Deaf Awareness Week

Welcome to Deaf Awareness week.

I thought I would make my first post of the week {don't panic there will only be two} about how being deaf can affect me.  Technically I'm not profoundly deaf but sometimes I feel that makes it worse.  To coin a phrase someone else from the deaf community used I am trapped between the hearing and the deaf world.  I don't hear enough to be hearing and to be able to participate in hearing things, but I'm not profoundly deaf and use sign language...I border both communities and in a way it isolates me from both.  Recently my hearing has got worse and although we are almost half way through the year {yikes that went quick} I've found that my lack of hearing has impacted on all of it, thus far, in a negative way.

 I don't want to drone on but my intention with sharing the negative is that it will help hearing people to understand how vulnerable a deaf person can be in what seems a harmless and normal situation for many. I should also add that it's thanks to the deaf/hearing loss community I am finally able to put words to these feelings and to acknowledge that just because I am struggling in an easy situation that doesn't make me stupid, yes I feel stupid and yes I look stupid to a hearing person but I'm not I'm me and whether that makes very antisocial or just scared of social situations is up for debate.

There are things I would love to do but know I would need support in...for example a party...it sounds great, lots of people having fun with a common goal of dancing and chatting but for me that equals a headache and dizziness induced by the noise of music...the background noise means I am suddenly profoundly deaf and need to lip read...that's hard enough but try doing that whilst people are jumping around dancing and it's near impossible unless there's an interpreter or I'm ignored all evening there's little to no point in attending a party so I say no....I've basically developed my life over time to include things I enjoy but don't leave me struggling.  That said I have tried in recent years to include things I would struggle with in a bid to stop myself isolating myself entirely.  Though this post will prove it doesn't always work. 

I started off the year unable to properly communicate with Drs and Nurses which led me to more ill health that badly impacted my confidence and my ability to cope in hearing situations.  I found myself in a store with a lot of background noise it was busy and I suddenly realised my brain had stopped focusing and everything started to "swim", I wasn't dizzy as such but everything was moving at great speed and it felt like a merry go round with no way off.  In these situations, for me, the flight or fight instinct kicks in....there's nothing to fight as often there are no people or anything near me so it's flight...but that means locating the door or getting through a checkout first.  It took some time but once outside I was upset yet okay.  It's been just over a month since that incident and I am slowly regaining the nerve to go near a store and even in it. 

It made me realise I needed to stop, take control and work out how I could move forward.  Since then I've had a prearricular sinus flair up but that was fairly easily managed and on this occasion it appears to have gone on it's own without the need for antibiotics.  I'm still tired a lot of the time but sleeping better so that will help.  I am longing for the day when I have adjusted to this level of hearing and I'm not constantly exhausted but for now it's better than it was.  I don't feel as trapped and as alone as I did previously.

What helped me the most was a couple of friends {one of  whom is on a journey herself as she learns all about how I struggle, why I struggle and what it means for me to have hearing loss} who allowed me to text moaning, venting, crying messages until I've sorted out how I'm feeling.

In addition to support and in order to help myself adjust I turn to craft where possible and in this instance I've made a journal page that shows someone trapped in a brick wall box trying to claw their way out.  I've used an Ikes Art image.  I love these images I find they allow you to express a range of emotions and crazy thoughts that sometimes it's hard to put into words.  Of course there will always be people who see the "tendencies" such as being antisocial rather than the reasons behind them and that's fine not everyone everywhere will understand but that's the point of Deaf Awareness Week....to help make more and more people aware and to hopefully give an insight into what it's like living with hearing loss and how to support the deaf community.

Now before I share my piece, my insightful piece of information for Deaf Awareness Week is as simple as being there to support a deaf person when things are difficult.  Rather than accept they say no to something until you stop asking, ask them if the situation you are asking them to be involved in could be a problem, if it is ask them what you can do to make it easier for them.

For me I was uncertain about meeting a friend in a garden centre especially as she had her young children with her and wouldn't have her focus on me.  It turned out okay though, she stayed with me all the time, including at the checkout and when I struggled she simply prompted me and then did it for me whilst I helped her daughter open something.  She could have let me struggle to check out whilst she helped her daughter but this made me feel useful whilst not making a scene that I couldn't even pay for something because I couldn't hear.  It wasn't something I expected this friend to do, I didn't think she had enough Deaf Awareness for it but she did and it gives me hope that sometimes common sense can prevail and that alone can be enough to help you support a Deaf person in a situation they would normally struggle in and may go out of their way to avoid.

Now so that you can all be more deaf aware I stole this image from Facebook but it has some fabulous tips for communicating with those who have hearing loss.

Now here's my journal page.