Whether you have experienced it firsthand or not, hearing loss is more common than it seems. Around one-third of the population in the United States from ages sixty-five to seventy-five experience some form of hearing loss. Even if this isn’t your age group, you likely have a loved one who falls into this age group. If you or a loved one is experiencing various degrees of hearing loss, it’s challenging to find ways to cope. When you’re having trouble finding healthy coping mechanisms and tips, turn to these four ideas to help you navigate this diagnosis.
1. Lean on your loved ones.
When times get tough, it’s important to have a strong support system that you rely on. Dealing with hearing loss is challenging, and you need to feel like you can go to others for emotional help during this transition. On the other hand, if your loved one is dealing with hearing loss, you should reach out and communicate that you are there for them. If you’re having difficulties confiding in loved ones, consider reaching out to a mental health counselor who is trained to assist patients to work through their emotional struggles and explore healthy coping mechanisms.
2. Check out hearing devices.
One of the most powerful ways to cope with hearing loss is to find ways to manage it. For example, you should utilize the support of hearing aids. The great news is that for many who suffer from acute or mild hearing loss, there are still ways to restore your hearing. When you’re new to this journey, searching for hearing aids commonly feels difficult because there are so many options available. For top of the line hearing aid systems, it’s a good idea to check out these Phonak hearing aid prices from the audiologists at Hearing Health USA. These particular Phonak’s advanced hearing aids work well to convey better speech understanding in a variety of different models. With the guidance of Hearing Health USA’s hearing care specialists, you will be able to find the right type of hearing aid for your type of hearing loss. By using this list of hearing aids and prices, you will be able to find a hearing aid that’s within your price point.
3. Regain your confidence.
Part of this hearing loss journey is learning to adjust to your new lifestyle. Though you may have lost some confidence at the beginning of this process, now is the time to adapt in any way possible. As previously pointed out, one of those adaptions is getting the right hearing aid based on your hearing needs. However, that’s not the only tool you can deploy. Another idea to regain confidence is to learn additional practical ways of communicating. If you have severe hearing loss and you’re trying to be proactive before your hearing gets worse, work with a family member to learn another form of communication like sign language. At the end of the day, remember that your hearing loss isn’t a reflection of your other capabilities in life. In times like these, prepare yourself with these tools, but also try to focus on a different part of yourself that you love, like working with your hands.
4. Bring joy into your life.
A final tool to work into your life as a healthy coping mechanism is to find ways to incorporate other kinds of happiness into your life. Shift your focus towards these positive reinforcements. As an example, you can take on new projects that spark joy in your life. If you have been wanting to renovate your home, but you want to know when you should redecorate, now just might be a perfect time. Buy that sofa that you’ve been dreaming of, choose your favorite paint color, or finally create a living room or dining room that fits your personal style. Remember that these new things for at-home redecoration shouldn’t be a distraction from the medical and audiologist assistance you should continue to pursue. Instead, it’s a healthy alternative so that you can have so much fun and focus on a vision that you want to bring to fruition. All in all, never forget that you’re capable of handling your hearing loss in the long run. With the various tools available to you like a support system, hearing aids, various forms of communication, and healthy coping mechanisms, you will continue to live a very full life.
