Even now you’re missing calls. Sometimes, it’s that you don’t hear the phone ring. Other times, you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of having a conversation with a garbled voice you can barely understand.
But it’s not just your phone you’re staying away from. You missed last week’s darts league, too. This sort of thing has been happening more and more. Your starting to feel a little isolated.
The root cause, obviously, is your loss of hearing. You haven’t really figured out how to incorporate your diminishing ability to hear into your day-to-day life, and it’s triggering something that’s all too widespread: social isolation. Escaping isolation and getting back to being social can be tricky. But we have a number of things you can try to do it.
Acknowledging Your Hearing Loss is The First Step
In a good number of cases, social isolation first manifests when you aren’t entirely sure what the underlying cause is. So, noticing your hearing loss is a big first step. That could mean making an appointment with a hearing professional, getting fitted for hearing aids, and making it a point to keep those hearing aids maintained.
Informing people in your life that you have hearing loss is another step towards recognition. Hearing loss is, in many ways, an invisible 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 observe that you have hearing loss. Your friends might start to think your isolation is a step towards being antisocial. If you tell people that you are having a difficult time hearing, your responses will be easier to understand.
Your Hearing Loss Shouldn’t be Kept Secret
An essential first step is being honest with yourself and others regarding your hearing loss. Getting scheduled hearing aid examinations to make certain your hearing hasn’t changed is also worthwhile. And it might help curb some of the first isolationist tendencies you may feel. But you can combat isolation with a few more steps.
Make it so Others Can See Your Hearing Aids
Most people feel like a smaller more invisible hearing aid is a more ideal choice. But if people could see your hearing aid they would have a better recognition of the difficulty you are experiencing. Some people even go so far as to emblazon their hearing aids with custom art or designs. You will persuade people to be more courteous when speaking with you by making it more apparent that you have hearing loss.
Get The Appropriate Treatment
Coping with your hearing loss or tinnitus is going to be a lot more difficult if you aren’t properly treating that hearing ailment. What “treatment” looks like could fluctuate wildly depending on the situation. But usually, it means using hearing aids (or ensuring that your hearing aids are properly adjusted). And even something that simple can make a significant difference in your everyday life.
Let People Know How They Can Help You
It’s never fun to get yelled at. But there are some people who assume that’s the best way to communicate with someone who suffers from hearing loss. That’s why it’s essential that you advocate for what you need from people around you. Perhaps instead of calling you on the phone, your friends can text you to arrange the next pickleball game. If everybody can get on the same page, you’re less likely to feel the need to isolate yourself.
Put People In Your Pathway
It’s easy to stay away from everyone in the age of the internet. That’s the reason why you can steer clear of isolation by intentionally placing yourself in situations where there will be people. Instead of ordering groceries from Amazon, shop at your local grocery store. Set up game night with friends. Social events should be arranged on your calendar. Even something as straight forward as taking a walk through your neighborhood can be a great way to see other people. This will help you feel less isolated, but will also help your brain continue to process sound cues and discern words precisely.
It Can be Dangerous to Become Isolated
Your doing more than limiting your social life by separating yourself because of untreated hearing loss. Isolation of this kind has been connected to cognitive decline, depression, worry, and other cognitive health concerns.
Being practical about your hearing condition is the number one way to keep yourself healthy and happy and to keep your social life on track, recognize the truths, and do whatever you can to guarantee you’re making those regular card games.
