Blog: Staying connected at Christmas – where to find support

By Hearing Link

On the final day of our festive series of blogs, we are sharing the ways you can access support for your hearing and mental wellbeing over the Christmas period.

Some support services will break for the holiday season, so here is our guide of what to do if you notice a sudden change in your hearing or you are feeling low and need to speak to someone.

What to do if you notice changes in your hearing

To suddenly lose your hearing can be a very frightening and worrying experience. Hearing loss for most people is a gradual progression, but for some people it can be a sudden or very rapid loss.

If you recognise that your hearing noticeably changes over the Christmas, or any other time of the year, it is important to seek urgent medical care from a hospital A&E and ask to see an  Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist.

You can find additional information on our webpage: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Where to find emotional support

If you are feeling a bit low or lonely over the Christmas period, there are several organisations who can offer a helping hand. These include:

• SignHealth works to improve the mental health and wellbeing of deaf people, who use BSL, through its free crisis text service, self-help videos and much more. If you are deaf and experiencing a crisis you can text DEAF to 85258
• Samaritans are there to support people to reduce feelings of isolation and disconnection which may lead to suicidal thoughts. If you need support, email jo@samaritans.org or call 116123
• Mind specialises in supporting people with mental health challenges to get the help they need. If you have hearing loss and require support, you can reach out to the Mind Helpline by calling (NGT) 18001 0300 123 3393 or emailing info@mind.org.uk.
•  Age UK offer a befriending service for over 60s to chat on the phone with others. To sign up for the service please visit their website. They also have also created some useful guides which will help you to manage through the Coronavirus pandemic including shopping safely and accessing health services. Read them here.

Hearing Link Helpdesk

Our Helpdesk service is available to anyone, providing practical and emotional support.

Over Christmas, the service will be available up to the 18th December, and again from 4 January, with some limited support in-between. We will aim to respond to enquiries in the shortest possible time.

The Helpdesk is a place where you can ask for support on any issues relating to living with hearing loss.

You will receive a personalised reply from a team of specialist staff and volunteers.  To use this service, please email: helpdesk@hearinglink.org.

Please make sure you follow Coronavirus guidelines in your own country – Click here for advice in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

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