Wait, did you get that right? Favorite things about living with hearing loss?

There are positives and negatives to almost anything—including hearing loss. A recent post highlighted the downsides, but today we will look at the silver linings.

Developing self-advocacy skills
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! Learning to advocate for my needs has boosted my confidence and given me the resilience to take on any challenge. It was not an easy road, but helped my hearing loss peers, I am now an advocate, not only for myself, but for the entire hearing loss community. I love being a part of this important work.

Increased empathy for others
People sometimes tell me that they would never know I had hearing loss if I didn’t tell them. Part of me is pleased but another part wishes they could see how hard I am working below the serene exterior. Hearing loss is invisible and so are many other disabilities. Just because we cannot see someone struggling doesn’t mean it is smooth sailing beneath the surface. Hearing loss helped me develop deeper empathy for others, especially for those who seem to be doing just fine.

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