May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a great time to reflect on the many facets of mental health and how we can take care of ourselves mentally and emotionally. As hearing health professionals, we’d like to take this opportunity to discuss how hearing loss can impact mental health.
Our Brains Crave Communication
Humans are built to be social. Our brains are programmed to build connections. You could say that social connection is as much a biological need as food, water and shelter. Studies show that a strong sense of social connection improves physical health, cardiovascular health, longevity and mental health.
The bedrock of social connection is strong communication. From telling your children you love them to ordering a latte at Stumptown, communicating with other people is a major part of our daily lives. When communication becomes difficult for any reason, it can have ripple effects on health, including and especially mental health.
The Mental Effects of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can come with a variety of emotional struggles, from frustration to embarrassment to denial to rage to insecurity to grief. It can also cause one to modify their behavior in social settings, such as by pretending to hear, blaming people around them for mumbling when they aren’t, disengaging from the conversation entirely or declining invitations for social functions.
These responses all contribute to a feeling of social isolation. Social isolation is a term that describes a lack of social contact and support. It is related to loneliness, but they are different things. According to the 2023 Surgeon General, social isolation is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Therefore, hearing loss can also be correlated with these risks.
How to Cope
The good news is that the opposite is also true: treating hearing loss is correlated with decreased feelings of social isolation and lower chances of anxiety and depression. If you’ve felt more isolated from your loved ones and know that you may be struggling with untreated hearing loss, it’s time to seek help.
Our team at Aspen Audiology can work with you to diagnose your hearing loss, determine its severity and build a treatment plan that meets your needs. We are dedicated to helping you feel connected to the world around you and hear the way you deserve.