Deafness and Depression

Jaxim72

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Okay, I didnt bother looking through the forums on any related topics about Deafness and depression, so I just went and posted this. I know some people like to use the forums to just come and chit chat, and have fun and share jokes and what not... get away from that real life stuff. But I need to vent a little bit, and ask a serious question :

How many of you, Deaf as well as Hard of Hearing, have had, or currently have, depression, anxiety, and other issues related to depression? I am asking because... as Ive mentioned before, I just recently am getting involved more with the Deaf Community; I live in Maine, it doesnt seem like there's many people like me in Maine. It felt like I was basically alone, and logically speaking, im not! But it feels like it. A few things opened my eyes up, however, and Im now taking ASL classes, and im learning a lot more than just ASL. Ive had depression for quite some time, and Im starting to see that its not just me.

To cut the story short, im going to ask... how many of you have had depression and other issues that you feel is related to your lack of hearing and if you did, what did you do to help yourself? Or how do you cope with it??

Maybe this might help me, maybe it wont, but its not for the lack of trying :)
 
Jax, are you late or early deafened? were you mainstreamed to the max?
I have depression issue, and I do think that a LOT of it was due to being mainstreamed to the max, and growing up in a horrible snobby town.
Its gotten better as I've grown up......but still.
 
I have anxiety, but it is supposed to be related to autism, not deafness. :dunno:
 
I was late deafned, so of course, I was depressed a very long time, not being able to hear music, family, friends....

I'm much older now and suffered from chronic depression for years, it comes and goes. I don't feel my deafness is entirely at fault. It's life in general. For the past 10-15 years, I've not taken any antibotics for depression, mainly becuz they didn't help me very much, and the side-effects were pretty bad.

Getting involved with hobbies, clubs, meeting people seemed to help me a lot. We can't expect everyday life to be great, have to roll with the flow. And whenever I do get depressed, I remember other people who don't have all their facilities! Doing something nice for someone else works for me also.
 
I grew up mainstreamed and viewed myself as a "broken" hearing person so I ended up with depression and anxiety. Therapy, discovering ASL and the Deaf community helped me a lot so I dont have issues with my deafness like before.
 
I have anxiety, but it is supposed to be related to autism, not deafness. :dunno:

If I were to venture a guess and risk being accused of diagnosing on the net, I would agree that your anxiety is most likely link to the autism.
 
Jax, are you late or early deafened? were you mainstreamed to the max?
I have depression issue, and I do think that a LOT of it was due to being mainstreamed to the max, and growing up in a horrible snobby town.
Its gotten better as I've grown up......but still.

Yeah I was mainstreamed to the max. I was born with it. I tell ya, somedays im okay, other days I can barely get by. I dread going to work. Toxic work environment.
 
I was a very depressed, rebellious, angry, anorexic, suicidal teenager 9s well as being quite the hell raiser). I was diagnosed at 19 years old and then my life's puzzle pieces started to fall together for the first time.....I wasn't stupid, I was deaf!!!

I have yet to learn ASL well enough to use it in the deaf community. At times I get depressed. Family/community/gatherings and events I tent to often avoid, I am hermetic by nature, but sometimes do get lonely. Right now, as a single Mom I cannot afford courses or classes or babysitters much, so I just live simply and do my best day by day. I worry at times as my hearing loss started to decrease again just last year, but a zen outlook and just living in the moment helps me cope.

Best of luck to you Jaxim.
 
You are very welcome! Part of my daily routine is to get up early and meditate for an hour or so before the rest of the house gets up (my son, and I care for a mentally handicapped/mentally ill person in my home). I often joke to myself that when the kid is grown, i shall become a zen nun, and take a vow of silence, and meditate in the temple and live simply.....cept even though my hearing sucks, I still like to talk! HA! Hope I made you laugh, cheers!
 
LOL you did. I do like to talk a lot too. Maybe too much. Oh and typing too.... i tend to write books, but i refrain from doing so lol.
 
I was very depressed when I first noticed my hearing loss. Initially what hit me the hardest is that music doesn't sound the same. Nowadays what hits me the hardest is the social isolation that is often a result of hearing loss, more than the hearing loss itself. I get waves of depression, especially when I find myself being excluded a lot.
 
I have gone through depression and panic attacks as well as anxiety. None of it really stemmed from my hearing loss. The depression stems from the loss of my father and the fact that my hubby and kids never knew him. Panic attacks stemmed from MIL attempting to take my kids from me while they were babies, saying I was an unfit parent because they had a black Jamaican lady who was their babysitter. The anxiety, I still go through at times, but it is from dealing with my mother and her ICU-induced dementia and her declining health. I am her primary caregiver and also my MIL's primary caregiver. MIL doesn't need much except a driver and to be reminded about her meds (37 in all). I take no medication and only did for the depression. I got off it and have learned how to deal with the loss of my father. I do a lot of praying and will sit and play the keyboard. (That drives the family nuts, since I never turn it on. I figure, I can't hear, why turn it on? I am total deaf, with no residual hearing so hearing aids and CI's don't work for me at all.)
 
when I was growing up... not many friends wanted to social with me cuz I came from hearing family and my mom is a interepter.. so therefore few freinds was embrassed by her.. but it was true but sad but that all changed when idiot friends grew out of that phase when went off to college.. now they are friendly to my mom :roll: but hell.. I am not popular in person but online I'm well known for being online too much but I'm trying to cut down but figures.. I have a bad hobby.. yep making too way many aim sns and email addresses.. (I am addicted to computer for life that's the fact) but I hope that all will change if i ever get married and have kids :P if not I wud probably end up with a pet and being online for life bugging friends ugh. :P
 
when I was growing up... not many friends wanted to social with me cuz I came from hearing family and my mom is a interepter.. so therefore few freinds was embrassed by her.. but it was true but sad but that all changed when idiot friends grew out of that phase when went off to college.. now they are friendly to my mom :roll: but hell.. I am not popular in person but online I'm well known for being online too much but I'm trying to cut down but figures.. I have a bad hobby.. yep making too way many aim sns and email addresses.. (I am addicted to computer for life that's the fact) but I hope that all will change if i ever get married and have kids :P if not I wud probably end up with a pet and being online for life bugging friends ugh. :P

I know. I've seen you online for about 15 years now.
 
Most of the time I forget that I have bad hearing. But, if my day becomes a crappy day due to my (lack of) hearing, then I feel depressed. But, usually I don't let depression take control.

But, the worst depression I had was before Christmas last year. I had my HA adjusted just before Christmas. I thought all was fine until I realised while I was at work that I could not hear anything whenever work colleagues spoke to me.

So, during Christmas season on my last week at work while the audiologist was closed, I had to intentionally avoid people. Suicidal thoughts was constantly running around inside my head. That was probably the worst bout of depression I had. I only got over it, because I had to think positive. Ie. That I will be able to hear again when I get my HA adjusted.
 
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