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Mental health is assessed, defined, and diagnosed in many ways. The standards we use to determine psychological “pathology” are also related to the time and place where we live. The signs of mental illness that were used in the past have changed quite a bit in updated psychological methods. We can expect that the future will hold different definitions of mental wellbeing, as well. “Mood” is a category of mental health that has had many meanings through time, as well. What one person might call the natural change of emotional context throughout a given day, another might call a “mood swing.” Psychologists have diagnostic criteria to determine when a person has a mood disorder, as well.
With such a variety of degrees, how can you know what is the natural ebb and flow of moods and what might be a bigger problem? The role of external circumstances can hold the key to understanding your moods. If you are experiencing consistently negative moods or big changes in the mood landscape without an external circumstance to explain, then something else might be causing these challenges.
One of the consistent factors that can affect your mood is hearing loss. Indeed, experts have found that mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety are more common among those with untreated hearing loss than in their counterparts who do not have hearing loss. What might account for this difference? Let’s take a look at the process of communication for a person with untreated hearing loss. This process can help us understand what might be having such a powerful effect on moods.
Communication and Mood
For a person without barriers to communication, the contents of a conversation can have a strong relationship with changes in mood. For instance, if you get good news from someone, you might take on a light and happy air. On the contrary, learning something worrisome can bring on anxiety, and the list of connections between mood and communication goes on and on. However, those with untreated hearing loss tend to find the very process of communication to bring on negative moods.
As opposed to those who find the contents of communication to bring on changes in mood, those with hearing loss find the very fact of communicating to cause frustration, anxiety, or depression. When they try to engage in the common conversations that have been familiar to them, they might discover that the flow is broken by missing words, sounds, or phrases. This lack of context in the conversation can be so frustrating that the person becomes angry or disgruntled. Some people look ahead to confusing conversations in the future and experience anxiety, imagining if they will be embarrassed by their limitations. Still others find the entire prospect of communication to be depressing. That very aspect of life that used to bring such feelings of connection and support is now a minefield of missing information and broken connections. These negative aspects of mood tend to be consistent across communication contexts, regardless of the contents of communication.
Mood, Hearing Loss, and Your Loved Ones
If you have noticed that communication tends to bring on a negative mood in your loved ones, you might be seeing a sign of impairment in the conversation. Whether you are talking about good news, current events, or disappointing information, your loved one might demonstrate the same frustration, anxiety, or sadness in the conversation. The good news is that your loved one doesn’t have to remain in that condition of consistently negative moods. Getting treatment for hearing loss has proved beneficial for those who have depression and anxiety, according to expert reports.
The first step is to encourage your loved one to get a hearing test. When you have that diagnostic assessment in hand, a hearing health professional can advise you on the right next steps to take. If hearing loss has been bringing on consistently negative moods in the context of communication, your loved one doesn’t need to remain in that emotional state. Getting treatment for hearing loss can restore the ability to freely and easily communicate with loved ones and community members, so don’t hesitate helping your loved one make the appointment.