Yes, I am exactly the same! I don't like eating in busy restaurants with more than one person/friend, simply because I find it too difficult to hear what's being said. + When you're eating, it's actually harder to hear anyway. I guess I often prefer eating alone, because then I can enjoy my food instead of having to concentrate on what other people are saying.
It makes me feel uncomfortable because I automatically isolate myself. (How can I integrate if I can't even hear what they're saying very well?) Because of this, some people may assume I'm shy or unsociable, neither of which are true. I just need to be in the right place.
Problem is that most people don't understand, even when I try to explain it to them. Many assume that if they speak louder, it will all be ok. Of course, they don't typically understand the concept behind sound/auditory discrimination and directional hearing, so it's very hard to get the message across. It's a shame that people don't realise how complex hearing actually is.
I've recently learned that GP Doctors (I believe they're called family Doctors in the US) are very under qualified, especially when dealing with specialist issues. They usually do have a broad knowledge overall, but not in-depth enough to meet our needs.
While that may seem like a stupid question, I don't think it is. If you think of all the implications and consequences that deafness has had on your life, you'd probably be able to give them an insightful answer as to what it's like being deaf. I'm sure many also some positive things to say about it too. These people are usually genuinely interested. If we can help them to understand us better, then why not?
Have you asked them that?
