Self Inflicted Deafness
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jillio
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I've often considered it. And yes I go over the line on occasion. Yes...mental case. HOH with recent hypercausis. Hypercausis has not tempted me. Maybe a bit. But it is anti-socialism which gets into my head. Be deaf to say F the world don't wanna hear your shyt no more. Like when some are mute. Refusing to be involved in society. My thoughts of self-inflicted deaf comes alongside temptation to go mute. Anti-social. Isolation. I don't think it has anything to do with Munchausan's or hypochondria.................
:rl: ......<-----will this work? lol
Depends on the circumstances. The situation you described would be related to an antisocial personality, but the way the other situation was described would be a form of Munchausen's.
I think that being deaf would come as a relief to someone with sound phobia. In the past when I was HOH I always wore my hearing aids switched off and even got them to make the moulds go deep as it cuts sound out better that way. I just liked everything to be quiet but you will always get people who insist that I should be using my hearing aids more.
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I hate to say this, but I'm not surprised by this person's behavior.
There's a listserv on Yahoo Groups called Deaf Wannabes (do a search for Deaf Wannabes or deaf) in which the members discuss ways they can inflict deafness or hearing loss. Out of curiosity I joined the list just to see what the discussions were about and was shocked (and even angered) at some of the ways these people wanted to deafen themselves. Why someone would want to do that to themselves I don't know, but to each their own. <sigh>
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It looks as if this Yahoo Group has already been discussed. I started reading the first page of the thread, so ignore my post.
I hate to say this, but I'm not surprised by this person's behavior.
Doesn't shock me. I don't see it as any differant then a deaf person wanting to hear. Some people just have problems accepting the way they are so they make changes. Fine by me as long as they don't try to push their views on others.
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A deaf person who wants to hear wants to improve their opportunities for communication, socialization with family/friends, employment, etc.
A hearing person who wants to deafen themselves is deliberately limiting their opportunities by creating a permanent disability that cannot be reversed. (Note: When I say "limiting," I'm talking about not having communication skills such as sign language or lip reading.) Some of them also do it because they enjoy the sympathy they receive from others.
I agree to each their own, but I will never understand why anyone would want to permanently deafen themselves.
By the way, 90% of the people on the Deaf Wannabes list have a self-inflicted mild or moderate hearing loss. I don't think any of them would have the courage (for lack of a better word) to deafen themselves completely. If they did, I'm sure the reality of what they've done would hit them like a rock.
I hope I didn't offend anyone with this message. I'm not saying that deafness or hearing loss is the worst thing in the world -- it isn't. I just don't think these people truly understand the implications of what they are doing.
A hearing person who wants to deafen themselves is deliberately limiting their opportunities by creating a permanent disability that cannot be reversed. (Note: When I say "limiting," I'm talking about not having communication skills such as sign language or lip reading.) Some of them also do it because they enjoy the sympathy they receive from others.
I agree to each their own, but I will never understand why anyone would want to permanently deafen themselves.
By the way, 90% of the people on the Deaf Wannabes list have a self-inflicted mild or moderate hearing loss. I don't think any of them would have the courage (for lack of a better word) to deafen themselves completely. If they did, I'm sure the reality of what they've done would hit them like a rock.
I hope I didn't offend anyone with this message. I'm not saying that deafness or hearing loss is the worst thing in the world -- it isn't. I just don't think these people truly understand the implications of what they are doing.
sr171soars
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The image in my mind is humorus, but the reality is that the person is in dire need of medical attention.
As for Deaf Wannabes, you have got to be kidding me. I may do a google search to find out what the hell is up with these idiots.
I agree with your sentiments. Who in their right mind would even consider this?!?!? It is absolutely one thing if this was one was born with and take what life gives you. It is another thing to self inflict it.
I've been profoundly deaf and I have been HOH. I must say I prefere being profoundly deaf. I think my communication actually improves as a profoundly deaf person as I don't have to rely on people being quiet so I could use my HA to hear speech with.
Not neccessarily. As a HOH person I was very sound phobic. I could hear but the noise used to bother me a lot. If I avoid noisy situations because I can't bear noise that is also a limitation. More limiting then wearing ear plugs (or deep ear moulds with my HA switched off) to cut noise out completely.
You don't get sympathy as a deaf person anyway. I don't like people feeling sorry for me because I'm deafblind as being deafblind isn't the big deal people think it is.
I suppose it would depend on your reaction to noise. Some people, especially those on the autistic spectrum, have problems with noise. I have mild Asperger syndrome. Not that I've always been this bad with noise. It's got worse since I started wearing really powerful hearing aids after I lost most of my sight. (I still have some useful sight though.)
I think there are people who probably do it for other reasons. Maybe to punish themselves. I think this was the case with this guy I met once who put his own eyes out. He was in a mental hospital at the time. He used to be an artist.
The link didn't work for me so I can't really comment on that but I think it would be probably very difficult and very painful to completely damage your own hearing. I don't know anyone to have done it. I only know people who blinded themselves.
They might like being totally deaf. I do (or rather did). I've just recovered from a really bad ear infection. I had a lot of stuff in my right ear that has been blocking sound out for about 4 years which made me profoundly deaf. Now I do hear some sound but I don't like it very much. It's all so distorted and it keeps setting off my tinitus.
No offense. We just have different views on this matter.
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or find ways to make themselves diabetic or break their feet to flatten them.....
crazy stupid people - do your duty and get on with it. There are deaf, blind, diabetic, flat footed people out there right now that would love to join the military but are barred from that because of their physical (and sometimes mental) limitations. then there are those you mention that do anything to get out of duty - kind of lopsided eh??
If I were not HoH I likely would have joined the air force right out of high school and would still be enlisted today as well, but because I am HoH no can do.
War isnt pretty, never has been, never will be. War is not cool, but dodging service is lame too, JMHO.
The Deaf Wannabes is probably a bunch of leftover draft dodgers that get their kicks with hearing aids and deafness. :giggles:
crazy stupid people - do your duty and get on with it. There are deaf, blind, diabetic, flat footed people out there right now that would love to join the military but are barred from that because of their physical (and sometimes mental) limitations. then there are those you mention that do anything to get out of duty - kind of lopsided eh??
If I were not HoH I likely would have joined the air force right out of high school and would still be enlisted today as well, but because I am HoH no can do.
War isnt pretty, never has been, never will be. War is not cool, but dodging service is lame too, JMHO.
The Deaf Wannabes is probably a bunch of leftover draft dodgers that get their kicks with hearing aids and deafness. :giggles:
I totally disagree. War is evil. People shouldn't have to fight if they don't want to. If they are that desperate not to fight that they will harm themselves they diserve our understanding not our contempt. In fact I have a great admiration for conciences objectors. If being a conciencious objecter doesn't get them out of it and they have to damage themselves instead of someone else (which is what war is all about) I would still admire them just as much.
As a deafblind person myself it really offends me when people would assume a physical afliction is the worst one can suffer from. Being deafblind is nothing compaired to what some people go through. Like being a homeless person has to go through, or someone sufferering from domestic violence or being forced to murder people against their wish. If I was told that I could magically be non disabled but would then have to get involved in warfare I would much rather stay deafblind with a pure clean concious of not having murdered anyone or caused children to have limbs removed without anesthetic etc etc...
jillio
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**nodding agreement**
Yes, using non verbal methods can be so much easier but when people know you have some useful hearing they won't let you use them. You are also made to seem controlling if you require quiet to be able to hear and can be really rude about it. I remember asking people to repeat only to be told 'you heard what I said'. If I had heard why do they think I wanted them to repeat.
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It's illegal to do, it can be part of child abuse that where use pencil to poke it or use iPod with high volume to make hearing goes decline, such as increase more dbs of hearing loss.
I would be fine if I have hearing child, there's nothing to be wrong but doubt about it because I'm gay.
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That's true. I was fortunate enough to receive training at my local deafblind center in which I was encouraged to learn tactile sign and other alternative communication methods even though I still had enough residual hearing to use an FM system. I'm so thankful for the people who encouraged me because when the time came that I finally did lose my hearing, I had the alternative communication skills necessary to cope effectively with my deafness.
When I still wore hearing aids, I had the same thing happen to me where people would insist that I heard them if I asked for a repeat. Some would also say something along the lines of, "You should be able to hear me. After all, you do wear hearing aids" -- obviously failing to understand that hearing aids do not give a person normal hearing.
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