Silence can really be deafening

Have you ever wondered what silence sounds like? It is blissful!

After a long day of straining to make out sounds and continually staying alert to make sure I don't miss anything. I really don't love anything more than taking them off and relaxing. It's also pretty good when mum's yelling at me but that's something different all together!

When I have a headache, it's like nature's inbuilt a natural cure for me, because all i need to do is take off my hearing aid and I plunge into silence. No ringing, no singing birds, no creaking floorboards - complete silence. It seems overwhelming but when you have to struggle to hear, it's a nice change. And me and all my Deaf friends agree the best night's sleep you will ever have is when you are in silence!

A lot of my friends ask how I get up in the morning. Some people use vibrating alarm clocks under their pillow. I did use one for a while but it kept falling under my bed (probably me swatting it so I don't need to get up in the morning!). So now I use a flashing alarm clock on my bedside table - it is a little harsh on the eyes but it definitely gets the job done!

One point I really wanted to discuss in today's post was the correlation between deafness and mental disorders. It seems like a lot of studies seem to imply that deafness in children can cause them to be cut off from their families. I guess this is partially true - it is hard to communicate at all when you can't hear each other, and you're too young to lip read or sign. But there is still the possibility of children engaging fully with their family and friends even when deaf. I don't think deafness blocked all social interaction completely, but simply forces us to find other ways to socialise. Having my cochlear implant from a young age, I think it's hard for me to give my personal point of view on this topic. Though, I think that deafness really only links with depression and other similar disorders where there is a lack of support and education in other forms to communication other than verbally.

A lot of people ask me whether I like music. Honestly, it's not really my thing! Many of my Deaf friends do enjoy it though, and it's more common for children with cochlear implants to enjoy music compared to adults with cochlear implants. Maybe I just haven't found a type of music I like, and in that case, my search will continue!

Until next time,

Michelle