The Brave Little Voice

Hearing loss can have a range of impacts on ourself or someone we know. My goal is to educate the entire population on the importance of good hearing health; identifying the consequences of hearing loss is part of that. One of the most harmful consequences of untreated hearing loss is social isolation.

What Leads People to Isolate Themselves?

People with hearing loss can experience isolation as a result of many actions taken to avoid potentially difficult listening situations. Fear of misunderstanding can make them reluctant to participate in many different social activities, such as:

ª Bowling

ª Playing cards ª Going to concerts or comedy shows

ª Getting a coffee with friends

However, if we have hearing loss, there are many ways for us to return to activities we have been avoiding.

Putting an End to Isolating Reflexes

Practising Self-Care

Knowing the early signs of hearing loss and how it can affect our quality of life can make us better equipped to prevent the isolation it causes. The first step of self-care is listening to our needs.

Getting our Hearing Checked

If we have any doubts about the quality of our hearing, a hearing health consultation with a professional will help us get all the facts and understand the next steps to guide us to manage our hearing health.

Expressing our Needs

To make our life easier, it’s best if our loved ones work with us. But for that to happen, we need to start by talking about our struggles. By doing so, the people we see every day can take the necessary actions to help us stay active. Through the teaching of listening and communication strategies, our loved ones can gain insight into our needs and become allies.

Tip!

A comprehensive guide about communication strategies, free of charge, is available at all Lobe clinics. Simply ask a hearing health professional.

Our favourite hobbies can also help us

break isolation

Preparing food for our family members can also be a way to socialize at our own pace

Reaching Out to Others

To break social isolation, we just need to listen to that brave little voice inside us.

If we have hearing loss, it might be tempting to decline invitations to participate in activities in the hopes of avoiding potentially embarrassing situations.

But without realizing it, that can set off an insidious trap—one that, little by little, deprives us of the joys of spending time with loved ones.

Of course, depending on the extent of our hearing loss, there are also plenty of activities we can still do ourself, some of which are less demanding in terms of communication:

ª Build confidence by first visiting places that don’t require a lot of interaction, like museums or libraries

ª Going out in small groups to facilitate communication ª Choosing a quieter time when dining out, for example

Getting our Loved Ones Involved

Thankfully, if our loved ones are aware of our needs, there are small ways they can help us make the most of everything life has to offer. Their support is important to helping us remain socially active and overcome isolation.

Nurturing our Passions

Our favourite hobbies can also help us break isolation by allowing us to connect with others who share our passions and interact with them. Focus on developing strategies that facilitate communication rather than putting aside the activities that are important to us and that make us feel good!

Taking Care of Others

Preparing food for our family members can also be a way to socialize at our own pace. Offering our help allows us to socialize while caring for our loved ones.

There are a number of ways to break the isolation caused by hearing loss. It’s all about finding what works best for us to reduce the impact of hearing loss on our quality of life and overall health. By using effective communication strategies, we can stay active and keep that pep in our step!

Marie-Josée Taillefer

Ambassador of Lobe clinics and of hearing health