I recently remembered a friend who shared with me that when she was younger she wished she was deaf. She was jealous of some of her classmates who wore hearing aids. I thought that was interesting. I asked her if she still wished she was deaf, and she said, "No, but it would not be the end of the world. I would love to wear hearing aids, though. I wished I had a reason to." I did not know how to respond to that. I suddenly felt the need to hide my hearing aid.
Apparently, there are people out there who wished they were deaf or have some sort of deafness.
Also, there are some people who want to wear hearing aids to satisfy their hearing aid fetish. If you have a hearing aid fetish, then you will love this blog.
Jamie Berke wrote about this as well. She refers to the DeafWannabe forum for people with a deaf or hearing aid fetish, people who wish to be deaf, or people who are deaf by choice. Yes, you read it right, people who are deaf by choice! Jamie Berke wrote about how she received an email from someone asking her how she/he can destroy his/her hearing.
The DeafWannabe forum actually has a WARNING posted:
WARNING: The postings in this site may be controversial, and may contain information about processes which will damage your health. Please think carefully if you intend to damage your hearing, and evaluate the potential risks and long term consequences. Neither the Group Moderator nor any member of the group will accept any liability for the outcome of any action taken by any person who has acted upon any information obtained through this group. This Group is intended as only as a place to express opinion and share experience, and is not intended to influence the actions of any person.
It's no joke.
All I can say to those who wish they were deaf is to be careful what you wish for, because you might get it.
If you want to to be deaf, wear ear plugs everyday for a year. See how you like it.
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Apparently, there are people out there who wished they were deaf or have some sort of deafness.
Why?!
Also, there are some people who want to wear hearing aids to satisfy their hearing aid fetish. If you have a hearing aid fetish, then you will love this blog.
The DeafWannabe forum actually has a WARNING posted:
WARNING: The postings in this site may be controversial, and may contain information about processes which will damage your health. Please think carefully if you intend to damage your hearing, and evaluate the potential risks and long term consequences. Neither the Group Moderator nor any member of the group will accept any liability for the outcome of any action taken by any person who has acted upon any information obtained through this group. This Group is intended as only as a place to express opinion and share experience, and is not intended to influence the actions of any person.
It's no joke.
All I can say to those who wish they were deaf is to be careful what you wish for, because you might get it.
If you want to to be deaf, wear ear plugs everyday for a year. See how you like it.
(e
I couldn't believe it the first time I heard of them, but guess what? I actually met a deaf wannabe. She wore two broken hearing aids and started attending SHHH meetings. Eventually it came to light that she could hear. I thought it was so weird. WHY would someone want to pretend to be HH and join a club of deaf ppl? I cut off all contact with her.
ReplyDeleteYour post made me think of my daughter aged three wearing her new thick glasses to creche. I was a little worried about children teasing her, but instead there were children crying because they wanted glasses too!
ReplyDeleteI first came across a deaf wannabe in a deaf forum. The vast majority tried to talk him out of it, but that didn't stop him and he did something that made him deaf. A year later, he returned and admitted regret over it. I think he lost his job as well. Such idiocy.
ReplyDelete... I think I'll post anonymously today.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I grew up in a Deaf family. I did want to be "normal" at times (i.e. Deaf). When I was separated from my family, my desire to be reconciliated to Deaf culture grew. I tended to lapse back into Sign every now and then when I was annoyed (though I've noticed this happens with biligual hearing people too, primarily immigrants). My teacher misunderstood my desire and always warned me that if I didn't use it, I would lose it. (She apparently thought I no longer wanted to be hearing.)
I did lose my first language, but I did not lose my hearing. I am no longer fluent in Sign. I still want to be reconciliated to Deaf culture and to my family, but I have no desire to damage my hearing. I also have no desire to wear a hearing aid or get a cochlear implant.
I'm not surprised that there are people who want to be d/Deaf. D/deaf carries a unique label, and everyone wants to be unique nowadays. Other labels have grown in popularity in recent years too.
Hey guys, I really wish i was deaf sometimes, or at least, I wish i was able to turn off my hearing at will ... noises, sounds, music, voices, everything can be so annoying at times, and usually getting assaulted by sounds for more than a couple of minutes at a time gives me terrible headaches ... So i'm not having a hearing aid fetish xD I just wish to get to enjoy silence =p
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish I was deaf...and it worries me. I am aware that it is not something that I should desire and I don't really know why I do. I need to see a therapist or something...
ReplyDeletewell i want to be deaf.. but i dont think its such a bad thing. im hard of hearing and noises that are loud to me give me migraines. noises for me are ether to loud or too soft. when it is too soft and i ask for them to repeat it all i get is "never mind." or "forget it" and sometimes both. Noises are just to much for me. myears are to sensitive for it. the past four days i had an ear inffiction which made me not able to hear at all and it is starting to get better but i loved every minuet of it. i did not get one migraine and i usually get one every other day and headaches every day. im sad to know that it will go away and i will be back to trying to understand everyone and trying to block out background noise which makes it even more difficult.also my speech is bad and i hate having to read in front of the class because everyone luaghs and makes fun of my miss pronucating. i know people think im crazy for this but its something i really want to do.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand wannabes. I want to understand them, but I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI do wish I could close my ears or turn away like I can with sight.
I feel that way about all my senses though.
I would love to switch my hearing with my best friend she born deaf
ReplyDeleteas we gowning up I really envy her deafness yes we talked about if it was possible she would switch here with me
it should now be possible in this day and age to have her disformed ear drums and the other that is couse her deafness to happen
yes I would still switch her my hearing