Feeling embarrassed by hearing loss has destroyed my ability to communicate in public

Like I said, I don’t know what I was expecting.

I certainly didn’t expect the majority of responses to be some variation of “being embarrassed is the incorrect response, get over it” or "wear hearing aids and that magically fixes everything.

I appreciate that book that was recommended.

I’ll second that motion! One of the fastest ways to turn me away from a new set of hearing aids is to play up how hard it is to see them. I’m not embarrassed about wearing hearing aids at all!

I’m not going to tell you how to feel or not feel. But there are things you can do to help improve your communication beyond hearing aids. There are techno-gadgets, speech reading (it’s not just about the lips) sign language, etc. While I know it’s easier said than done, educating yourself and significant others can make a world of difference. Please, don’t isolate yourself!

I have no interest in exposing myself to ridicule and humiliation so that I can “toughen up”. I had a trial run of that for years being bullied in school, I’m not impressed with that method.