Hearing loss isn’t just inconvenient and annoying – it can also have a serious negative impact on people’s mental health. From not being able to enjoy your favorite songs as clearly to not being able to follow conversations, it can deprive us of many happy experiences. Fortunately, there are ways to manage hearing loss and ways to prevent depression setting in.
This post explores the link between hearing loss and depression in greater detail, and delves into some of the potential solutions for treating hearing loss and staying mentally healthy.
How does hearing loss cause depression?
Research shows a strong link between hearing loss and depression, with some links finding that people with untreated hearing issues were five times as likely to experience depressive symptoms.
What is the root cause of this? Communication breakdowns are one of the biggest causes. A lot of people with hearing loss find social situations stressful and exhausting – not being able to clearly follow conversations can make it hard to join in. You may find yourself having to focus harder on what people are saying, having to ask people to repeat themselves or having to interpret what people are saying by filling in gaps. Some people find it so challenging that they start to withdraw from social situations. Loneliness and resentment caused by this can lead to depression.
Hearing loss can also make other situations harder. You may get paranoid of not being able to hear your phone ring or someone knocking on the door. You might not be able to enjoy music like you used to and other forms of entertainment like theatre performances and public movie screenings could be hard to follow. Some people may also struggle to do their job properly – especially if it involves talking to people on the phone or talking to people in crowded environments.
How to treat depression caused by hearing loss
There are a few different ways to treat depression caused by hearing loss. Below are just some of the potential solutions that could be worth exploring…
Wearing a hearing aid
Hearing aids are designed to help amplify frequencies so that you can hear them more clearly. They are not a cure for hearing loss, but can greatly improve clarity. This can make conversations easier and potentially help alleviate depression.
Hearing aid technology has come a long way in the last few decades, and some of today’s devices are very comfortable and discreet compared to the bulky designs of yesteryear. To buy a hearing aid, you must first undergo a hearing exam to determine the extent of your hearing loss. This can be carried out at an audiology clinic. These tests involve sitting in a soundproofed room with headphones – tones are played through these headphones at various volumes and frequencies, and you must click when you hear a sound. The results are then plotted on a chart called an audiogram, which tells you exactly what your hearing prescription is. Consider scheduling a hearing assessment if you have not already undertaken one recently so that you can start looking into hearing aids.
Try therapy
Talking to a therapist could help you to overcome depression. A powerful form of therapy worth trying is acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). This can help teach you to accept hearing challenges without letting them define you, helping you to conquer social situations and live fully. This could include helping to reframe negative thoughts – such as turning ‘I can’t hear, so I’m useless in groups’ into ‘I can still connect in quieter ways’.
Finding the right therapist is key – look for therapists that have experience with clients who have hearing loss. They will know how to communicate clearly with you during the session (after all, therapy is no use if you can’t hear what the therapist is saying!). They may also have more experience as to overcome specific feelings and situations related to hearing loss.
Join hearing support groups
It may also be worth exploring the benefits of hearing support groups. These are groups formed out of individuals who have hearing issues. They can be a chance to share your problems with people going through the same struggles, as well as sharing solutions. Such solutions could include learning communication tips and exploring different types of technology.
Ultimately, support groups can help beat the loneliness that many people feel when battling a health problem. Knowing that there are others also struggling can make you feel less alone, plus these people may be more patient when socially interacting with them, as they know themselves what it’s like to not be able to hear what people are saying.
Taking more control over social situations involving friends and family members could be important too. Certain locations may have a lot of background noise and could make conversations very challenging. Recommend meeting up in locations where there isn’t a lot of background noise. This could include planning to meet in cafes or restaurants during non-busy times, meeting in parks, or going around each others’ homes.
If you think going to a party will be too stressful, but you really want to meet up with certain individuals, consider going briefly in order to show your face, but then plan to meet up with certain people after on your own terms. During big social get-togethers, also don’t be afraid to ask people to step outside to quieter areas to continue conversation if you are having trouble following due to background noise.
Use captions and other assistive technology
Finally, don’t overlook the variety of technologies out there related to hearing assistance. When it comes to watching TV and movies, turn on captions so that you can follow them more easily. At events and in certain public spaces, you may be able to use hearing loops to listen in on what speakers are saying. Smartphones also have in-built technologies to help with hearing issues like flash alarms and mono audio (certain apps may also be able to help).
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