This article hits home for me. I was born with a severe hearing loss, and I have recently got a Med-EL Opus2 / RONDO Cochlear Implant -- which changed my life for the better.<p>How?<p>It reduced so much stress, I was surprised that I was carrying so much. It was simply things like going to the toilet (you think, "am I going to make a really awful rude noise that everyone will hate me for?") or drinking your coffee ("is this awful?!")... even typing at work, or taking to a colleague and hoping that I wasn't interrupting someone else.<p>Then I realised: everyone else is simply bloody loud, they generally don't care about how loud they are when they're eating, shutting doors or chatting to someone. They don't. Only I did, I was the only one who constantly worried.<p>It wasn't the fact that I could suddenly hear things, which I could, it was realising that I was overthinking, overanalysing every situation with that sound was involved. That included _breathing_. I would literally slow my breathing if someone were to sit next to me on a bus. Severe anxiety due to sound.<p>I'm still very anxious if I am to watch a movie, in my own house, by myself... in fear I'd wake the neighbours on an adjourned property. (to put this in perspective, my wife came home and she couldn't even hear the movie in the next bedroom.)<p>THIS was seriously the hardest thong I've had to face but it's been worth it for the reduced stress and anxiety.<p>Thanks for posting this!