He was hearing impaired but I was the one who suffered!
My husband has been hearing impaired since birth and was even denied entry into the military when he failed the hearing test. He was so concerned about appearances and cost that he put off taking action for all these years. This not only affected his life but all of ours, too. Our kids and I were the ones who suffered because of HIS hearing loss. It was very frustrating. I begged him for years to get help.
He finally got his hearing tested again and started wearing hearing aids. I cannot believe how amazing our lives are now that he can hear! This lens is to share how drastically one person's hearing loss can affect everyone around them and how wonderful life can be with hearing assistance!
He finally got his hearing tested again and started wearing hearing aids. I cannot believe how amazing our lives are now that he can hear! This lens is to share how drastically one person's hearing loss can affect everyone around them and how wonderful life can be with hearing assistance!
Hearing Loss and Depression
I thought for sure that my husband was bi-polar until he got hearing aids.
Sensory deprivation can cause depression. I wish I would have known that 15 years ago when I met my husband.
I always just said he was "manic depressive" because he would be really happy, outgoing and wonderful but then he would crash and get really depressed. I begged him for years to get help and get anti-depressants so that his episodes of depression wouldn't be so bad.
He refused and said he didn't need or want to take drugs. So we suffered. I suffered, a lot.
Then he started wearing hearing aids and at first the depression seemed to get worse. He was moodier and seemed to retreat even more than normal.
I found out later that he was so overwhelmed with all the new sounds and noises that he had a hard time coping.
Then when he came out of that dark time, he emerged as a new man. The man he was during his GOOD times is the man he truly is!!
Here's what happened! When my husband couldn't hear, he spent so much time and energy trying to cope for his loss. He had to concentrate to read lips, ask people to repeat what they said and focus on the conversation that he would literally burn out.
Then he would go into a depressed or low state to make up for the tremendous amount of energy he put out just to hear. When he was revitalized, he would enter back into the coping phase and the cycle would continue.
After he got hearing aids, he no longer has to put out so much energy to connect with people and his moods have totally evened out. He no longer goes into his DARK retreat when coping to hear took all the energy out of him.
I know that if this happened to us, then it's happened to others. Check out the links below to learn more about how hearing loss affects depression.
Then if you are in the Bozeman, MT area, make an appointment with Collin to get your hearing checked. Your loved ones will thank you.
- Hearing Loss and Depression
- In 1999, the National Council on Aging found that older adults who suffered from untreated hearing loss were more likely to report feelings of depression and anxiety than those whose hearing loss had been treated.
- Untreated Hearing Loss Linked to Depression, Anxiety, Social Isolation in Seniors
- Study finds that denial, cost, and vanity are biggest barriers to use of hearing aids.
Seniors who use hearing aids cite better family relationships and improved mental heath. - Not a Lost Cause - Hearing Loss And Depression - Hearing Aid Articles
- Various research studies indicate that as health problems increase, so does the risk of depression. American Psychiatric Association studies indicate that people with chronic illnesses have a 25 to 33 percent chance of getting depressed. Can hearing loss qualify as a chronic illness? It is certainly a prevalent one. According to the National Institutes of Health, hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Roughly one-third of Americans 65 to 74 years of age and nearly half of those 75 and older have age-related hearing loss called presbycusis. Among seniors, hearing loss is the third most prevalent disabling condition, behind arthritis and hypertension.
"I've been hearing impaired my whole life. Wearing hearing aids has changed our lives!"
Collin Andersen HCS, Hearing Care Specialist
He understands how you feel!
If you or a loved one is in the Bozeman, MT area and have trouble hearing, then listen up!! hehe!!
My husband, Collin Andersen, has been half deaf since birth. He recently became a hearing care specialist and started wearing hearing aids.
I can't believe the difference in our whole family's life. Our lives were so affected by Collin's hearing loss. Now he can hear and everything has changed.
*We don't have to avoid groups or loud restaurants.
*We don't have to blast the tv or use subtitles.
*We don't have to yell.
*We don't have to stop talking as soon there is any other noise.
*We can go to the movies!
*We can sit anywhere we want... not just somewhere to favor his good ear.
*He can relax and enjoy people instead of feeling stressed about lip reading.
**We can chat in bed in the dark!!! ha!!
It's been wonderful having a HEARING HUSBAND for the first time ever.
Hearing Loss Simulator
Put yourself in your loved ones' shoes... um, I mean... EARS!!
After visiting this website and clicking on the Moderate Hearing Loss simulator, I was so sad for my husband. I was able to experience in just a few seconds what he has suffered with for his whole life. Now that he wears hearing aids, he can hear almost everything and with clarity.The Better Hearing Institute has created a new tool to help America appreciate the impact of hearing loss.
The paired simulations will help people with normal hearing understand the listening challenges of someone with a hearing loss.
Try the Hearing Loss Simulator for yourself.
FREE Hearing Test
Contact Collin Andersen
Hearing Aid Institute
200 S 23rd #E 1
Bozeman, MT 57915
(406) 585-4669
Books on Hearing Loss
A Quiet World: Living with Hearing Loss
Amazon Price: $18.40 (as of 11/28/2009) 
Listen with the Heart: Relationships and Hearing Loss
Amazon Price: $12.57 (as of 11/28/2009)
Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss: A Guide to Prevention and Care
Amazon Price: $27.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Hearing loss linked to 'unsuccessful' aging.(health aspects): An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Hearing loss has major impact on quality of life.(Disease/Disorder overview): An article from: Internal Medicine News
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Collin's brother wearing the latest technology in hearing aids
Family of hearing impaired POLL
Hearing Loss Affects YOU, too!!
Hearing loss doesn't just affect the person who can't hear, but all the people in his or her life. Tell me how you feel!
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Education Yourself!
Watch these YouTube videos to learn more about hearing health.
"Treatment of Hearing Loss" featuring Dr. Katz (EarNoseandThroatMD)
Runtime: 75
10803 views
4 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Collin Andersen
Meet Collin on the popular websites MySpace and Facebook
- Meet Collin Andersen on MySpace
- MySpace profile for Collin Andersen with pictures, videos, personal blog, interests, information about me and more
- Meet Collin Andersen on Facebook
- I've never loved anything in life as much as being a Dad. I thank God for the wonderful wife He gave me who then blessed me with those babies!!! Life is good. =)
- Hearing Loss Simulator
- This is for the family members of someone with hearing loss. You will be flabbergasted at what your spouse, parent, child or any other hearing impaired loved one experiences everyday. Experience hearing loss first hand here.
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- Wysiwigs Wysiwigs May 18, 2009 @ 3:13 pm
- Wonderful lens ~ we went through that with my grandmother, she was adamant about not wanting hearing aids. My daughter was 14 at the time (she is deaf) and it drove her crazy; she didn't mind wearing HER hearing aids and couldn't understand the "big deal" at all :o) Nice job!
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- Spook Spook May 16, 2009 @ 10:23 am
- Great lens and I can promise you that I know a bit about this myself. For your eyes only, I voted for what I thought my wife would vote in the poll and am almost certain it's correct. I'm so glad for all of you and Collin. I'm also on facebook too.
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- spirituality spirituality May 10, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
- Interesting. I had no idea people got depressed from not being able to hear well.
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- Deb_Wood Deb_Wood Aug 23, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
- Great lens Kari. I work with a girl who lost the hearing in one ear due to a tumor that was removed. She got a hearing aid and it has made all the difference in her life. We no longer have to sit on her good side at lunch!
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- jackieulmer jackieulmer Aug 20, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
- Education is truly the key when dealing with any disability and good for you and your family for getting education and educating others! He still dances pretty well, for not hearing the beat! (Just kidding...well, not about the dancing!
Love ya!
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
by KariAndersen
I am an average work at home MOM with above average dreams!! I run my own internet marketing business where I promote authors and my own candle/spa bu... (more)
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