Stages of Hearing Loss

The first stage is denial. Denial usually takes the form of two characteristics: (1) The person does not believe he/she has a hearing problem; and/or (2) The person cannot talk about the hearing problem. It is characterized by placing blame or responsibility on others. "I don't have a problem, they mumble, they don't speak clearly, they talk too fast" are common comments during this stage. Denial is usually a temporary response. It is important during this stage to acknowledge the fears and uncertainties of the individual. Providing reassurance and support in seeking information can help them move forward towards treatment.

A behavior that often occurs next is withdrawal. The hearing-impaired person deals with the psychological hurt of hearing loss by not exposing himself/herself to the situations in which he/she is vulnerable. The best way to avoid embarrassment is to avoid potentially embarrassing situations. Additionally, activities that were once enjoyable to the hearing-impaired individual may not be enjoyable anymore because of the hearing loss. Their attitude becomes one of, why go somewhere or do something that is no longer fun!

Anger is the next stage. You may notice that the hearing-impaired person is "grouchy" or "has become difficult to live with". Considering the circumstances, it is reasonable to expect hostility to develop. The hearing-impaired person becomes less tolerant of others because of the comments, frustration, jokes and anger that has been focused on him/her. He/she is angry at what they have lost, what you may still retain and how they are treated when they respond incorrectly or inappropriately when communicating with others. The strike first reaction offers protection for them. You need to respond to them with understanding and not anger.

Bargaining for just one more day of hearing, one more day of not having to deal with their problem, is the most private stage of the process. Often, it will not be visible to others, including family members. It may stem from guilt that the loss could have been prevented, or from the failure to be able to do things now that they were able to do in the past. Many hearing-impaired persons, at this stage, come to expect that all their daily interactions with others be arranged around their hearing loss. At this stage, they are not ready to accept help for their hearing loss.

Loss of self esteem, difficulty in doing today what was easy yesterday, suspicion of others, social isolation and loneliness are all part of the next stage, depression. Making sure the hearing- impaired individual is included in conversations, activities and decisions can help to prevent or lessen the stage of depression.

"I have a hearing loss and I am ready to do something about it" is the last stage, acceptance. Acceptance is required for making the transition to seek treatment for hearing loss, including hearing instruments, aural rehabilitation and auditory training.