Listening to a child’s laughter brings delight to the ears. Hearing the ocean waves crash on the shore or lap at the sand can bring a sense of awe and peace to the soul. The sounds around us affect our moods and have an impact on our well-being. What happens when suddenly that sense of sound is lost?
Hearing loss can occur at any time in a person’s life. Whenever it happens, it can seem devastating, even more so when you have had years of being able to hear well. It may feel like a curtain is being closed on an important part of your life.
Dealing with the Reality of Hearing Loss
Understandably, anyone who faces sudden hearing loss is going to go through a process of grieving. A variety of emotions will tug at you. There’s the frustration of not being able to hear the things you’ve grown accustomed to hearing. You may feel anger, partly because you’ve lost your hearing and partly because life seems more challenging now than ever before.
Family members and friends may be frustrated, too, as communication becomes more difficult. You may have feelings of isolation now that you can’t hear all that’s happening around you. Learning to cope with this new life can seem daunting, but it can be accomplished.
Coming to Grips with Your New Reality
You’ve lost your hearing. For some, the loss may be complete, for others, just enough to be greatly annoying. Coming to grips with this new reality is going to take some time, but don’t let it consume your hope. Today there is much more help for the hearing impaired than there was years ago. Your hearing loss may only be temporary or it may not be as complete as it seems today.
Hearing devices, surgeries, and implants are giving new hope to people suffering all degrees of hearing loss. Even those who have never heard a sound in their lives are sometimes able to regain hearing as a result of new technology and/or devices.
Practicing Balance
Part of learning to cope with hearing loss involves balancing the good against the challenging. Realize that you are not the only person learning to cope. Not only are your family members, friends and colleagues affected, but there are also others like you learning to handle the situation. Seek out people who are dealing with the same condition. You’ll find you aren’t alone in this.
Some things you may be able to change and there are others that you will need to accept. This is the way of life, hearing loss or not. Choose to focus on those things that can be changed. Find out what choices are available to you to restore all or part of your hearing.
Enlist a patient friend or family member to help you learn to read lips. Share your frustrations with those who care and who will try to understand your challenges. Choose to have a positive outlook. It may not be easy, especially at first, but it will be worth it in the end.
At Frohlich, Gordon & Beason, P.A law firm we understand how frustrating it can be to cope with the loss of one of your senses, like hearing or sight. Our attorneys work with Port Charlotte area clients in a variety of capacities as caring legal representatives. If you are suffering a loss and need legal assistance for remuneration, contact our law firm for a free consultation.