Dealing with Your Initial Emotions
Deal with your initial reaction. Likely, your first response will be shock, with a mix of "That can't be right"! You may cry. That's okay; it isn't easy news to hear.
Ask your physician how he came to this conclusion. Your physician will then go through how he arrived at this evaluation, and explain to you how your symptoms (if a part of a condition) will progress. When you leave his office, you may experience a numbness or anger. You may be in disbelief. All of these emotions are normal.
Allow yourself to process the news. When you get home, you will likely be a jumble of emotions. Again, that's normal. You'll be thinking: What is going to happen to me? How can I work? Can I do my job deaf? What about my family and friends? I am going to be so alone. All my hobbies, I need to be able to hear!!! What about my future?
Give yourself time to process the information. Over the next days and weeks, with the help of your physician, family and close friends, you will come to terms with your diagnosis. It may still seem surreal, but you will learn to accept that you are going deaf.
Coming to Terms with Going Deaf
Equip yourself with communication strategies. There are a number of measures you can take in preparation for your deafness: Learn sign language: You can take classes on ASL (American Sign Language) both in a class setting and online. There are also a number of books you can purchase if you choose to learn that way. Learn to lip read: Classroom and online courses are available. At home, try putting on one of your favourite shows, turn the volume off, and enable the close captioning. Try to read the lips of the actors, and should you need assistance, the close captioning is on the screen. During a conversation, watch the lips of the people you are conversing with for practice.
Stay positive. Realize that, although you are facing a huge change in your life, others are a lot worse off. You are losing your hearing, but that is only one of the five senses. Do not get swallowed up by feeling sorry for yourself. Focus on what you can do to help yourself.
Use your spare time to get back into some of your old hobbies or start new ones. Start reading that book you have had on the shelf forever, take your dog on special walks, or take up building model cars. Think of ideas that motivate or even excite you, and start integrating them into your current lifestyle. It will help focus your mind positively.
Learning of the Support Systems Available to You
Look at government options. There are federal and provincial government programs out there to assist you. The programs include assistance to the low income population, education in sign language, or job retraining for returning to the workforce in a different field or position.
Consider your alarm systems. If you live alone, you may want to consider a home burglar/fire alarm system. You may some day not be able to hear your alarm, but your neighbours sure will. Also, the alarm company will try to call you on the telephone when they get an alert. If they do not get an answer, they will dispatch help. Visual alarms allow you to know when an alarm is sounding or not sounding, and some telephones have a feature that use a strobe light to grab your attention. Many of the reputable companies out there can also offer you an alert button that you can wear around your neck in case of emergency and you cannot get to your alarm panel. Some conditions that include hearing loss involve balance, and if this true in your case, having the alert button can serve you well.
Consider getting a pet, especially if you live alone and do not already have one. Pets are great company, and a natural spirit lifter. If you get a dog, it will also prompt you to go outside and get some exercise and fresh air, taking your dog for a walk.
Avoid the tendency towards hibernating, or closing off from the world. This is where walking a pet comes in handy! Go for coffee with your friends. Enjoy shopping for groceries or just going for a drive. Solitude can cause depression, so just get out of the house, even if you have to make yourself do it.
Connect with others, online as well as in real life. You may also want to consider starting a blog, or getting involved in online gaming where you are conversing with other players. Start contributing to sites like wikiHow, where you can communicate with other members. Involving yourself in computer social networks are activities that will not change as your hearing declines.
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