Am I hearing impaired or listening impaired

[Terry]

Hello, I have recently been diagnosed ADHD and I have an issue that I figure might be pretty common.

I thought I was going deaf. My TV and Cell volumes are at max, I ask people to repeat all the time. I have to watch people’s lips so I can lip read to hear them. So I went to the ear doc for a hearing test and it came back perfectly normal. Like only 10% loss (an improvement from year ago).

This is a good thing.

However, I am now left with the realization that I am listening impaired and it is likely an ADHD symptom.

So my question is how the heck does someone fix that. I try and try but I still struggle. I swear it’s bad enough that I SHOULD need a hearing aid but literally nothing is wrong with me.

What do I do so that I actually listen to what I am hearing? How do I make meaning from the things I can’t hear?

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[cryskringle]

Hi Terry,
This may or may not be your problem, but a few years ago I was concerned over the same issue. In fact, I felt I had been undergoing hearing loss for several years. So I saw an audiologist and my hearing actually came back better than perfect. I know that I hear every little sound at work or at home while trying to do a task but have a terrible time hearing dialog on television or hearing people speak, so I had to try to mentally dissect what was actually happening to try to get to the bottom of the issue.
Many people with ADHD have problems with interpreting language and this can manifest visually and/ or aurally. I know with myself the volume of the voice isn’t necessarily the issue but the problem seems to lie in the fact that at times I have a problem “decoding” what I hear and it makes no sense and comes out of the person’s mouth as indistinguishable mumbles. For the longest time I really did think that I couldn’t hear what people were saying, but it really was just that my brain wasn’t able to interpret or decode the spoken words. It’s why I often prefer to converse in print. I have no trouble reading whatsoever, and so I’m much better in written communications rather than spoken.
Like I said, I’m not sure if this is your problem, but I just came across your question and thought it sounded pretty familiar. But definitely do look into ADHD and its effect on language comprehension. Also, sorry if this explanation is vague. I’m in a bit of a hurry as I’m in the office and supposed to be heading to lunch.
I hope this helps.
Crystal

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[carole267]

For me its a processiing issue. Sometimes people have to say things 2 or 3 times for me to understand; its tough as Im a teacher but kids are mostly patient. I hate it. My hearning tests came back normal too; its like I have to concentrate on one thing to hear what is being said.

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