I'd like to ask if anyone else suffers from hearing loss and how you manage it in social situations?
I've experienced a problem with my hearing for a decade now. I first noticed it when I started having to lean in when conversing with other people at work a lot or asking them to repeat themselves, but mostly in work environments like team meetings while in an open plan office. When I first noticed it, I went to see my GP and was referred to see a consultant. I had several hearing tests and my hearing was considered great with no issues. I was told that I might have problems with my eustachian tube, but not much is known about it so I would have to live with it.
I use the phrase ' problem with my hearing' loosely because I can 'still hear' sounds and would be considered 'high functioning' if that is an appropriate term here. I simply mean that if anyone had a conversation with me, they wouldn't notice it, save in only certain environments which I mention below. I only have regular problems making out the exact words people say and, as I'll explain below, occasionally hear the wrong thing so respond wrongly/inappropriately. I struggle badly in social environments, e.g. in bars and restaurants where there are secondary and tertiary sounds.
In the past few months, I've taken several crafts courses and having completed them, feel that I must have been perceived as a real prick by the other people as a result of my hearing. Examples include: having to be told the same thing a few times and then, as an example again, doing something that the instructor must have told us not to do (so it looked like I wasn't doing what was told, but rather was doing what I liked and then being gently 'told' and guided). Another example includes mishearing what someone said during casual, small-talk in a class and responding inappropriately.
I completely understand that making some announcement at the start of the class would solve much of this, but I am not deaf and can hear a lot. Hearing, to me anyway, is not binary. It is not a case of 'you can either hear the sound or not' it is affected by the shape of a room and a whole myriad of other contributing factors. I know that in some situations, I am fine; in others, I am possibly a person with some minor disabilities. I still have not figured out which scenarios or environments affect me the most, and because of this lack of understanding on my part, I am very reluctant to share my hearing problems with friends and family.
Perhaps it is a simple case of saying: 'Sorry All, I have a slight hearing impairment so apologies if I keep asking you to repeat yourself'. In all of my years, I have never once come across anyone who has had to say any such thing at work or in a class either, so have no idea how to manage this area of my life.
If anyone suffers from a similar affliction, I'd really like to hear from you.