THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DEAFNESS - PART TWO

My last audiogram after stapedectomy on the right ear, superimposed for comparison.

The four levels of deafness:

Mild deafness or mild hearing impairment - the person can only detect sounds from between 25 to 29 decibels (dB). They may find it hard to understand everything other people are saying, especially if there is a lot of background noise.

Moderate deafness or moderate hearing impairment - the person can only detect sounds from between 40dB and 69dB. Following a conversation just from hearing is very difficult without using a hearing aid.

Severe deafness - the person only hears sounds above 70db to 89dB. A severely deaf person must either lip-read or use sign language in order to communicate, even if they have a hearing aid.

Profound deafness - anybody who cannot hear a sound below 90dB is profoundly deaf; some profoundly deaf people cannot hear anything at all, at any level of decibels. Communication is done with sign language and/or lip-reading.

Ramsdell’s Psychological Levels of Hearing.

• The primitive level - the background sounds of daily living. The wind, the creaking of our houses, the traffic outside and people moving around. Our social nature requires connection and interaction with the world around us. We just want to know it’s there. It may be quiet not soundless. These subconscious sounds connect us to life, ourselves and everything around us.
• The warning level - alerts and signals that protect us from potential danger. Sounds like thunder or rain and water in fast flowing rivers are instinctive. Some are learnt from life or parents such as the sound of traffic, car horns, sirens and fire alarms. Also alerts, such as alarm clocks, doorbells and telephones.
• The symbolic level – this is communication which informs and educates us. As when understanding speech, conversation, discussion and information broadcasts that allow us to take part in life. It enables us to understand others and respond to them.
• The aesthetic level - this gives pleasure by appreciating music, performances and company.

The psychological impact of sudden, profound hearing loss.

The deaf person will go through several stages before accepting their hearing loss. The acquired deafness affects every aspect of a person’s life, from relationships to feelings of insecurity when alone. All parts of life will be changed to some degree. The progression through these stages are like those of bereavement. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (July 8, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies and the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying (1969), where she first discussed her theory.

The five stages of grief.

Denial and isolation.
Anger.
Bargaining.
Depression.
Acceptance.

Deafened Adjustment.

Identity confusion.

At first the deafness might be ignored or externalised such as suggesting that others are mumbling. This may be because they do not want to think about the impact it will have on their lives. This can be influenced by their own negative attitudes or past experiences of deafness.
Identity Comparison.
Does this make me an invalid? Why me? There must be a cure?
Identity Concession.
I am technically deaf but what is my place in the world? Where do I belong? I want to go back to where I was.
Identity Recognition.
An acceptance of being deaf and trying to join up the two different worlds that they are now in.
Identity Activism.
I am deaf but not dead! They start to explore the world of deafness.
Depression.
I can’t change anything! They grieve for what they have lost and despair at how others see them.
Identity synthesis.
The final coming to terms and acceptance of what has happened.

My thanks to my Lip Reading Tutor, Gill Houghton, for providing the guidelines and the insight into this subject and helping me with the recognition of what has happened to me and where I fit in this process.