members.

Families that have deaf members typically face some communication difficulties, and these can cause trouble in social interactions, which consequently lead to hopelessness, withdrawal, stress, and anxiety.

People that are deaf are expected to adjust to their surroundings, so would it not only be reasonable to expect the same kind of understanding from those who are supposedly closest to you – your family? Explaining yourself or upholding your language always is quite tiring. When you are with your family, you should be relaxed and comfortable. Sadly, not all of these deaf and hard of hearing family members have loved ones that find the time and effort to communicate with them appropriately.

Family Life Experiences

Families with deaf members or families that are mostly deaf with hearing members have reported experiencing difficulty identifying which communication strategies they should learn and practice, as sometimes the challenges they face are also worsened by certain cultural identities – hearing or deaf.

An individual who was interviewed recalled how her family would tell her that she could hear them well when she wants to, but actually, she just got pretty used to lip reading. She became an expert lip reader that people would think she could hear perfectly. Her brother would be annoyed at her when she asks him to repeat what he said and would tell her why she would pretend not to hear. “I can’t help being deaf,” she said. She stated that she often felt pressured and anxious when she was with her family, and she thinks that they should also try their best to meet halfway for communication to be easier.

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Here are some experiences of other deaf and hard of hearing individuals with their own families.

Positive

• “My loved ones tried learning sign language so they could better understand me.”
• “My parents are very patient. They know that I have trouble understanding them, so they speak clearly and loudly.”
• “My family and friends really love me. They make me feel comfortable and relaxed when we are together.”
• “My family and I work hand in hand in seeking solutions to be able to live harmoniously. I feel so lucky.”

Negative

• “My siblings don’t take time to talk to me, and they are often annoyed when I’m around.”
• “My children are so impatient with me.”
• My relatives tease me and backbite me even when I’m around. I know because they look at me, and then they laugh.”
• “I always remind my spouse and kids that I am deaf.”
• “I don’t get invited for family reunions and parties often. I guess they get tired of making an effort so I can understand.”

The Effect Of Being Deaf In A Hearing Family

Undoubtedly, it isn’t easy to be part of a mixed deaf-hearing family unit. Studies made on the subject revealed that deafness does have a substantial effect on these four areas:

• Parenting – parents who are involved in the lives of their children.
• Family interactions – the capacity of the family members to have clear and successful conversations, fix issues together, and build strong relationships.
• Resources – the family’s access to materials and services for the deaf family member/s.
• Emotional status – deaf and hearing family members are well-connected, support each other, and care for each other.

Of course, these areas are also affected by the family’s race and culture, economic status, and the deaf member’s level of hearing disability. However, the initial approach is to recognize the effects and knowing the factors that impact family dynamics.

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Strategies For Deaf And Hearing Families

• Family members should think about the needs of their hearing and hard of hearing loved ones when they talk about how they should communicate with each other.
• Commit to making time for family discussions regarding issues and topics that come up during the day or week and then find ways to help each other.
• Discuss and create communication techniques together.
• Don’t laugh at your deaf siblings or parents. It’s total not cool.
• If you are a deaf member, ask your loved ones to repeat what they said if it isn’t clear to you. This is a great way of self-checking as well.
• It is disrespectful and unfair not to face your deaf loved one when you are speaking to them. Don’t make it harder for them to communicate.
• Keep an open mind and be supportive of your deaf loved one’s disability.
• Although your hearing family members have learned to do the sign language, it’s not going to be that easy. Be patient with them, and don’t expect too much. Meet them halfway.

Conclusion

You will grow closer and have a better relationship with your family if you learn to create strategies for connecting and communicating effectively with your loved ones. You should be proud of what you have surpassed as a family and acknowledge that you are tougher when you are together – hearing or not.

Since the spread of the Coronavirus, all governments all over the world managed to give daily brief information on how fast the spread of the virus has occurred. That includes how best to cope with the situation. However, some individuals across different countries felt a little left out. These are the ones who battle with the communication chain. So without proper knowledge of what is going on around, the lack of information for these individuals can cost them their lives.

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The Sentiments Of The Deaf

The deaf community is 5% of the world’s population. Therefore, there are more than millions of them. But not all of them receive clear information about the COVID-19 pandemic because some appeared to be alienated when it comes to the live updates about the deadly Coronavirus. Sadly, these deaf people’s needs are on the line. That is why some are blaming their governments for not doing anything for them. It may be a bit harsh since this situation is no one’s fault, but no one can blame them for feeling left out.

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The World Of The Silent

Honestly, the lack of information is the most unfortunate thing for safety and exposure from the virus of the people in the deaf community. There are worries and fears that buildup due to uncertainties. The deaf community relies on interpretation, so they feel pressured in knowing things the hard way. For them, they view the hearing people as privileged because they do not struggle with the same challenges that deaf people need to go through. The deaf people can only complain because they either missed information or received it wrong. Without an interpreter, they are not able to understand things that are going around the world. Thus, it becomes quite impossible for them to protect themselves, especially from a deadly disease.

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It is no secret that most governments around the world are reporting a fast growth of the Coronavirus. That is why most officials in the country are trying their best to inform their people on how to best cope with the situation. However, it becomes unfair for deaf people because they seem to get secondary information, which may be distorted. That is the reason why they deem for extra attention. But understandably, not all people look at these deaf individuals as unfortunate. Some are taking their time judging and accusing the deaf community as entitled individuals. That is because they think the deaf community is only asking for special consideration. That they believe these people can find ways to know information without taking too much of people’s concerns. Honestly yes. The deaf community can use social media platforms to know and get a little information. However, there is a chance of coming across fake news. Admittedly, it is a daily struggle of knowing what the right thing to believe in and what is not.

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The Barrier

For most countries in the world, they believe that passing information is vital in keeping their nation safe. But for the deaf community who doesn’t have access to specific information and no interpreter to rely on, it becomes life challenging. So when people think about it, it is not their fault that they somehow unintentionally disobey protocols. It is not that the deaf community wants to deal with risking their lives on getting infected. But it is more about questioning the situation since they get only a little understanding of the things they need to do. If we look at things right now, the deaf community is trying their best to keep up with the rest of the population across the different countries in knowing information the best they can.

Feel free to chat with BetterHelp experts if the global health crisis affects your mental health.

With the entire crisis that the world is going through, people are aware of the situation. They know and understand the necessary measures needed to fight the virus. That is why everyone values social distancing and disinfection. But apparently, not all individuals are capable of understanding what they need to do. Clearly, the world health organization, along with each country’s government, should recognize the needs of persons with disabilities.

The Struggle Of The Deaf

Among deaf communities, the accurate distribution of vital information is challenging. That is because the universal signing language of COVID-19 doesn’t exist. Well, no one is to blame for this situation, and somehow the unpreparedness gets excused since the pandemic involves the rattle of a global crisis. However, with the virus’s rampant cases, the deaf community needs to have urgent access to information to increase full awareness.

In some countries, affected people of the deaf community want the world health organization to come up with an international sign language that will represent the coronavirus. That is, of course, to allow them to connect with others without the hassle of trying to deliver only bits of information. Yes, some may argue that the deaf community is now given written information from time to time. However, what people did not see is the unreliability of the COVID-19 sequence written on a piece of paper.

Apparently, other countries already considered taking their own measures to assist the deaf community on their request. There are already fifteen signs that they use to represent the coronavirus. Some of these signs come from unscientific variants, though. Meaning, it could still create confusion, especially when people are not yet familiar with what others currently call COVID-19.

People may not openly talk about it, but they consider deaf people as burdens of society. Well, I am not in the right position to talk about what is appropriate and what is not. But some people do not entirely care to consider other people’s needs. Indeed, there are imbalances and societal differences. However, the deaf community seeks understanding as to why they need extra attention when it comes to gathering information.

Understanding The Needs Of Deaf People

Among other communities of individuals with a disability, the requested international sign language will be an excellent help for deaf people. Because if you try to imagine the deaf people’s difficulty in communicating, you will see that it is the only thing they got that could potentially save them from this pandemic. Yes, you may say that some of these persons with disabilities can read lips. Clearly, that is an advantage. But their mouths are covered with masks most of the time. Therefore, it will be difficult for them to communicate with others without sign language. These deaf people will probably have to make more noise so that others could recognize them.

Authorities also need to come up with a plan to understand the needs of deaf people. Each country’s government should not treat them as second-class people just because they have a disability. Being deaf will not make them any less of a citizen out there. They are also vulnerable to the virus, so there is no point in setting aside their needs. Please do not disregard them as less priority and allow the system to come up with a better solution to make amends.

The coronavirus affected individuals all around the world. Therefore, there must be no exemptions as to who are the ones who need access priority for health and social care services. We need to address others’ needs as well, so we can save more lives.

The Deaf community in the United States utilizes a language that’s different from the rest of the Deaf communities in the world – the American Sign Language (ASL). It is what connects its members and also functions as a membership card into the linguistics of the American society that not everyone benefits from.

Losing The Stigma

Helping break the stigma doesn’t have to be verbal. One can do his part by distinguishing the Deaf culture through capitalizing the word ‘Deaf’ and backing that up by trying to change mainstream America’s outlook about it. The Deaf community and culture don’t want to use ‘disabled’ when describing themselves because it would only give the impression that they are ‘less than’ those who aren’t deaf. This could be true, but then this is also true for those hearing individuals who don’t do anything worthy for themselves and their community as well. Getting rid of the label gets rid of the stigma that is attached to it.

“If you’re a hearing person, you no doubt see deafness as a disability that needs to be corrected,” writes David Ludden Ph.D.

Additionally, advocates often speak about the term ‘Deaf gain.” This is described as a communication advantage provided to those who need other means to communicate besides verbal language. The concept is that deaf persons connect more meaningfully and with more heart because they are hearing-impaired.

“We have thus coined the term “Deaf Gain” in opposition to “hearing loss” in order to encompass the myraid ways in which both deaf people and society at large have benefited from the existence of deaf people and sign language throughout recorded human history,” writes Dirksen Bauman, Ph.D. and Joseph J. Murray, Ph.D.

Debate On Cochlear Implant Surgery

There are several members of the Deaf community that do not agree with the idea of cochlear implants, particularly for newborns who have hearing loss. They believe that each individual has the right to choose for himself whether he wants to stay deaf, thereby giving the parents the obligation (as it is indeed) to teach their child ASL as their first language. Activists also think that learning ASL and other cognitive skills is a right that must be protected and that opting for cochlear implant surgery drives families away from that right and losing heart to embrace the deaf culture fully.

Controversies

There are nine out of ten Deaf babies that are born to hearing parents, and most of these parents opt for their baby to undergo cochlear implant surgery just as they are medically able to. This helps them learn how to speak.

However, the Deaf culture thinks that the hearing population is just so focused on the spoken word when the fact is that ASL is a comprehensive language even though they are not able to produce words with their voices.

“Recent research has shown the many advantages of allowing Deaf children to know and use both a sign language and an oral language. It is the optimal combination that will allow these children to meet their many needs, that is, communicate early with their parents (first in sign and then, with time, also in the oral language), develop their cognitive abilities, acquire knowledge of the world, communicate fully with the surrounding world, and acculturate into their two worlds,” writes Francois Grosjean Ph.D.

Ways To Communicate

Fortunately, ASL is not the only method where we can communicate with a Deaf person. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when trying to communicate with the Deaf.

• Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts at communication are going to be difficult and uncomfortable. This will get easier as you progress.
• You can write if the barrier is still too strong. The Deaf person would be happy for your efforts. You can combine your communication methods, hand gestures, and writing to make the process easier and more effective.
• Take your time and be sincere in your efforts to communicate with the Deaf person. Slow down when the Deaf person is confused and feeling insecure about the whole process, especially if he’s not taking the lesson in right away. Let him feel that it’s fine and that you can always repeat the process.
• Do not talk to the Deaf person when you’re not looking at him. Eye contact is a vital tool for effective communication with the Deaf, as they listen and understand with their eyes. Show them that you respect them by looking into their eyes.
• Use the start and end of your conversation as a chance to visually and physically connect with the Deaf person, particularly if he has had an interpreter throughout the conversation. Smile at him, firmly shake his hand, and make eye contact.