Silent Struggle: The Impact of Hearing Loss on Mental Health

I suffer from profound hearing loss. This topic is timely, as this Sunday is World Hearing Day, founded with a mission of “Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!”

Hearing loss has impacted my life in many ways for so long that I don’t remember what it was like to have full use of my hearing. For anyone unfamiliar with the different types of hearing loss, they include:

• Conductive (related to problems in the outer or middle ear),
• Sensorineural (involving damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve), and
• Mixed (a combination of both).

I fall into the latter category, and my hearing loss affects both ears. The loss is profound — in fact, it’s at the highest level possible before being considered deaf. Unfortunately, my type of hearing loss is not reversible. However, I pick up many sounds my natural hearing cannot by wearing hearing aids. It’s certainly not a perfect solution, but it helps.

Last month, my husband and I visited Jamaica for our annual trip to Sandals Montego Bay. Each week, the resort invites a handful of vendors who can sell items to the guests staying on the property. I was looking for artwork for my brother’s new house and found someone selling beautiful pieces on the main…