The Pain and Frustration a Hearing Loss Causes, Part 2

Without even realizing it, a hearing loss can easily create frustration and even pain that comes from our deep feelings inside when our self confidence starts to erode. It doesn’t usually happen overnight, this is usually a long process of many years slowly accumulating and little by little chipping away at our confidence.

The worst part for me is when I pretend I understand something that is being talked about and I really don’t. I’m usually too embarrassed to ask someone I don’t know real well to repeat themselves several times during a conversation. So I usually do what most of us with a hearing loss automatically do, we nod our heads up and down and look like we got it.

Inside we hope it doesn’t have to go further, like them asking us what we think about the conversation. Personally, when I am pretending to hear what was said I will look into the eyes of the person talking and sometimes I get the feeling they somehow know I really didn’t get it. I often feel like I have lied to them by leading them on, by pretending I knew what they were talking about. I can’t tell you what it does to me when I think they know I really didn’t get what was said. You see, integrity is huge with me and when I have a feeling that I mislead someone – even though I’m not 100% sure they really knew I didn’t get what they were talking about – I have to question what I am about. (continued part 3)

Share and Enjoy: