Anxiety and depression caused by untreated hearing loss is a subject not often discussed, but the effects of both on an aging person shouldn’t be ignored.
Depression and Anxiety
Healthy Hearing states that depression may be psychosocial in nature, that a persistent feeling of missed connections, or being out of the loop, can be disorienting and isolating. People not able to keep up in a conversation may even start to question the worth of their presence.
Anxiety is similarly affected. Like depression, stress and frustration can stem from struggling to hear in a world that may at times seem inaccessible.
What can you do?
The goal is to limit the amount of worry. Think of it this way: the more you agonize over your hearing, the more anxiety can grow into the corners of your life. Not that an anxiety-free existence is possible, mind you, but actively trying to reduce its influence can be more than beneficial to both you and your loved ones.
How to go about this? Don’t put off those hearing tests! Scheduling an appointment with your audiologist can be an important first step in your hearing recovery journey, and something as simple as showing up to your first hearing assessment can help manage your stress in a big way. To prepare, HearingLife has a very helpful list of what you can do before a routine hearing examination.
Mitigating measures are important because hearing loss can alter the brain, as can constant anxiety and depression. “The connection between depression and hearing loss may not be solely due to the damaging social effects that accompany having difficulty hearing… In other words, there are indications that the brain is actually rewired by hearing loss.”
You don’t want to fight a battle on two fronts.
Can hearing aids help?
The good news is, with new top-of-the-line hearing aids and devices (such as the Oticon More™), clarity in speech and sound can be achievable for many people. But the first step, as always, is to contact your primary care physician or audiologist to schedule a hearing test.