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Finding root cause for depression & anxiety: Hearing loss related?

Posted by meatheads @meatheads, 6 days ago

Has anyone found their depression with anxiety related to their hearing loss? A cochlear implant helped, but I shun group activities and have no friends

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hearing Loss Support Group.

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Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | 3 days ago
In reply to @gingerw "@julieo4 My dad was very much a social creature. He loved good conversation with anyone from..." + (show)
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@julieo4 My dad was very much a social creature. He loved good conversation with anyone from anywhere! When his hearing loss became more profound, he found it difficult to follow conversations. And his biggest fear [realized several times] was mis-hearing words and responding in an inappropriate manner. It indeed took him into depression. His world shrunk as he withdrew from his interactions. He was never satisfied with his hearing devices. I believe if he was alive today, he would be standing in line to get the latest and greatest assistance possible.
Ginger

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@gingerw My own story is similar to your dad's story. Social? You betcha! It changed drastically as the HL I was diagnosed with as a college junior progressed. In my mid-30s I had become reclusive and stressed. No one understood what I was going through. Having been told there would be nothing to help me stole any hope for a better life. My very social husband read about SHHH in a small article in a local newspaper where he was traveling for business. That article gave me hope. I wrote to the fledgling organization and asked for support. I was 'drafted' into involvement. I truly believe that SHHH involvement (SHHH is now HLAA) gave me my life back.

So thankful. Reality though was that I had to accept help and go public with my hearing loss. I had absolutely no idea how much support I would/could receive from other people like me. I didn't know there were other people my age like me. Just talking about our mishearing gaffs was amazingly helpful.

I'm sorry your Dad didn't find SHHH. I'll bet if he had, he'd have been a strong supporter. My discovery happened in 1983. I cannot say enough about how peer support helped me. MCC helps many people that way too.

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meatheads | @meatheads | 3 days ago
In reply to @jlwilcox "@meatheads , i understand what you’re saying, and it’s accurate. However; I don’t believe that depression..." + (show)
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@meatheads , i understand what you’re saying, and it’s accurate. However; I don’t believe that depression causes hearing loss.

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@jlwilcox
I'll Roger that!

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mikepa | @mikepa | 2 days ago
In reply to @julieo4 "@meatheads Let's take a good look at what hearing loss does to a person besides the..." + (show)
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@meatheads Let's take a good look at what hearing loss does to a person besides the actual loss or diminishment of a sense we depend on for communication. Human beings are social 'animals'. It's true that some people are extroverts and others are introverts. Personalities vary, but all people need to interact with other people to live comfortably. Very basic information there. Reality: Hearing loss is a barrier to communication.

Hearing loss robs people of their spontaneity. This, and other things that change tend to be deeper issues for those of us who are diagnosed with hearing loss as adults who have lived with typical hearing for years. Suddenly we can't communicate as well as we'd like to. That is intimidating. Some of us fight it and do all we can to keep going. Others do the opposite. They stop doing things they once enjoyed. After blaming people for not speaking up they come to realize the problem is theirs. Along with this comes changes in behavior that not only affect us but affect others. Family members and friends have to deal with these changes in us too. Some become kind and understanding; others not so much.

Those changes can lead to emotions none of us understand. They are brought on by fear, frustration & fatigue which all accompany our new life in some way. We fear losing jobs, friends, status, etc. Frustration comes due to the inability to communicate fluidly in many situations; especially when their is background noise which exists in most every social setting. Fatigue comes because we have to work so hard to do all we can to try to hear and understand. It's exhausting.

So what do we do? As mentioned earlier, some stop doing things they once enjoyed. That affects others as well. Some become more assertive and learn all they can about how to help themselves whether it be with technology, counseling, etc. Sadly, few in the counseling fields know anything about hearing loss. They do know that poor communication can lead to isolation. Isolation can lead to depression.

Yes, cognitive decline has been associated with hearing loss in recent studies. However that affects only a small percentage of people. Often the appearance of cognitive decline comes from the sudden change in behavior a person with hearing loss experiences.

Meeting other people who are living with hearing loss can be very helpful. Why? Because they understand all of the above. You can talk about it without someone telling you "you should be glad it's not something worse." Or saying "Never mind, it wasn't important" when you ask to have something you missed repeated. Seriously, support groups, especially those that are able to meet in person, help eliminate the depression that comes with many issues.

The technology available today can help a great deal. However, it has to be fit well and fully explained to the person who needs it. Hearing Assistive Technology that goes beyond a good pair of hearing aids can be life changing. So can cochlear implants. Unfortunately, much of the information about that technology comes through people who use it not people to sell it. When you can Hear Other People's Experiences in a support group you will find HOPE.

Check out: The Hearing Loss Assn. of America (HLAA) at http://www.hearingloss.org for chapter locations. Also the Association of Late Deafened Adults (ALDA) can be very supportive.

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@julieo4 Thank you! That is one of the best descriptions of the hearing loss and mental health connection I've ever read. I can relate to every paragraph you've written. I've heard many people say hearing loss doesn't cause depression. Maybe not 'cause' but certainly is a major contributor. "Hearing loss is a barrier to communication" is such a true statement. And at the end of each day after we've worked so hard to communicate with others in various settings, that we just want to take off the HA's or CI's and be by ourselves due to the mental fatigue and anxiety we've had all day. I have found that a big help is having a strong family/friend support system. Unfortunately, many of our prior relationships are so used to the relationship they had that it is difficult for them to change enough on a consistent basis and we just give up to too often. We can either give up or we can commit to advocacy and education and try to help others in the same situations as us. You have chosen the latter and are an inspiration to me to do the same. I belong to HLAA and some of my closest friends are now fellow HLAA members. I give presentations to independent living facilities and at libraries to try and get the message across that we can live well or better with hearing loss, especially with the great technology available these days, and by using good communication skills. If I get just one person to come up to me or email me after the presentation to talk, I consider it a success. Thank you again for your advocacy. Mike

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