Maintaining boundaries in the Deaf Community with interpreters

OpheliaSpeaks

OpheliaSpeaks

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Hey all,

I hope this belongs here. I'm having some difficulty functioning between the Deaf and hearing worlds and was wondering if anyone could provide some insight.

I am hard of hearing. Due to a neurovascular disorder and some permanent nerve damage, my hearing fluctuates. Some days I am "more deaf" than others. I am on medication and am being followed by a physician of course.

For classroom and meeting situations it is much easier for me to use an interpreter. I am proficient in ASL and prefer to have equal access (not adequate access). I could get 60% of the meeting or lecture with an FM system and hearing aids, but how is that fair? Tuition is expensive! Since I have only been living with deafness for over a year, it is still very new to me. I haven't had my whole life to adjust to using hearing aids in all situations, nor do I think it is always appropriate.

I am in the interpreter training program in my community right now. It is becoming increasingly more frustrating, but I have been getting a lot of support from my peers and the director of the program. I suppose my goal would be to work mainly 1-on-1 in the community as an interpreter, but becoming an interpreter is not my life-long dream.

I think this is mainly just a vent, but part of my frustration lies in seeing some of the interpreters who have worked with me personally (ie: SSDI meeting) at Deaf events in the community. It is strange to know that this individual knows a lot of personal information about me. Anyone else struggle with that?

When I do use an interpreter (for class), I typically don't speak. I wonder if anyone finds this odd? I think part of my problem is that I am worrying too much about what everyone else thinks and not just doing what I feel comfortable doing. The interpreters who work my class for me both know my personally and know that I can speak and interact 1-on-1 just fine with hearing aids.

I guess I'm feeling stuck between 2 worlds tonight. I think what prompted it was being at a Deaf event earlier today and having a Deaf woman assume I was hearing. She asked me to ask her son (hearing) some questions, but I wasn't able to understand his responses and needed my girlfriend's help. :confused:

Hope everyone on the boards is well!

:confused:
 
Hi there!

I'm in the same boat as you are but DeafBlind and currently on medication as well and see doctors too. I am close friends with my intervenors that knows my medical history as well.

My intervenors [two of them] knows my medical history as they attend my doctors' appointments with me and they are bound by the CoE. Bless their hearts, they are able to leave their jobs home and be my friend when we are out socially-wise.

Interpreters, intervenenors, SSPs and others are bound by their CoE not to reveal anything at all and/or to treat anyone differently socially-wise.

They leave their jobs at home and they would also like to be treated differently than their roles as well.

I can feel stuck between two worlds sometimes - Deaf and DeafBlind. I struggled at first and came to realise that I was blessed to experience a lot of everything growing up.

Hang in there and tactile smile!
 
i know exactly how you feel. i'm totally deafblind and when i used tactile terps for medical and therapy appointments, they were all privy to my illnesses and health conditions. i found therapy to be the most difficult because it was there that some of my most private thoughts and concerns were shared. even though i know my tactile terps were bound by the code of ethics, i still felt uncomfortable because it was as if i were revealing every secret i didn't want them to know. one way i solved this problem was to let them know about all of my medical conditions and illnesses upfront so that we were on the same page and i wouldn't have to worry about them being surprised by something they did not know. for example, before one therapy appointment i explained to one of my tactile terps that i have 7 different types of paranoia and if my therapist brings up any topic that triggers certain moods, it can cause me to start feeling extremely paranoid -- so much so that i tense and freeze up. i guess what i'm trying to say is that honesty is the best policy and that it's important for you do to what feels comfortable to you. if you feel more comfortable not speaking in class, try not to worry about what others think. there will always be people who don't understand what it is like to be hard of hearing, but that doesn't mean you have to please them by doing what they expect you to do (speak). you do what you feel comfortable with and the rest will fall into place -- i promise.
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate the honest feedback. It is such a struggle finding "where you belong" without the added stress of a medical condition.

Recently, my medication was increased and it triggered terrible anxiety and panic attacks. I went to my neurologist for a follow-up and he told me I had a panic disorder and needed a psychiatric evaluation! In three weeks I developed a panic disorder??? All I needed was for my medication to be decreased again and I felt a LOT better (normal!), but the fact that the neurologist was trying to pathologize everything (including me!) was AWFUL. I got a referral for a new neuro, but I'm worried about what he wrote in my chart. It's such pain to get quality care sometimes! :roll:
 
ophelia,

this is easier said than done, but i really wouldn't worry about what your neurologist wrote in your chart. he's not a psychiatrist and therefore cannot diagnose you with a panic disorder. i'm sorry, but i have to say this...i'm so glad you decided to find another neurologist. it sounds like the first one you had was too eager to diagnose you will all kinds of conditions you did not have. the same thing happened to me not too long ago. i was looking for a new psychiatrist and *had* to be interviewed for over an hour by a therapist before i could have an appointment set up with the psychiatrist (nevermind that i was manic and rapid cycling at the time and needed immediate medical attention). during my interview i happened to mention how i don't eat whenever i'm manic or depressed and how i can sometimes forget to eat when i'm level. so what did she do? she told me i had an eating disorder. i'm thinking to myself, "what? are you kidding me? the reason i don't eat is because of my bipolar -- not an eating disorder." funny thing was that she never diagnosed me with something i actually had -- ptsd (which my own therapist dx'ed me with 2 weeks ago). now tell me, what's wrong with THAT picture?
 
Hear Again said:
ophelia,

this is easier said than done, but i really wouldn't worry about what your neurologist wrote in your chart. he's not a psychiatrist and therefore cannot diagnose you with a panic disorder.
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Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better too. My best friend just keeps saying "He's an ass." His behavior was questionable from the beginning actually. So much so that my primary physician had to pull him aside and tell him how inappropriate he was. I'm glad to be rid of him.

I am sorry to hear about your issue! What is with these doctors? So quick to diagnose and pass out medication. It's awful. That was the first thing he said - "You need anti-anxiety medication and an antidepressant." Wait, what? Who ARE you, and what are you basing your inferences on?? I'm tempted to file a complaint against him, but I'm waiting until after I see the new neuro next month - who, by the way, I've heard HATES the old one! :D
 
LOL! well, i'm glad the new neurologist hates the old one. at least then you won't have to worry about him taking stock in anything the first neurologist had to say. i can relate to your frustration about doctors who are too quick to dx. my last psychiatrist was a real twit. i was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, but did he look into my dx further? no. instead, he hands me my typical course of meds *and* ignores the fact that i've been rapid cycling for over a year and a half. my very perceptive therapist, on the other hand, told me i do NOT have schizoaffective because i am too high functioning (since i go to school and most people with schizoaffective have a great deal of trouble with this given their auditory hallucinations and delusions) and my primary issues deal with rapid cycling, mania, depression and paranoia while my secondary issues concern auditory hallucinations and delusions. after my therapist and i discussed my diagnosis, that's when i decided to get a second opinion. as it turned out, my current psychiatrist accurately diagnosed me with atypical bipolar I disorder with ultradian rapid cycling -- something my psychiatrist and therapist think i've had ever since my early 20s. ...and to think it took 17 years to finally arrive at that diagnosis. :roll:
 
I understand what you mean, and here is how I get around it...

1. My classroom interpreters will never interpret for me in medical or more personal settings.

2. Interpreters I use in medical or more personal settings are interpreters that I know I will never see in my social circle.

3. I have been open with my interpreters about what I am comfortable with and what they are comfortable with. From there we have established boundaries that we are all comfortable with.

As for your comment about voicing for yourself. In my experience you really need to pick between signing or voicing for yourself. People respect you and your communication choices more when you do this.

Jenny
 
i have panic disorder really problem my life. I have disorder problem really surprised. I have problem my disorder really serious that is medication help you better feeling improve medication to safety. Sometimes I have medication okay I have feeling better right now less panic attack
 
JennyB said:
I understand what you mean, and here is how I get around it...

1. My classroom interpreters will never interpret for me in medical or more personal settings.

2. Interpreters I use in medical or more personal settings are interpreters that I know I will never see in my social circle.

3. I have been open with my interpreters about what I am comfortable with and what they are comfortable with. From there we have established boundaries that we are all comfortable with.

As for your comment about voicing for yourself. In my experience you really need to pick between signing or voicing for yourself. People respect you and your communication choices more when you do this.

Jenny
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in responding Jenny, I was in PA for a service dog interview (I was approved - yay!). I like the idea of keeping your interpreters separate, that seems very practical. I also agree that it's important to pick something and stick with it. For now, I'm most comfortable signing everything and trying to stick with that. I think you're right about people respecting me and my communication choices more.
 
OpheliaSpeaks said:
Hey all,

I hope this belongs here. I'm having some difficulty functioning between the Deaf and hearing worlds and was wondering if anyone could provide some insight.

I am hard of hearing. Due to a neurovascular disorder and some permanent nerve damage, my hearing fluctuates. Some days I am "more deaf" than others. I am on medication and am being followed by a physician of course.

For classroom and meeting situations it is much easier for me to use an interpreter. I am proficient in ASL and prefer to have equal access (not adequate access). I could get 60% of the meeting or lecture with an FM system and hearing aids, but how is that fair? Tuition is expensive! Since I have only been living with deafness for over a year, it is still very new to me. I haven't had my whole life to adjust to using hearing aids in all situations, nor do I think it is always appropriate.

I am in the interpreter training program in my community right now. It is becoming increasingly more frustrating, but I have been getting a lot of support from my peers and the director of the program. I suppose my goal would be to work mainly 1-on-1 in the community as an interpreter, but becoming an interpreter is not my life-long dream.

I think this is mainly just a vent, but part of my frustration lies in seeing some of the interpreters who have worked with me personally (ie: SSDI meeting) at Deaf events in the community. It is strange to know that this individual knows a lot of personal information about me. Anyone else struggle with that?

When I do use an interpreter (for class), I typically don't speak. I wonder if anyone finds this odd? I think part of my problem is that I am worrying too much about what everyone else thinks and not just doing what I feel comfortable doing. The interpreters who work my class for me both know my personally and know that I can speak and interact 1-on-1 just fine with hearing aids.

I guess I'm feeling stuck between 2 worlds tonight. I think what prompted it was being at a Deaf event earlier today and having a Deaf woman assume I was hearing. She asked me to ask her son (hearing) some questions, but I wasn't able to understand his responses and needed my girlfriend's help. :confused:

Hope everyone on the boards is well!

:confused:
Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with using your voice even when using an ASL interpreter. Do what you feel is comfortable and is most effective for both you, the interpreter, and the professor. And no, I don't find the fact that you typically don't speak while using an interpreter for class odd. There's nothing wrong with that. If you're comfortable that way, then so be it.
 
Mrs Bucket said:
My intervenors [two of them] knows my medical history as they attend my doctors' appointments with me and they are bound by the CoE. Bless their hearts, they are able to leave their jobs home and be my friend when we are out socially-wise.
Click to expand...

I apologize if this sounds stupid, but what exactly are intervenors, and what exactly do they do? Are they like interpreters?
 
LuciaDisturbed said:
I apologize if this sounds stupid, but what exactly are intervenors, and what exactly do they do? Are they like interpreters?
Click to expand...

intervene. intervenor. a person who intervenes. a caring person who makes sure that Mrs. Bucket, despite of her 52" white cane, attends every sessions, takes medicines, etc.
 
an intervenor is just klike an ssp. thy run errands, shop, cook and help with landry if that is needed. i no longer use ssps sinc ei am able to hear with my ci's. when i hd ssps, they elped with shopping ad running errandsm and rading my mail.
 
even thouh i a m able to vioce for myelf, therre were situations where i chose to commnicate bac to my terp in tactile sign. sometimes it was much easeri and efficent tht way.
 
ssps he re are not allowed to take their clinests out for lucnh since that is viewd as being unprofessorional and is a big no no . a n ssp is responsible for heling with erands and shopuing, but that is it and they cannot take a deafblind cleint out to eat or anywhere else the job respnsibilites ofa n ssp are not perfrmd. the sme is true for tactile teps.
 
I think so job interpreter is professional for unviersity hospital because right human. it think so right human. I need to complaint to hospital sometimes in saskatoon i think so improve better health. I think so hopeful to respect to interpreter. It is school is having job worker search find information to you. I suggest to you. I wish be talk to you. I hope be happy to see you. I interest to you> I hope be happy smile >I think so you are well support to counsellor deaf interpreter that is good for you. I hope be happy
 
OpheliaSpeaks said:
Sorry for the delay in responding Jenny, I was in PA for a service dog interview (I was approved - yay!). I like the idea of keeping your interpreters separate, that seems very practical. I also agree that it's important to pick something and stick with it. For now, I'm most comfortable signing everything and trying to stick with that. I think you're right about people respecting me and my communication choices more.
Click to expand...

Last semester I experimented with voicing for myself. I did for pretty much everything for about a month. Then, I just kind of stopped. It wasn't an active choice, it just happened. I realized how much easier and less stressful my life because when I did that and now I have a very strict "voice off" policy for everything at school. Now no one expects me to speech read or speak and it is a lot better.

Are you training to be a CDI? or just an interpreter? Here they don't accept people with hearing loss into ITPs.
 
JennyB said:
Are you training to be a CDI? or just an interpreter? Here they don't accept people with hearing loss into ITPs.
Click to expand...

Just a terp...but I gotta say it is NOT my dream job. I just really love to sign. I will probably do some 1-on-1 work in the community for awhile and then pursue grad work at Gally.
 
OpheliaSpeaks said:
Just a terp...but I gotta say it is NOT my dream job. I just really love to sign. I will probably do some 1-on-1 work in the community for awhile and then pursue grad work at Gally.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

Have you ever explored ASL linguistics?
 
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