Key points

Hearing loss can be painful, but not always in the ways people expect.

Emotions are a normal part of hearing loss. It is ok to mourn, but not forever.

With the right attitude, technology, and behavioral tools, skillful living with hearing loss is possible.

“Does your hearing loss hurt?” a curious friend once asked. This is a great question because it shows caring, but also because the answer is complicated. Most people don't feel physical pain from hearing loss, but there are many examples of psychological and emotional suffering.

Sometimes this pain comes from external catalysts, like feeling dismissed or scorned if communication access is not available, or when a request for a repeat is waved away with a “ Never mind .” Other times, bad feelings come from within, like f

See Full Page