When there’s something wrong with your health, you go through a number of expected and unexpected changes. These changes also affect the ones closest to you.
If you’re losing your hearing, your romantic partner might not understand exactly what you are going through. This can cause conflicts between the two of you. It’s important to go to the source of the issue, and then find a solution together.
Where Do Problems Come From?
Here are some common sources of relationship issues caused by hearing loss:
• Your mood
People who are losing their hearing are often irritable, anxious or depressed. This is easy to understand, but it can put a strain on romantic relationships. If you don’t feel better after a few months, you might want to look into counseling.
• Your partner’s mood
There are a lot of practical issues to think about after hearing loss sets in. You may have to worry about medical costs, safe driving, and even about your job. These circumstances might place additional pressure on your partner – for example, they may need to take over driving, or worry about money more than they used to.
• Communication
Since adjusting to hearing loss is a difficult process, it is particularly important that you discuss it with your partner. Unfortunately, you might find talking and especially listening difficult to do. You and your partner will eventually find the best way to speak to each other – but it may take some time.
• Misunderstandings
Before you realize that you’re losing your hearing, you may come across as unconcerned or bored in social situations. Your partner might accuse you of tuning them out, which can cause resentment on both sides. Once you get a diagnosis, this problem usually goes away.
What Can You Do?
The best solution to relationship issues caused by hearing loss is to communicate as much as possible, even if it feels embarrassing or difficult. Most romantic partners want to ease your problems as much as possible – so work with them to figure out how to do that.
