People who are born hearing often cannot imagine what it is like to not be able to hear the sounds around them. But because the world is built around the abilities of hearing people, there isn’t much that inspires us to think more deeply about the experiences of people who are deaf or hard of hearing (HoH).
However, in many ways, our ability to hear can cause anxiety in deaf and Hoho people that people with normal hearing may not even consider. All the noises our bodies make when we just exist are recognized but easily drowned out by human hearing, but we can use those body sounds as signals when needed. Masu.
Deaf people are not innately aware that their bodies make sounds without effort, so when they become aware of it, some develop a sense of self around it. Recently, a hearing-impaired woman said she got together with friends and shared her newfound “hearing anxiety.”
Scarlett May shared on TikTok a list of what she and her deaf friends call “hearing anxiety.” Hearing anxiety is basically something that a hearing person can hear, but is normal for a hearing person, or that other people don’t realize they can hear. For example, there is a story about a hearing-impaired student who didn’t know that other people could hear the sound of gas passing until his teacher pointed it out. There was no mention of a child developing auditory anxiety around farting at school, but it would be understandable if it did.
Sign Language Asl GIF by @InvestInAccessGiphy
“I was with all my friends and we were sharing stories about hearing anxiety. Basically, it’s something that we, as deaf people, didn’t know, and that people with normal hearing can hear. ” says Scarlett.
The young woman also uses American Sign Language (ASL) and speaks quickly, leading some users to point out that the sound of her long fingernails clicking while signing is soothing, and wonder if people can hear it. I thought. Some hearing anxiety may be surprising to hearing people, but that’s not surprising given what that awareness was like.
GIFGiphy speaking in sign language
“First, what you didn’t know you could hear was the sound of our breathing. A friend of mine said her boyfriend could tell when he was angry just by his breathing. He was exhaling and breathing hard, and then he was like, “Are you mad?” And he was like, “No, why?” He was like, “I can hear you breathing heavily,” the woman explains.
People who listen to someone’s breathing don’t think much of it until they notice changes in their breathing patterns that give clues to the other person’s mood. Like Scarlet’s friend, anger changes a person’s breathing patterns, and so does anxiety, fear, and boredom. Hearing people receive these cues to recognize when someone may be angry with them and provide additional support.
Sign Language GIF by @InvestInAccessGiphy
“Number two, how do you know if you’re hungry? This is what happened to me. I was starving, and my friend said, ‘Oh, someone’s hungry. ‘ And I was like, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘I can hear your stomach.’ Huh? Why does it sound so loud that I know I’m hungry? No one needs to hear that so much,” Scarlett says, looking annoyed at the thought of people hearing hunger.
This may be less useful for people who can hear than listening for changes in breathing, but it can be helpful in a pinch. If you show up to a meeting with a rumbling stomach, a friend sitting nearby might silently offer you a snack to keep you occupied. It can also be helpful if someone is nonverbal and unable to properly communicate their hungry needs. But apart from that, many hearing people, even as adults, can’t control their rumblings when they’re cooped up with no food within reach, so their stomachs growl and become angry. I feel embarrassed to be there.
Scarlett’s final point is that people who can hear hear people eating and say, “I don’t like this. Whenever you eat while listening to people, be careful not to make it too loud.” It means “there is”. If I’m quiet, I don’t even know how much you can hear me. ” She further explained that it makes you conscious of yourself and trying to change the way you eat. Commenters sympathized with Scarlett and her hearing concerns, with some noting that hearing people feel like they hear too much.
One person wrote: “The socially acceptable standard of behavior is to pretend you didn’t hear any of that. That’s polite.”
Another person shared, “I’m with you guys on this. I’m tired of hearing it.”
All About Nick Splat GIF by NickRewindGiphy
One person sympathized with the anxiety and said, “I feel anxious about these things too, but I’m not deaf either, especially my stomach.”
“As a hearing person, I don’t think I need to hear that much. I can hear the blood rushing through my body. That’s too much,” one commenter said, crying.
“If it makes you feel any better, we’re also embarrassed when people find out we’re hungry or breathing hard,” says another person offering support.
Even if you’re deaf, there’s no need to feel embarrassed or anxious about the sounds your body makes. It’s safe to say that everyone has body noises that they can’t control, and that most of us probably wish we wouldn’t hear them.
