Most people think about hearing loss as a physical problem. This is a challenge that affects physical organs, such as your inner ear canal and your eardrum, and your physical senses.
However, there are also mental health aspects of hearing loss. Many people report mental health challenges when they experience hearing loss, and scientists have made the connection as well.
Being prepared for the mental health challenges of hearing loss can help you navigate this change in your body with more ease.
Hearing Loss Makes People Feel Powerless
Hearing loss can cause people to feel powerless. All of a sudden, one of their major senses is damaged and there is little they can do about it.
Some forms of hearing loss are temporary. Treatments such as professional ear cleaning can resolve the problem, but it is still stressful until a solution is identified. More permanent forms of hearing loss cause lifelong lifestyle changes and disruptions.
People experiencing these problems often feel a lack of control, especially if the hearing loss occurs in tandem with aging or other health conditions. This makes them more likely to develop mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Hearing Loss is Isolating
The great composer Beethoven famously lost his hearing during his career, yet some of his best work was composed after he was fully deaf. This was poor comfort to Beethoven, who recorded bouts of depression in his diary due to his inability to communicate with people.
If a famous, beloved composer can feel isolated and alone due to hearing loss, so can any patient. Losing your hearing means losing a key method of communication.
While there are still ways to communicate, for example through sign language, lip-reading, or writing, you are still left out of verbal conversations. Even hearing aids are not a perfect solution as they don’t always pick up on subtle noises such as whispers or rustles.
Many people who experience hearing loss have difficulty communicating with others and withdraw into isolation, becoming depressed.
Persistent Ringing Causes Stress
While most people think about deafness as the only form of hearing damage, some forms of hearing loss make silence feel like a relief. People suffering from conditions such as tinnitus hear persistent ringing, buzzing, or other noises that aren’t there.
These noises are so disruptive that they cause repeated stress, sleep deprivation, and distraction. People are unable to experience a moment’s peace, but they can’t get rid of the noise because it is internal, not external.
The disruption from tinnitus often causes mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, and even suicidal thoughts.
The stress of not being able to trust your own hearing weighs on people over time. If they have preexisting mental health challenges, hearing challenges can make them worse.
Managing Hearing Loss and Mental Health
Hearing loss and mental health challenges are often connected. People experience depression, anxiety, and other problems when they lose control over one of their senses or have to deal with symptoms such as repeated ringing.
The good news is that you are not alone if you are experiencing these things. Talk to your doctor about resources such as support groups that can help.