Allow me to second Julieo4. Hearing loss can be profoundly isolating, but does not need to be. Although by degree of hearing loss I am profoundly deaf, I have always functioned as a hard of hearing individual. There are a lot of devices, apps, and strategies available...not all of them will prove personally helpful to you, but some of them will. A few are game changers...loop systems, CART, and Innocaption+ are three of them. Having had a hearing loss from birth, I did not experience a loss in the sense that I never had it in the first place. Those who lose their hearing later in life truly do experience a loss but persevere, keep going, keep learning. Check look for a HLAA chapter and go to a meeting to meet others. If the idea of learning to sign appeals to you, then find a class. As for friends and families...the sooner you can be forthright about what you need to communicate, the sooner you can educate others how to communicate well with you. Unfortunately there are some who never "get it" but you will treasure and enjoy those who do.