People may look at hearing loss as a bad thing, but is it really? Hearing loss affects many people from all walks of life. Some are willing to embrace the change of losing their hearing while others are feeling defeated, angry, and not willing to embrace it. We got to start somewhere. It can start with our thinking and our emotions. It all starts with the mind, heart, and soul to look at it as a blessing in disguise.
Hearing Loss is a Blessing in Disguise
Have you wondered why hearing loss can be a blessing in disguise? Don’t get me wrong, it could be devastating losing your hearing but at the same time, it can be a blessing. Losing your hearing at birth, as a child, or as an adult can affect our everyday life. It can be very frustrating dealing with the hearing loss and how the lack of sounds affect us in many ways. If we look at one whose limb or body part doesn’t work that does not mean the end of your life. Life is thrown a challenge and we have to deal with it with some creativity or another way. How do we confront the challenges in our everyday life? It’s the mindset, the support system we have, the belief system we rely on. Life is a box of chocolate and picking one of them brings us to the realization that there is a surprise we face for that day.
There may be a time when you don’t want to hear other people’s voices or sounds and the hearing loss comes in handy. The hearing would have to use earplugs or headphones to block out the sounds they don’t want to hear. Those with severe/profound hearing loss don’t have to worry about this so that could be a blessing. Sounds that are repetitive can be so annoying to those with a hearing loss that they have the option to turned off with a hearing aid. I have done this numerous times when I feel the noise is too much for me to handled at the time.
It can be a blessing in disguise in that there may be a reason why we are here and suffering from this hearing loss. This is a journey that we must take for ourselves. We can’t blame ourselves or our parents for this happening to us. We can’t walk around with guilt, anger, or shame. Instead, we need to rethink, and remove the negative connotations or labels people put on us. We are human just like everyone else.
We can be the conduit to reach out to others through our sufferings and pains. Maybe it is for others to open their eyes to their own weaknesses. Life is full of surprises and not all are superior. We all have faults and weaknesses. Our weaknesses can be a blessing to others for no one is perfect. Others may need to see our strength in our weaknesses. It is not by our own strength but by the strength of our Father God and Lord Jesus Christ. It can be a blessing to others to see that if we can do it, then they can too. There are many ways to make life better, comfortable, and meaningful to us.
There are options and choices that could help with your hearing loss.
Hearing Aids
You can choose to wear one or two hearing aids to compensate for the loss of your hearing. Hearing aids will not replace your normal hearing but it can assist you with the surrounding sounds. Wearing them will assist you in your everyday life. Going to work wearing hearing aids, conversing with co-workers daily working together to get tasks or assignments done should not stop you from performing at your best. There are many products to choose from to better fit your hearing and ears. I have used Phonak and Oticon. One of these might work for you.
American Sign Language (ASL)
You can learn a second language. Learning ASL is beneficial to have. It’s a skill set that must be learned at any age. It is also an alternative or second language skill set to have. Reasoning is if one had hearing and fluent in speaking but loses hearing at a young age, learning ASL at young age would benefit them in the long run as it becomes their second language. They would be able to fill the gap between the hearing and the deaf world and culture.
There are those that lost their hearing as they got older in their 30s and beyond. Sometimes their lives are so busy they don’t have time to learn ASL. It would be good to learn the ASL later in life as it can become a second form of communication with others as well as speaking the English language.
Also, there are those that were born deaf and never heard a sound. These are dependent on ASL as a form of everyday communication in their world.
Check out Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Lip/Speechreading
You can learn lip/speech reading. This is a learned skill where your eyes are on the speaker’s lips and you are watching their lip movements for each word spoken. There are some who have experienced and practiced lip-reading or speech reading. These practiced by watching or reading the lip movements of one during conversations in front of them.
Cochlear Implant
There have been some good and bad reviews of Cochlear Implants. My personal opinion and a few others that have shared their claims about the implant was that there are more cons than pros for getting cochlear implants. This may not work effectively for those who lost their hearing completely.
If you currently wear hearing aids, you still have some hearing based on the Audiogram from the audiologist. You have some hearing left but it is not 100% hearing. If you decide to do an implant, don’t assume that you will never wear hearing aids again. After the implant is placed behind your head near your ear(s), you will need to wear a hearing aid in one ear while the implant is in the other ear. If you are planning to wear two implants behind your ears, it would be more noticeable than a regular hearing aid. Those who have long hair can cover the hearing aids while those with short hair, the implant sits on your head and not behind the ear slightly covered. I was advised by a doctor that I was eligible for a cochlear implant after my daughter was born, but I refused it after I was told that the implant will cause a 50/50 chance of my losing my hearing completely. I’m not a risk taker and decided against it for I do not want to lose the remaining hearing I have left.
Assistive Technology
There are many ways to assist the hearing loss these days. Google and Apple and many other technology companies have come up with the captioning software, as well as smartphone apps to assist the hearing loss with ways to communicating effectively with others via SMS text, closed captioning on television, movies, webinars and teleconferencing as additional support for the various communication vehicles. Keep in mind that the technology is constantly changing and improving. It is not 100 percent accurate but it is doable and allows the hearing loss to grasp the context of the conversation. I have came across a few technology devices and found quite a few words that doesn’t belong in the conversation transcribed by the device but I get the gist of the conversation and keep it moving. I always have the opportunity to question the transcripts.
Conclusion
Hearing Loss can be a blessing in disguise. You have a choice to make. Your life can be better when you choose to wear a hearing aid in the weakened ear to help you hear better. There are alternative ways to get hearing assistance. We do not have to be afraid or left isolated. We can enjoy life and the sounds that our ears are capable of receiving. Hearing loss is something we need to embrace as a blessing in disguise.
This insightful blog challenges the negative perception of hearing loss, urging readers to see it as a “blessing in disguise.” The author explores the mindset needed to embrace this perspective and offers practical solutions like hearing aids, ASL, lip reading, and assistive technologies. Personal anecdotes, such as the author’s decision against cochlear implants, add authenticity. Overall, the blog promotes a positive outlook on living with hearing loss, emphasizing personal growth and connection with others facing similar challenges.
Thank you Herman! I do appreciated your comment.