Frustrated

fishycracker

fishycracker

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I haven't been on here in a while and I feel bad. I want to make more friends on here, so I'm going to try and go on more. I've just been really busy with school and track and church.
Anywho. Lately, I've been quite frustrated. I have about 60 or 70% hearing loss in my left ear. (Not sure. My mom has papers somewhere that say what it is) (Also that hearing test was 2 years ago and I think I've lost more since then). People get really frustrated with me when I can't hear them or act like I'm stupid when I ask them to repeat something. And it makes me really frustrated. Sometimes I think it'd be easier if I could just get a hearing aid (but that's expensive and no money) or if I was just completely Deaf in just that ear or both ears. You know? It's just quite frustrating. I wish people could be more understanding and not treat me like a child simply because I have a hard time hearing. I'm not stupid, just freaking talk louder, it's not hard. It's easier with my friends in my ASL class because they can sign to me (especially when I have earaches and don't want to hear so I have earplugs in). And because they get that hearing loss doesn't make you dumb or mean you're not listening. I don't know. I'm just really frustrated.
 
I don't know if you could get a free hearing test to see how much hearing loss you have. You have to talk with your Mom or Dad about it if you are a teenager attending mainstream high school.

I think you can go to the VRS (Vocational Rehabilitation Services) or Lions Charity and ask them to help you get the services you need to be able to hear sounds. You won't be able to pick up the words unless you had hearing before you lost your hearing. But hearing loss with the hearing aid(s) are not the same as normal hearing. There is no perfect or normal hearing once you have lost it.

How long ago did you lost your hearing (one or both ears)?
 
If your in the states of you Google Starkey hearing or Miracle ear they do free hearing test.

Sent from my LGLS990 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
I just can't believe that hearing aids are not available to anyone who needs it in the US. I simply think society looses by not offering some kind of solutions. Especially young people will have a harder time getting jobs and a good education if they don't get access to hearing aids and other listening devices. I agree with Bebonang, look into any options for funding.

Nonetheless, even with hearing aids, there are some people who don't have patience with communication and who might consider you more stupid than you are. Firstly, just relax. You don't have to be friends with everyone. Choose to talk to people who are kind and positive, and try to avoid those who don't accept your hearing.

Don't be frustrated, because that just waste of energy. Instead focus on educating people. Many people would want to be helpful, but they just don't know how to. They get scared since they don't know what to do. Tell them to write things down if necessary, to move to a more quiet area if there is too much noise for you to hear, find good articles about hearing loss that you can share and so on. If you want other people to be patient when communicating with you, then you yourself need to be patient with them. People feel when you are frustrated and become frustrated as well.

Getting a really good education is also helpful. If you have a degree from a good university, then you kind of have an external sign of that you are not stupid, and get more status just because of that. Really focus hard on your education, since that will be what helps you most in the long run.

It is great that you are learning ASL. It it a long process to learn a new language, but means you can later use interpreters if you like. Trying to listen when having a hearing loss is exhausting. Therefore, it is nice to have a few ASL-friends or other deaf people that you can relax with, and who understand more about hearing loss. When working hard in the hearing world, it is great to be able to take a break sometimes.
 
voc rehab will sometime help with the cost of hearing aids if a person is working or going to school . Funding is being cut so you'll need to call if are interesting in seeing if they'll help you.
 
I have hearing loss in just my left ear as a result of a surgery when I was 7 (I'm 18 now) to remove a tumor. But I've lost more since then. It's really not important to me how much hearing I've lost. I just know it's most of it on my left side and I can't make out words when you're on my left unless you talk loud. And I don't know why that seems to be such a hassle and annoyance for people. I can mostly hear my teachers (except when I visited a college, the professor of the class I sat in on was so quiet, I gave up trying to hear what she was saying and I really hope my professors aren't like that), but I have a hard time hearing sometimes when a classmate asks a question. I mean I mostly deal with immature highschoolers (I can not wait to graduate) who refuse to listen to other people's point of view. Maybe in college, people will hopefully listen and be understanding when I tell them I have hearing loss. I've never wanted hearing aids until recently. I learned to live with relying off my right ear for the most part. But I'm worried about college ever since my experience with the very quiet professor and am really starting to get sick of people being irratated when I talk too loud, instead of calmly saying something like "hey, take it down a notch, you're talking a little loudly". But it's nice to learn ASL and start meeting people who understand and who I can communicate with in a way that sometimes can be easier and more tolerable.

Sent from my SM-G900V using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
Sign will set you free girl, sign will set you Free....
 
HA, I feel for you. Sidney and I were just saying that we wish that we were profoundly Deaf so we wouldn't have to deal with speech therapy and dealing with HOH stuff.
But you do sound like you're on the right track with learning ASL!!!! Have you applied to any Deaf colleges, like Gally or NTID or CSUN? That actually might be a lot of fun, and you'd be able to develop deep fluency with ASL, and make connections in the Deaf community which in turn would increase your chances for a job...Are you involved in the Deaf community where you are? Too bad you didn't sign on a few years ago...would have suggested you attend Deaf camp.........
 
http://www.gallaudet.edu/
http://www.ntid.rit.edu
http://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/deaf-studies
http://www.csun.edu/ncod
My best advice....for college look into a college with a strong deaf population, so you can get appropriate services, and you don't fall through the cracks... Trouble with general disability services is that they're not too experianced with dhh.
Also, just a word of advice... social emotional development can be just as important as educational development.....even if you're more mature socially then most high schoolers, there's also many ways to grow emotionally.....and a good way to grow emotionally and to really feel like you fit in, is to attend a College/university for the Deaf.
 
So are you unilaterally deaf? You mention church.... Maybe do some research and look into Deaf Christian camps....those might be a good resource!
 
AS a note, gally wasnt just fun, it was stupendous badass fun....go to gally girl, you will have the time of your life...
Of course sqeeze some studying in....
Cough..
 
I thought you had to be Deaf to go to Galludet? I could think about it for my graduate degree but I'm pretty much committed to a college right now and I don't think I know enough sign to survive there. I'd go crazy trying to keep up.

Sent from my SM-G900V using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
deafdyke said:
So are you unilaterally deaf? You mention church.... Maybe do some research and look into Deaf Christian camps....those might be a good resource!
Click to expand...

Do you mean only deaf in one ear? Well technically hard of hearing. I can still hear, just very little. If people talk loudly from my left side, I can hear. Or if I'm looking at them because I can rely on my right ear.

Sent from my SM-G900V using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
I completely understand your frustrations as they are legitimate. A lot of hearing people have misconceptions about d/Deaf people and they must be educated. This is where we d/Deaf people have to step up and eradicate any and all misconceptions people have about d/Deaf people and people with disabilities in general.

When I tell hearing people that I am Deaf by motioning to my ear and shaking my head, they will think I can't hear them and proceed to yell at me. I'll repeat myself and say more emphatically, "I am Deaf!!" Some will try to make bigger mouth movements and I will be like, "Just talk normally as most of the time I can lipread. Just talk normally with significant, not BIG mouth movements."
 
fishycracker said:
I thought you had to be Deaf to go to Galludet? I could think about it for my graduate degree but I'm pretty much committed to a college right now and I don't think I know enough sign to survive there. I'd go crazy trying to keep up.

Sent from my SM-G900V using AllDeaf App mobile app
Click to expand...
You are eligible for admission to Gallaudet. I've known many hard of hearing folks as well as a few unilateral deaf (both where their other ear is either completely deaf or completely...well..hearing). Even knew a guy who was actually mild hearing loss. As for the ASL- every year they do have a New Signers Program specifically for those who either don't know it or want to improve on what they already know. I don't know about now but they did used to have ASL classes too during the semester to help you along so you wouldn't go crazy in keeping up. Seriously Gallaudet (or NTID & CSUN) are good evironments for improving ASL. Seeing as you are already committed for the coming year keep in mind you can also transfer if you decide to.
 
fishycracker
I wish people could be more understanding and not treat me like a child simply because I have a hard time hearing. I'm not stupid, just freaking talk louder, it's not hard.
Click to expand...

So you are not in a deaf world, I gather? living as a hearie?

Sweetie, nobody wants a hearing aid, but it's simply a necessity.
You HAVE TO get one if you function as a hearing person and you have trouble understanding what people are saying to you.

Strangers in majority are distrustful of everything they do not know and do not understand, and have very little patience.
I am so sorry some people are giving you a hard time.
I went thru it myself, so I know very well what you mean - it is hard :cuddle:

All the reason to get yourself as much helpful devices as you can, such as hearing aid, or CI, VRS, even a boogie board to improve communication for yourself.

But most important, again, your mom or dad (or both) or you (or together) need to research what is available to you in terms of government assistance - perhaps your low income qualifies you for a free hearing aids? perhaps partial coverage? perhaps as a student you qualify for some grants?
how about your medical insurance? as a last resort, ask a bank for a loan.
you need to find out.
at the same time, you must go to your family doctor and ask for referral to an ENT or OTO-laryngologist (whichever better for you) who then will send you for an audiology tests to determine if and what kind of Hearing Aid do you need, and one or two?
or, possibly it will turn out you passed HA option and qualify for CI, which is a whole 'nother debate now.
regardless, these are steps your mom/dad and you must start immediately for your emotional health and to improve the way you communicate.
Improving the way you communicate will help in so many ways, for example you will do better in school, have easier time talking to people everywhere,
have less stress in your life. Your self-esteem may improve :)
Do you mean only deaf in one ear? Well technically hard of hearing. I can still hear, just very little. If people talk loudly from my left side, I can hear.
Click to expand...

that sound like deaf to me.
I can understand w/o a HA if spoken directly to my ear, not even loudly - just with the right timbre, while normally I wouldn't be able to hear a car passing by.
a big truck, maybe, by a quiet sedan -hmm not sure. probably would got run over sooner :giggle:
yet still if spoken right into the ear I would hear and understand good enough. go figure.. :eek3:
 
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