Relationships are more important than ever in this post-pandemic world. Our lives are filled with people who we care about, who we’d do anything for and would like to be a part of our ups and downs for the rest of our lives. When we are affected by hearing loss and our normal relationships begin to decline, it can be a shock to our systems. For one, we no longer have that close human contact anymore, whether it’s mental or physical.
We also don’t know how to act in social situations because we cannot pick up on voice changes. How do you tell if someone is happy or sad, without relying on facial expressions? What do you do if you cannot grasp the seriousness of an issue during a conversation with a close friend or family member? We explore what you can do to work out this and keep hold of your relationships.
Equal Partnership
A marriage is a team sport. You must pull your own weight but also, carry the other person when they need help. When you are experiencing hearing loss, your spouse becomes your caretaker of sorts. They will help you to stay out of people’s way when in public because you can’t hear them coming and you may also need to be driven everywhere when running errands. This can cause a kind of low-boiling resentment to build and build. Can you imagine going from being an equal partnership, to now you doing most of the pulling?
It’s just human nature to not want to shoulder the burden for someone else when you have your own challenges going on.
Communication Drops
When you have hearing loss, repeating things over and over as well as speaking louder, becomes necessary. But people just can’t do that forever. They need to feel like they’re having a normal conversation with someone. However, if they know the chances of having to talk to you louder than they care to, is reasonably high, they will stop trying.
As you can imagine, this results in a gradual lack of communication. You can feel trapped in silence, not having enough human contact and being able to express how you feel or how your day went. It goes without saying, your mental health will be affected and your relationships rapidly declining.
Kept Out Of The Joke
At social events, you’ll be less inclined to be included in casual humor. This may not seem that crucial to your quality of life at first. But how many times have we had our day brightened by hearing a funny joke? Or hearing about a punchline in a movie? It’s the little things that keep us sane and loving life. But if you’re at a barbecue, people might not clue you in on the jokes being made or who said what. It will be very noticeable when you’re the only one not laughing among your group of friends. It’s awkward and it’s sad to behold.
Be A Little More Animated
When you can’t hear as well as before, you will find that your focus goes on reading lips and facial expressions. It can lead to your own lack of expressions in return. We all smile, whine or roll our eyes when we hear something that warrants it, during communication. This lets the other person know, we are following what they’re saying and responding to their changes in tone. So, keep doing this! Don’t be too focused on one thing otherwise it just looks like you’re staring at the person you’re talking to, waiting for them to stop so it’s your turn.
What Can You Do?
There are no magic solutions to this issue, but good hearing aids are certainly one clear option. Speak with a hearing health professional and consider what type of hearing aid you would be most comfortable with. They have in the canal (ITC), behind the ear (BTE) and in the ear (ITE) options to name a few. Each has their own weight, style, shape, sensitivity and comfort level. The audiologist will walk you through the entire process and understand how important it is to you to be able to retain and improve your current relationships. Hearing loss affects everything in our lives and without question, our professionals understand your worries and needs.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have. We strive to provide comprehensive care to individuals with hearing loss, so call Live Better Hearing at 813-876-8374.