I've recently been diagnosed with mild hearing loss. The audiologist has told me that I don"t need a hearing aid as I should only really have trouble understanding speech when people are communivating badly e.g speaking to me while turned away or from a different room etc.
However, because people are still wearing masks in a lot of settings I find I'm having a lot of really uncomfortable, upsetting interactions with people. I genuinely can't get over how rude and horrible people have been to me recently. Every time I have to apeak to anyone in a restaurant or a medical setting I almost end up in tears.
I don't know if it"s because I'm constantly having to ask people to repeat what they have said or because I kind of tend to scrunch my face up/frown while trying to concentrate on what they are saying (maybe they misinterperate my expreasion as anger?), or because of the slight delay in responding while I try and figure it out, I don't know 😐
I'm just finding that I'm not being well received. I've had people huff at me, shout at me, roll their eyes, talk over me to my partner, look at me like I'm stupid etc. It's constant. I had no idea that people were just so downright horrible, nasty. Judgemental and mean to people with hearing problems. It's not jusst one or two thoughtless people - it's almost eberyone I talk to.
At this point I am starting to wonder if it really IS because of my hearing problems or whether I have suddenly developed some sort of hugely unlikeable personality trait I am unaware of during lockdown. Or maybe lockdown has made everyone moody, irritable and mean?
Has anyone else had a similar ecperiemce with hearing loss? Or has anyone had a similar experience recently that hasn't been due hearing loss i.e. is there just a general lockdown vibe of weird, angry interactions going on? Is it me? What can I do?
I would willingly wear a hearing aid but the audiologist really stressed that my hearing loas was mild and I shouldn't need one 😐