When I found out I was losing my hearing, I became severely depressed. I thought my life would have no meaning. Making my friends repeat themselves several times in order to understand what they're saying, or worse when you ask them to repeat themselves they just say "nevermind." Having to devote your full attention to the person speaking or else you won't catch anything. The idea of having to wear hearing aids all the time just made me cringe. I never thought my life would be this way. After spending 2 months just coping with it, I finally was able to accept this and make the best of it. So, here are some ways to cope with it if you're in a similar situation.
1. Remember, you are still the same person.
Some people tend to think that if you suddenly lose your hearing, or become disabled in any way that it completely changes you as a person. Nope, you're still the same person as you were yesterday. You have the same appearance, same personality etc. This was probably the hardest part for me.
2. You don't have to learn ASL.
This is a personal choice for everyone. Will it make your life easier? Most likely. Though, it's kind of rare to run into fluent ASL signers just on the street. It's only good if you choose to get an interpreter. The only thing is if you choose to learn it when and if you completely lose your hearing, it'll be a lot more difficult to learn ASL when you are deaf. If you are going to learn it, I would personally suggest learning before it's too late. If you choose not to learn it, then think it over to make sure you are 100 percent confident in this decision.
3. You can join the Deaf Community.
A lot of people are under the assumption that LDT (late-deafened teens) or LDA (late-deafened adults) are not welcome in the Deaf community. This is not true, at least in my experience. If you are going to join the Deaf community, it would be helpful to learn ASL (still not a requirement). Don't think that because you became deaf at 17 or 30 doesn't mean you aren't welcome.
4. Stand up for yourself.
This is probably the most difficult part. If you don't like people over-enunciating words in your face, tell them. If you prefer to stay mute because you can't hear yourself, even though you know how to use your voice, do it. Don't let people pressure you into making decisions that you don't want to make.
5. You do not need to correct your hearing loss.
This is another personal choice; you do not need to correct your hearing loss. Cochlear implants aren't 100 percent effective. You could reject it, it's painful, etc. There are many reasons people choose not to correct their hearing loss. If you choose to embrace it, then do so.
Hearing loss is a tough thing to cope with. Just remember you are still in charge of your health. Losing your hearing doesn't mean you lose your rights. As I said before, do not let others pressure you into a path you don't want to take. Be honest with yourself, and choose what you think will be best for you.
