hard of hearing and depression

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brubeckbach

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Does anyone know of any connection between hearing impairment and depression. I am not talking about later onset but for lifetime hearing problems. I saw somewhere that stated that there is a higher incidence of depression in the deaf/HH community? any thoughts?

I am being treated for major depression. I have been in and out of the hospital for the last 8 years. I know being HH doesn't help but...I have been HH all my life. I am 55 now. Feel like I don't belong to either the Deaf community or the hearing community.
 
ahhh, the typical between world deaf. Most people experience that. But yes, there are deaf people who experience situational depression ( I think that's the name of it) where it has to do with being deaf. Kinda like being depressed about your cancer. You can have that on top of other type of depressions.

I think some deaf people have a hard time dealing with it than others because of the communication barrier.
 
It's possible. I also grew up HH and not really belonging in either world, though I was raised in the hearing world, but having to deal with the extra effort of trying to adapt to THEM (which is ridiculous). So when I was about 17, I was dealing with depression for a while too, nothing clinical though. I kinda snapped myself out of it though when I was 20 because I didn't like how depression was ruling my own life. So, yeah, I'd say it's certainly likely to be depressed if you have a hearing problem and feel disconnected from society and life, in general. I swear I still feel like I don't belong in this world- not just because of my hearing loss though, but for almost any reason.
 
That is true I believe my bio depression and emotion I know hard to rough, I support to friends and support to counsellor and private client and grandma lots of activities support for me really seems! I know not easy depression but I accept to my life.. I go to doctor help me. I know change mood swing not easy.
 
I deal with major depression too. I do think a big part of it was growing up in a very snotty town as well as dealing with ALL the problems of "assimulating" into the hearing world.
Do you know ASL? One of the best things about CIs, is that it's made Deaf World a lot more accesible to hoh folks. There are still some deafer then thou deafies, BUT they are welcoming.....remember they are used to dhh folks coming late to the Deaf World.
It makes me SO mad that hoh folks are encouraged to be assimulated into the hearing world, as thou its some sort of Glorious Utopia.
 
deafdyke said:
I deal with major depression too. I do think a big part of it was growing up in a very snotty town as well as dealing with ALL the problems of "assimulating" into the hearing world.
Do you know ASL? One of the best things about CIs, is that it's made Deaf World a lot more accesible to hoh folks. There are still some deafer then thou deafies, BUT they are welcoming.....remember they are used to dhh folks coming late to the Deaf World.
It makes me SO mad that hoh folks are encouraged to be assimulated into the hearing world, as thou its some sort of Glorious Utopia.
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It sounds like his implant was a failure.
 
deafdyke said:
I deal with major depression too. I do think a big part of it was growing up in a very snotty town as well as dealing with ALL the problems of "assimulating" into the hearing world.
Do you know ASL? One of the best things about CIs, is that it's made Deaf World a lot more accesible to hoh folks. There are still some deafer then thou deafies, BUT they are welcoming.....remember they are used to dhh folks coming late to the Deaf World.
It makes me SO mad that hoh folks are encouraged to be assimulated into the hearing world, as thou its some sort of Glorious Utopia.
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wow . I understand encourage to you. I clear understand your feeling upset and community deaf and hard of hearing!? I ask question you! make sure clear hard to you CI define! that is point topic I agree you.
 
brubeckbach said:
Does anyone know of any connection between hearing impairment and depression. I am not talking about later onset but for lifetime hearing problems. I saw somewhere that stated that there is a higher incidence of depression in the deaf/HH community? any thoughts?

I am being treated for major depression. I have been in and out of the hospital for the last 8 years. I know being HH doesn't help but...I have been HH all my life. I am 55 now. Feel like I don't belong to either the Deaf community or the hearing community.
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One thing you can do is meet more hard of hearing people like yourself. Have you tried the Hearing Loss Association of America? As it tend to be populated among the oral deaf, hearing-impaired, hard of hearing and late deafened. You may want to check to see if there's a chapter near where you are:

Hearing Loss Association of America

The AG Bell organization is another.

Good luck!
 
It doesn't matter how much hearing loss we all do have the same plm. That life is all about.
 
I am hoh and I feel you about not fitting in 100 percent with hearing or deaf people both my best friends are also hoh its not that I planned it that way it just happened. I notice alot of hoh and deaf people have other underlying issues such as depression and bi polar and anger issues alot of them way more than my hearing peers. I don't know if this is due to unfunctional upbringing families or if its connected to genes or what but what is important is that you go talk to a doctor about your treatment options I was on effexor for a year and for me it helped TONS I only needed to be on it for a year and that was 7 years ago. It also helps to have friends who are in the same shoes as you meaning go out and find some hoh friends.
 
correction... disfunctional families not unfunctional I guess tec speaking unfunctional would classify someone as dead :P
 
pandaundercover said:
It's possible. I also grew up HH and not really belonging in either world, though I was raised in the hearing world, but having to deal with the extra effort of trying to adapt to THEM (which is ridiculous). So when I was about 17, I was dealing with depression for a while too, nothing clinical though. I kinda snapped myself out of it though when I was 20 because I didn't like how depression was ruling my own life. So, yeah, I'd say it's certainly likely to be depressed if you have a hearing problem and feel disconnected from society and life, in general. I swear I still feel like I don't belong in this world- not just because of my hearing loss though, but for almost any reason.
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Wow u looks beautiful on ur pic. Where school you go to?

What ur name?
 
HHIssues, the trouble with HLAA is that it seems to be very Hearing Health 101, and more about "Oh boo hoo hoo...it's SO horrible being dhh!" It's more like one of those health support groups that meets out of a doctor's office, rather then a real cultural community. Also, most people who are members are old people, with age induced losses rather then people who have been dhh all their lives.
It's a great organization for people with age induced losses or postlingal people, or people who may have unilateral losses, don't get me wrong. Some people who have been dhh all their lives like it.....but it does seem overall that many people with pediatric losses don't really find HLAA all too helpful. It's basicly the same old Hearing Health 101 stuff we got as kids.
 
deafdyke, that's what I heard about HLAA, too. The deaf community has been a better choice for me.
 
pandaundercover said:
It's possible. I also grew up HH and not really belonging in either world, though I was raised in the hearing world, but having to deal with the extra effort of trying to adapt to THEM (which is ridiculous). So when I was about 17, I was dealing with depression for a while too, nothing clinical though. I kinda snapped myself out of it though when I was 20 because I didn't like how depression was ruling my own life. So, yeah, I'd say it's certainly likely to be depressed if you have a hearing problem and feel disconnected from society and life, in general. I swear I still feel like I don't belong in this world- not just because of my hearing loss though, but for almost any reason.
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I can't stand when someone tell a person to snap themself out depression, I hope you do not tell this to other people . You can't snap yourself out of major depression or any depression.
 
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posts from hell said:
Other one for the books.

This is what I am advocating against, sorry it happened to you.
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"WARNING: If ANYONE makes a post suggesting another person getting a CI I will personally go to the CI forum and tell someone not to get a CI."
Could you tell would not suggest a peson yo get a CI as my DR what to see if I am a good canidate for this.
 
deafdyke said:
HHIssues, the trouble with HLAA is that it seems to be very Hearing Health 101, and more about "Oh boo hoo hoo...it's SO horrible being dhh!" It's more like one of those health support groups that meets out of a doctor's office, rather then a real cultural community. Also, most people who are members are old people, with age induced losses rather then people who have been dhh all their lives.
It's a great organization for people with age induced losses or postlingal people, or people who may have unilateral losses, don't get me wrong. Some people who have been dhh all their lives like it.....but it does seem overall that many people with pediatric losses don't really find HLAA all too helpful. It's basicly the same old Hearing Health 101 stuff we got as kids.
Click to expand...

That's gotta not be helping, one key thing is accepting. yeah, I got about MANY, MANY more years to live, and I just don't want waste it on "I hate being deaf". I already wasted my childhood on that.
 
I go through bouts of depression quite frequently. In fact, I am just coming out of one bout now. It almost never has to do with my hearing loss, but sometimes it does. Mostly, my issues are family related and situational. Nothing I can do about it, but I keep on keeping on.

With my hearing loss, I went through mainly 1 year or so, of major depression at having lost it, but I got through it and am a better person for it.
 
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