Hi so idk how long you've been hoh but my ears are playing up in a way that's terrifying me and I'm so scared i csnt sleep and wanna cry, and I'm seeing the doctor asap but I just if the worst happens and I become hoh does it get better? Do you adjust?
Alright, first I wanna say that I'm so sorry that you're going through what sounds like a really terrifying experience, I sincerely hope everything turns out well for you! Second, I've been Hard of Hearing since birth, so I've never really just "gone Deaf" and my experience is probably different than yours, which is okay! A great thing about the Deaf community is that everyone's hearing is unique.
About being Hard of Hearing, I'm going to be honest with you: it's different. If you become HOH you are going to have to adjust to a new reality of how to walk through life and you're going to have to find your own solutions or demand to be accommodated. Since I've been HOH since birth, I can't really day how difficult it will be, or what challenges you especially will have, but the important ones are learning to fill in gaps of understanding in conversation, paying attention to people's faces and actions more, and learning to stand up for yourself when you can't understanding someone. That last one is more important than you can imagine by the way--you gotta learn that you DESERVE to be accommodated and you have the right to the same sort of information as anyone else. It's pretty important part of living HOH/Deaf.
So your experience is going to be different. I can guarantee that. But like any other facet of life, you'll adjust.
The thing about life is that new experiences become normal to you after a while of continuous exposure, so in a way you can say that it DOES get better. No matter what happens, you will adjust. Humans have been Hard of Hearing since the beginning of time, we're all fine. The world is navigable from where we live. This road you're going down is a new one, and it may seem scary, but I promise you at the end of it, even if you end of Hard of Hearing, you will be fine. It'll all be new, but then it won't be. You'll just be living your life. You'll be one of us.
The thing about having any type of hearing that differs from Hearing people is that your experience can feel super isolating and you yourself feel odd and out of place. However, the best part about being HOH/Deaf is learning that there are OTHERS. You're not alone going through this. There is an entire COMMUNITY of people who live similar to the way you do, and meeting with those people is just amazing. You'll be part of a community where you're accepted and you can find help if you need it--HOH/Deaf people are EVERYWHERE, trust me. The Deaf community is an amazing place to be, and it's not one that should scare you. You're going through a lot right now but a lot of people have gone through it before and lived and are happy and waiting to meet you.
You're not alone in this.
I've been Hard of Hearing since birth. My hearing is such a part of me that I can't imagine myself without it. I see it as a natural part of who I am, and an experience that allows me to emphasize and connect with other people like me. For me, this is normal. It's a beautiful normal. You don't need to be afraid of it becoming yours too.
