The Effects Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Young Adults

Introduction
The topic of deaf and hard of hearing young adults in relation to the use of substance abuse (primarily alcoholism) leading to such outcomes such as suicide is not one that is spoken about regularly. Because of the lack of knowledge and awareness of the general population, we tend to be very subjective and ignorant of the things that we do not know. Fortunately, research has shown that suicide, parted by so many other effects rising from alcoholism, is one crucial outcome for young deaf and hard of hearing adults. “Individuals who seek to resolve their problems through the use of alcohol and other drugs end up with even more problems because of their use” (Guthmann, D., & Sandberg, K., 1998). This is precisely why this issue is crucial and why society should understand that deaf populations (along with hearing populations) are just at risk; however what makes one different from the other is that deaf persons have more reasons (inability to literally ‘speak’ up and seek help) than those who speak. "Hard of hearing may be used to describe people who have lost their hearing gradually; whereas deafness may be further classified according to the degree of hearing impairment (mild, moderate, severe, and profound)" (Turner, O., Windfuhr, K., & Kapur, N., 2007). When determining a definition for suicide, the …show more content…
G., & Pullen, G., 1988). This directly results in threats against their emotional well-being, while at the same time targeting their central nervous system. The judgements and lack of accesses that are not available to the deaf population are the reasons why deaf and hard of hearing young adults are more prone to substance abuse and