Hearing Loss & Deafness Support Group

I'm sorry that you are having to deal with both issues. I have some hearing loss but not a lot right now. However, the message you posted is so familiar to me, and there is nothing that I can do about it. My former girlfriend has a profound hearing loss. She is about 98 percent deaf now and has been since she was around 18 years old. You see, what you just posted is hauntingly similar to what I used to hear her say and watch her go through. I have tried over and over to figure out what happened between us - why did she just suddenly break up with me for what seemed like no reason. She just stopped talking to me. But when she did, I could see something much bigger was bothering her. As I went back through our time together of 12 years, the only thing I could come up with was that she was suffering from anxiety. I believe it was a serious case of anxiety. Her mood swings were terrible. One minute she was happy as could be, the other she appeared to be depressed. Little things seemed so overwhelming to her. And she was making irrational decisions. Now, something very well could have been wrong in our relationship and I could have been too blind to see it, but something was definitely wrong with her. And I believe it was anxiety coupled with a severe hearing loss. It bothered her. Everything you said, I heard her say the same things. I can only imagine how she appreciated my help of always interpreting for her while at the same time feeling so dependent and helpless. Almost everyday she said the very things you said. I wish I could have helped her. I want so much to go to our kids and tell them they need to help her, because she won't talk to me anymore. Our kids are really her kids. I am not their biological father, but I have accepted them as my kids and love them as my kids. But I have to be very careful, of course, in presenting this problem to them. Sorry for such a long winded reply to your posting, and I do hope you will stay in touch. I too just began having anxiety but my hearing loss is relatively minor at this point, but it is getting worse over time. Please talk to me more.

I struggle with both issues as well. Perhaps you need a visit to the audiologist for a tune up? Are you a CI candidate?

My partner signs. I am a fluent signer and all of my friends sign as well. My hearing loss doesn't present as much of a barrier when I am with them. It does when I am with other people though, but I think a part of it is the grieving process. It is very hard to lose something you used to have (hearing) and be forced to adjust to not having it anymore.

I know where you are. I have GAD as well, and I have hearing loss in both ears which is progressing quickly. I actually just spent the day at the otologists and was about to burst from all the anxiety. My hearing loss was always present apparently, but it didnt get to the point that I noticed it until I turned 20. In the past two years its gotten worse fast. I learned today that it most likely won't settle, that I will become completely deaf, how soon, we can't tell. Anxiety is so incredibly draining, wouldnt you agree? Just give yourself extra time for everything. I hate the whole HOH thing. Have you learned sign? Im gonna take a class soon I think. consider it because you might be able to have some fun with it.

I have hearing impairment on both ears, I know what you are going thru. I am the only in my family with a hearing impairment I always felt like restrained for some reason. All my friends & family members are "normal" people, people who love me in their own way, but that is not enough until you accept who you are then things start to blosom. Things become easier. I used to cry every day until I started to take St.John's Wort pills which you can buy in drugs stores it is for depression. It worked!

Your comments caught my attention and touched my heart. You appear to be so young and have your whole life ahead of you.

I sometimes think that if I just knew that someone understood how I feel with the hearing impairment, anxiety and depression, then it would be okay.

I'm not sure which is the worst--frustration and resentment, feelings of utter inadequacy or isolation. Maybe the guilt that I feel when I realize how lucky I really am--maybe that it's just self-pity.

I am a 56-year-old gay male psychotherapist, trained in child and group therapy, director of a drug treatment program and a candidate in a psychoanalytic training institute. At this point, however, anything more than just one-on-one communication is difficult.

I've had hearing aids since 2002, but they have always been unsatisfactory. I can hear just about everything, but understand only about a third or a half of what is said to me. I used to play the piano, but am now tone-deaf and cannot "hear" music.

The depression and anxiety have always been there, but now the extreme anxiety about not being able to follow conversation is making me withdraw--something I had sworn I would never do, because I've seen how it has isolated my hearing impaired mother and brother.

I stumbled across this website and thought I'd put it out there. Thank you for your example.

I have GAD with panic attacks too, my hearing loss is somewhat hard to explain- basically when there's only 1 noise i can hear perfectly fine but if there's any more than 1 i have trouble with it. I tend to have panic attacks in crowded, noisy areas and i think this is somewhat because of my hearing. It just gets so hard trying to focus on what a person is saying and I usually just end up not being able to reply to them all that much. Yeah i'm with you- i wish i only had one problem, mentally sometimes it's so hard dealing with the anxiety alone but i also have depression, on top of that i have hearing loss, asthma, and allergies. Hang in there...we can get through this together :)

i am hoh but in the left i am deaf so u can add me as friends

Has anyone ever checked to see if their anxiety disorder may be from their thyroid out of whack? This is what happened with me and I am HOH with profound hearing loss. I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease several years ago. I had a lot of anxiety/panic attacks and social phobia issues when my thyroid levels were off. Once I began with the antithyroid drugs, I got back on track and began feeling much better.

Take care... :-)