5…4…3…2…1!!! Hearing Loss and Tinnitus in the New Year

As the ball drops, and we gather around the TV, or scream “Five, four, three,” from the dance floor, we all feel that anticipation of an ending and a beginning. In a second one scans the past year, and hopes for the future at the same time. We celebrate our successes, and we mourn our losses while dreaming about what could have been, and celebrate a new beginning in what is possible.
Some may argue that it is just time off of work, and an opportunity to party. Life goes on, and there isn’t deep thinking involved. It is a celebration that we survived another year. I propose it is more.
The life results that always amaze me in working with hearing loss and tinnitus, is the potential. We can hope for new beginnings, but generally we fight our potential for many reasons. It can be a comfortability with accepting good enough. It can be a mind set of thinking we don’t deserve better than good enough. It can be a fear of the pain in losing what we have gained. But, every once in a while, we beat those fears and mind sets, and we get on the roller coaster at the fair instead of the safe merry-go-round. Every once in a while we recognize the thrill of living our lives, and the possible potential of hills and dips, but at the end of the ride we are always glad we climbed into that car.

In hearing loss and tinnitus, there is always a potential to find help. One doesn’t have to cope. We can hold ourselves back because because of cost, or a fear that it won’t fix the problem, or the fix will not last. One will never know unless they get on the ride. When I turned forty, and my sight became blurry, I went and bought drug store glasses. Now I have less headaches, and I can tell a 6 from an 8. Who knew?

With my tinnitus? I coped for years. Then I recognized that I wanted something better for me, and that I deserved a good nights sleep. I opened myself to the potential and new beginnings.
In this new year, our hope for all of you is new beginnings. If you suffer from hearing loss, understand that there is help and technology, and that the potential for hearing better is possible. If you suffer from tinnitus, there is potential to reduce that suffering.
Here is to hearing in the New Year, and and as the New Year rings in, may there be less ringing yours.