Tips for Transioning into Adulthood With Severe Hyperacusis

As a sixteen year old Junior in high school, whose hyperacusis is so severe that I spend the majority of my days in soundproof bedrooms, closets, and underground basements, my mom and I were naturally worried about my future. Questions like: what types of jobs could I have if almost everything is too loud for me, how will I get a higher education, how will I have warm food, clean clothing, bath, and so muchK more? Hyperacusis is such a rare condition that there aren’t really any guides, or people who specialize in transition planning for those with hyperacusis. Just as I have learned from my childhood and teen years, me and others teens with hyperacusis are going to have to be pioneers in planning for our future. Thankfully, I have been fortunate to have familia, friends, educators, others with hyperacusis, and the power of the internet to help me try to figure out how I can make my adult life work for me, despite my severe noise limitations and pain. Every teen or young adult with hyperacusis has their own unique circumstances: severity of hyperacusis, where they live, family support or lack thereof, talents and goals, etc. The tips that I wanted to share in this post are meant to provide a general framework that will hopefully help you plan around your own individual needs, goals, limitations, and circumstances.

Know Your Needs and Limitations

I have mentioned about this in many other posts in various ways, but it is so important. Know what sounds cause you pain, both directly and the effects of this on your daily life. An example of this would be, if multiple people talking and laughing causes you pain, and you’re not able to go to out to the store as a result. know what activities/places/things you are unable to do or participate in. You might find it helpful to make a list of all of the sounds that you can think of that are painful for you, and write beside them the affects this has on your ability to live a “normal” life. Don’t feel bad or scared if your list of sounds that are painful and things you aren’t able to do is long, we will discuss how to plan around these things later. Make sure that when you are planning your career, living arrangements, and other parts of your future all of your plans are within your noise limitations and will not cause you pain.

Know your talents, interests, and skills

Now that you know the noise limitations you have to plan within, it’s time to figure out what your dreams are in life. What do you want your life to look like? How can you contribute to the world within your limitations? What types of things do you enjoy doing, and what are you good at? These are all questions that you can ask yourself when trying to plan your adult life. A great place to start is by making a list of the things that you enjoy doing. From that list make a shorter list of things you either have a talent for, or would be able and willing to work hard to build your skills in. Now, keeping your noise limitations in mind, start to think about what types of ways you could make money from the things on your list. Don’t only think about common jobs, think outside of the box and also consider work from home and self employment. People can make money doing almost anything nowadays, especially with the power of the internet. Speaking of the internet, it is a great tool to use to research creative jobs ideas and ways that other people have been able to make money off of your interests and skills. Social media is another great way of connecting with people who have similar interests and talents, who may have found ways to make an income or find jobs based on these things. Next you would need to decide if you want to get higher education or some type of other training to help you build upon and improve your skills and talents in order to make them marketable qualities. If you decide to get some type of higher education or training make sure that you do research to find a program that is within your noise limitations and can meet any other special needs you may have; make sure to consider online programs as well.

Finding Resources to Help Meet Your Noise Limitations

If you remember I mentioned earlier I had suggested adding onto your list of sounds that are painful for you, how it impacts your life on a daily basis. The reason that knowing the practical impact of your hyperacusis is so important is so that you can begin to figure out what type of living and environmental modifications and supports you will need as an adult. For example if the sound of: heating and air conditioning, natural outside noises, neighbors, and vehicles are painful for you; you will likely want to live in the suburbs or country and soundproof at least one room in your house. You may also want to make sure that where you live has a quiet, modern heating and cooling system. Depending on where in the world you are; I suggest trying to make sure that where you live has ventless closets and/or underground basements that you can go. It may be that if you already have an environment that meets your quiet needs, and your family is understanding, that you live with them. The second main area to think about the practical impact of your noise limitations is in your ability to do and participate and basic life tasks and activities. This includes things like: going to the store, cooking food, using a microwave, washing machine, driving, running tub or shower water, etc. If you are not able to do these things as a result of your noise limitations then it is important to start researching services, supports, and agencies in your area that would be able to provide you with someone to assist you with these tasks, if your family is not able or willing to do so. Beginning planning for your future and understanding your needs, goals, finding and researching resources and options that can help you meet your noise limitations and accomplish your goals; early is ultimate going to pay off long term.