Hearing Difficulties

My parents both have hearing difficulties and both wear hearing aids. Does anyone ever feel discouraged or frustrated when your parents or loved ones are not able to hear you or to understand what you are saying?

[Hidden]

Hi, my parents seem to be getting a little hard of hearing as they age. That’s to be expected I guess. But honestly that’s not what frustrates me... it’s because I speak softly that sometimes my loved ones can’t understand me. When I was a teenager I got in the habit of speaking very quietly because of my shyness and inhibitions, and people would get impatient and irritated by it. Their reaction just scared me and made me feel like a failure. But it didn’t help me learn to speak any louder. If anything I would get even quieter. I am constantly fighting with that bad habit. I have to force myself to raise my voice, especially around my parents, and it feels physically strange and uncomfortable because of that bad habit I formed years ago.

Don’t know if my vent helps any, but no, you’re not alone in feeling frustrated.

[farah19 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, I think too that you are not alone because I experienced a situation like this before, but try to not feel frustrated and to accept it

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi, I’m glad you wrote about this because this was exactly like me and still is. I am very quietly spoken and was unable to project me voice, mainly because I was always told to be quiet and that it was “unladylike” to talk loud, so that just made me become very shy. Like yourself people would get frustrated with me and just ignore me. Thank you for mentioning this as I thought I was the only one.

[LonelyLizzie]

My dad has TERRIBLE hearing, but he refuses to admit it, therefore refuses to even consider getting hearing aids. I have to repeat myself MULTIPLE times when we have a conversation. Having a phone conversation with him in next to impossible. It's gotten to the point where he knows I get so frustrated when he asks me to keep repeating myself that he just says "ahhh" no matter what I said (even if it was a question), so it's even more frustrating because I know he didn't hear what I said so I know I will have to repeat whatever I said at a later time. I am constantly telling him the same things over and over again, and it's not because of his memory! SO FRUSTRATING! I totally get it! And I get flustered so easily, which leads to anxiety, and it's just a downward spiral. UGH.