I think I'm going blind - help!!

[Want_to_break_free]

So ... here I am, a newbie sat at my desk at work panicking that I'm going blind ... another sufferer of health anxiety ... It reared it's ugly head 4 months ago with chest pain (been tested for all sorts and all was fine), sever headached (CT scans show nothing) and now I think I'm going blind... I suffer with dry eye syndrom (diagnosed 4 weeks ago) but since that I have been super aware of my vision ... noticing all sorts. Focus problems, vision that isn't sharp, images that fluctuate when I look at them ... things going out of focus randomly. I can now even make things go out of focus then back in!!!

I'm currently on fluanxol (0.5mg a day) and don''t want to medicate but am on a waiting list for CBT ...

Anyone had any similar experiences with their vision???

Help please!!!!

[waunder]

Anxiety alone can cause some of these, depression can or should I say the symptoms of these can. Allergies and meds, it is the time of year for allergies. Hope you are having it looked at though its the best way to find out.

[Want_to_break_free]

Thanks for the response. I've nee to an optometrist (who diagnosed dry eye) and am due to see an eye doc on Friday. I've googled every eye disease under the sun (Dr Google again!) and am now very very worried about these symptoms ... The thing is I don't feel anxious (no racing heart, palps etc) but I've probably gotten so used to this state that I just don't notice it anymore ...

[Jamesk]

Thanks for the response. I've nee to an optometrist (who diagnosed dry eye) and am due to see an eye doc on Friday. I've googled every eye disease under the sun (Dr Google again!) and am now very very worried about these symptoms ... The thing is I don't feel anxious (no racing heart, palps etc) but I've probably gotten so used to this state that I just don't notice it anymore ...

I get quite remarkable symptoms without necessarily feeling consiously anxious (except about the symptoms) including dizzyness (extreme) head pressure, visual abnormalities wooziness, lighheadedness, disorientation etc etc.

I am forced to conclude it is either anxiety, or I am very very seriously ill and at death's door. :unsure:

[Want_to_break_free]

If that were the case I think we'd all be at death's door! I agree totally, its the symptoms that make you anxious, which then makes the symptoms worse ... vicious circle. It amazes me that anxiety can have such physical effects (i.e. it is not solely about state of mind). Take it you don't get visual disturbances?

[Jamesk]

If that were the case I think we'd all be at death's door! I agree totally, its the symptoms that make you anxious, which then makes the symptoms worse ... vicious circle. It amazes me that anxiety can have such physical effects (i.e. it is not solely about state of mind). Take it you don't get visual disturbances?

Yes I think I get visual disturbances sometimes, like everything swimming out of focus.

The bizarre thing is I am sleeping well at the moment without help, but on the odd night I take a Zopiclone I feel absolutely fine the next day, (and I split the tablet and only take half) so I am wondering if, in some way Zopiclone surpresses my anxiety (which would be odd as it's not what it is intended for......) :shrug:

[Want_to_break_free]

or is it the placebo effect? It's like now I'm sat at my desk, mind totally on my eyes and observing every little thing that could be wrong with my eyes... if you want to find fault I'm sure we can find it in everything!!! If it's not my eyes I'm sure it would have been something else

[Jamesk]

or is it the placebo effect? It's like now I'm sat at my desk, mind totally on my eyes and observing every little thing that could be wrong with my eyes... if you want to find fault I'm sure we can find it in everything!!! If it's not my eyes I'm sure it would have been something else

Oh yes my vCJD normally gets better just as my bowel cancer gets worse again.:blush:

[rockydog]

Hey I get all these symptoms, glad youre getting it looked at as they no best. But i sometimes completely focus on my eyes and i have floaters constantly and sometimes feel like im looking through a film, when i go from a light room to dark i get a flashing at the side of my vision. If im looking from far to near everything blurs and takes a while to focus again. If i go in to a supermarket i am constantly aware of the brightness and flickering. If im in a white painted room it all seems worse and i notice little squiggles in my vision. Working on a computer makes everything more noticeable and i also have things that blur all the time. I have been checked andits all anxiety and have been told im light sensitive and with fatigue the muscles of the eyes become stressed and affect your vision. Hope the tests sort you out x

[Want_to_break_free]

Thanks Rocky, you have described my symptoms perfectly!!! It's good to know that I'm not alone in the suffering. my eyes have really become the primary focus of my anxiety and it is such a horrible feeling. I have constant thoughts that I will go blind and then who will provide for my 2 young kids etc etc ... I keep telling myself it is all anxiety but always notice a new symptom around my eyes that knocks me back... Just now for instance I've been sat in a meeting and took my glasses off. Everything was blurry and this has never happened to such an extent... usually I take my glasses off (very weak prescription) and everything appears prett y much the same....

Another symptom for me to get anxious about!!!

[Jules147]

Yes I think I get visual disturbances sometimes, like everything swimming out of focus.

The bizarre thing is I am sleeping well at the moment without help, but on the odd night I take a Zopiclone I feel absolutely fine the next day, (and I split the tablet and only take half) so I am wondering if, in some way Zopiclone surpresses my anxiety (which would be odd as it's not what it is intended for......) :shrug:

Zopiclone (or any other sleeping pill) does suppress your anxiety because health anxiety thrives on the cycle of fear. You are afraid that you have either a life-threatening or debilitating illness. This fear releases adrenaline (normal fight or flight stuff) and this causes a myriad of physical symptoms that seem to rotate, come and go only to be replaced by other symptoms. One of these is visual disturbances, dry or watery eyes, glassy or blurred vision. Can you read this btw?

Of course you can!

Another symptom is sleep deprivation and that is another vicious cycle all of its own - the more tired you are the more anxious you are, the more adrenaline is released, the more alert you are, the less you can sleep, the more tired you become and the more anxious and so on.

The Zopiclone breaks that cycle by giving you a decent night's sleep reversing that particular cycle. It isn't a cure though for your anxiety levels, although lowered are still higher than they need be.

I took Zopiclone for five days last August when I was going through exactly what you are going through. My anxiety levels dropped. I then took a flight to the South of France to visit a friend for a spot of convalescence - warm sunshine, fresh air, fresh fruit and veg that is actually fresh not kept in cold storage, stunning scenery, al fresco dining and great company. Unfortunately catching an aeroplane involves getting up really early, excitement and lack of sleep. I had a panic attack as I ate my salade de tomates. My neck was rigid, my vision glassy and blurred, my eyes dry/watery.

I stayed there for five days, came home and chased up my first CBT appointment. I got it for the following day. On the 6th of Seotember I had to get up really early to drive to my sister's 140 miles away in Suffolk. When I arrived I was really tired having only had three hours sleep. I was able to have a nap for a couple of hours and wake up refreshed. I was cured and that day I realised it.

I had a couple more sessions, all one-to-one just to make sure. I have felt fine ever since. I get the occasional wobble but I have learnt to put such things in perspective and I have learnt how to break the cycle of fear.

Proper 7/11 diaphragmatic (as opposed to thoractic) breathing needs to become a habit and the worrying a chore, not the other way round. On that score, practice really does make perfect.

---------- Post added at 11:24 ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 ----------

PS: I had my eyes tested and scanned for retinopathy in November - all routine stuff, they call me every year. My eyes are fine.

[Want_to_break_free]

did yoi ever suffer any eye related symproms Jules?

[Jules147]

Yes. Blurred, glassy vision, blue flashes/stars, watery/dry eyes and floaters.

[Want_to_break_free]

and all the tests came back ok? Guessing this is once again another trait of anxiety rearing its ugly head?

[Jules147]

I didn't go for the eye tests for reassurance. They are routine annual tests. The last one in November was three months after I had been cured and all symptoms had gone away anyway.

My eyes are fine. I am the only person in the family who doesn't need glasses.

[Want_to_break_free]

How did you find a 'cure'.... what did you do? meds / CBT??

[rockydog]

Yes I get that with glasses also a minimum perscription, its a bit like every thing changes and sometimes i feel like thefloor or table comes upwards for a second. It sounds like you have just become really sensitive to any changes concerning your eyes, so you are noticing every little thing.
I know its scary i used to spend ages testing my eyes by closing one then the other, turning lights off so i didnt notice it as much, dimming my computer screen. Then i would think patches of writing had like pale sections in it or words were hard to focus on. And if someone flashed a camera and i could still see the light i could spend ages blinking over that one. Reflection from the sun on the kitchen sink enough to make me think i had flashing lights ...... i could go on for ages lol x

[Jules147]

CBT and learning to understand the cycle of fear/physical symptoms. Also, learning about this almond-shaped baby in your brain:


http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/a/amygdala.htm

Panic attacks seem to come without warning because the amygdala can register a threat and set the alarm bells off quicker than you can put your thoughts into words.

If you were sticking your head out of the cave and you saw a sabre-toothed tiger you wouldn't be thinking, "ah, Sabre-toothed tiger with nice markings, perhaps I should run away before it sees me."

The adrenaline has already kicked in by the time those thoughts are elucidated through language and you are already down the road. Your vision is tunnelled and can only focus at a certain distance in order to probe for the threat. Your hearing is pin-sharp and over-emphasises transients. This is so you can hear the difference between the wind bending the leaves and blades of grass and the rustling noise of the beast stalking you. You are in an incredibly high state of alert. Your neck muscles may be very stiff but that is to protect your spine where it is most vulnerable if the beast attacks you.

You then go into a bubble, separated from the world around you. That is your limbic system kicking in.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine

[Want_to_break_free]

Thanks Rocky ... could it be down to simply having astigmatism .... I often find myself staring at walls for minutes on end, not a good look in the office!!! I totally agree I am over analysing everything I look at and at that point things are bound to appear blurry and out of focus. I've diagnosed myself with Glaucoma, Uveitis, retinitis pigmentosa and a whole host of other eye conditions over the last month!

Did you get 'shimmering' vision whilst looking at things like oriental rugs etc? Lots of fine detail?

---------- Post added at 12:11 ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 ----------

Very in epth, thanks Jules ... but would you get these sensations even when not i na state of perceived anxiety? I don't feel anxious (or at least I think I don't) when I experience these visual problems (which seem to be getting more constant)

[rockydog]

Oh yes totally, i can look at a magazine and an advert on thenext page im not focusing on appears to flash !
I went with my daughter for a physio appointment last week and the carpet was different sized parralel lines well that through me totally it was moving about and parts of it were raised and shimmering, scared the life out of me. If i look over the top of a really pattened rug it appears to move, i have always had this as i can remember as a child thinking we had a magic carpet ;)

---------- Post added at 13:34 ---------- Previous post was at 13:32 ----------

Also i get these when not in a state of anxiety, it is a constant thing, it is just at the moment you have become really sensitive to it :)

[Jules147]

Very in epth, thanks Jules ...but would you get these sensations even when not i na stateof perceived anxiety?I don't feel anxious (or at least I think I don't) when I experience these visual problems (which seem to be getting more constant)

But you are anxious, aren't you? They are more constant because you are worried about them. That amygdala is playing tricks on you!

[Want_to_break_free]

Lol @ Rocky ... I wish there was a magic carpet to whisk me away!!! Do you get these feelings with and without glasses? It feels quite surreal, especially when it gets blurry at the same time ... I then have to 'pull' my eyes back into focus. very hard to describe ...

---------- Post added at 12:52 ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 ----------

do you suffer from astigmatism Rocky?

[imissnotworrying]

i get this! yet my eyes have been checked and they're healthy, i'm sure yours are too. but i've experienced the loss of sharpness/blurred vision. i was told it happens if you're doing a lot of close up work, such as reading or on a computer, then your eyes get tired and need to re-adjust if you want to see long distance etc. i upped my water intake and i make an effort to blink more when i'm doing close up work now, it's not happened to me in a while Xx

[rockydog]

Hey, not that i know of I'm just a bit mad and focus on different parts at different times. My eyes have always been light sensitive, and ever since i had one migrain about 12 years ago and my sight went zig zagged and flashing lights and i ended up in an eye hospita,l because i didnt realise it was a migrain, I have had times of being paranoid about my sight.
I rarely wear glasses and it happens often, also if im worrying about something else like taking a medication my eyes blur on when i have had a panic attack the sides of my vision blur....just mad x

[Want_to_break_free]

Does anyone find that their vision seems to be a little dark across the top also?!

[AngelHeart]

Hiya, I have vision problems also and was actually going to write a post about this. My vision goes blurred alot especially if I'm outside and its really sunny or if I'm trying to focus on someone if I'm talking to them . Its like everything has an edge to it. I've had my eyes tested and they are very healthy but I still constantly worry about it. Also I have a balance porblem too like I feel like the floors moving underneath me, anyone get this? I'm under an ENT consultant at the minute as they think I may have an inner ear disorder but wondering if its anxiety instead !! xx

[Want_to_break_free]

Hi Angel and welcome to the wonderful world of health anxiety!!!

Did you ever get your eyes checked out by an eye doctor? Did they put it all down to anxiety?

---------- Post added at 19:28 ---------- Previous post was at 19:17 ----------

sorry Angel just seen that you did have your eyes checked ...glad to hear that everything came back all clear ... did the doc just put it down to anxiety?

[AngelHeart]

As I'm under a consultant for a possible inner ear disorder they think my blurry eyes could be related to this BUT I think it could be de to anxiety also as I notice that my eyes are ok when I'm at home, they go worse outside or if I have to talk to someone.

[loonerj]

I am suffering the same symptoms as we speak!!

I see constant fuzzy dots on everythin, I am really aware of my surroundings, and when I am talking to someone the background and my periphial vision! Its worse in bright light but it just wont go!!

I have been to eye hospital etc and have better than 20/20 vision??!!! so it has been put down to anxiety and the way i have programmed my mind to look for the symptoms and make them worse.

I am currently doing a self help CBT online it is The moodgym and is free and really good! give it a go and I hope your symptoms ease!!! xx

---------- Post added at 22:09 ---------- Previous post was at 22:06 ----------

Angel,

I get the balance problem too but it is much worse if I go on holiday! So now I try and avoid going on holiday as it is such a horrible feeling, I was told it was Labryinthitus. hope you get it sorted. xx

[AngelHeart]

Yes, been told it could possibly be labyrinthitis, TBH dont know the difference between that and anxiety now !! lol xx

[Want_to_break_free]

I get a strange sensation when around people also ... funniest thing when I was shopping i just felt numb and detached and couldn't wait to get out of the place. It still amazes me that anxiety can cause so many physical symptoms. I've requested CBT but been told the waiting list on the NHS is very long so may try the self help that you mention ...

Eyes are bad this morning!!! Very sore and dry ... sat at work constantly putting my glasses on / taking them off and as per usual everything is out of focus and i can see floaters all over!!!

I think it is all about programming, I've now re programmed my mind to pick up any slight anomolie in my vision and convince myself i'm loosing my sight as a result.

Can anyone else make their vision go out of focus at will (but without crossing eyes??). This is a new trick I seem to have picked up!

[rockydog]

Hey, i can do all sorts when focused on my vision ;) I also have floaters and dry feeling eyes this morning. Are you drinking enough water as this definitely makes it worse ? If someone is standing by our large front room window and speaking to me i cant actually see them in detail its like glazed and really freaks me, i have to have the light behind me(yet i have nothing wrong with my eyes) Im sure if there was a problem our eyes would get worse and worse and not ease up at all. It wouldnt take this long to develop once it started and i know i have had these worries on and off for years.But it stops at this level,exactly what you are describing and leaves you feeling panicked but doesnt go any further. I try and think right i have had this before over and over and try and look through it and not look at the floaters. It is just harder if you are at work andhaving to use your eyes more intensly, if you was home closing them for 20 minutes, drinking loads of water and calming down would probably help x

[Want_to_break_free]

The funny thing is I've actually been diagnosed with dry eye syndrome so most of these issues are probably due to that ... but it is the convincing myself that I struggle with!

Constantly red dry eyes unfocussed MUST mean something wrong and I don't care what the specialists say ... (Typical HA response).

Can anyone focus / unfocus their eyes at will? Another trick I've picked up whilst focussing so much on my eyes!

[rockydog]

I think most people can do that with the focusing you just like stare for a few secondslonger than normal and your vision changes. All you are doing is messing with the muscles that control your sight. You really are causing your vision to change ;)
I think its really common to worry about your sight, i think it is probabaly everybodies greatest fear, its just you have taken it one step further x

[Want_to_break_free]

I agree but am having them checked out tomorrow just in case! Hopefully I'll be given the all clear but my fear is that if this does happen will I just continue to worry about my sight even though an expert has said I'm fine??? How then do I overcome that??

Ohe yes and I can now unfocus without having to stare at anything, can do it at will! In fact I'm doing it sat at my desk now!

[rockydog]

You are just tensing your muscles in your eyes that is all. Glad you are having it checked hope that helps. I think the time will come when you will say enough is enough, I have been checked by experts and all is ok and have to try and believe that. Hopefully you will be able to get a better perspective on it and decide not to drive yourself crazy with it anymore. Why would they want to get it wrong ? But please tell them your actual fear, rather than just say my eyes are a bit blurry so they can do their best to reassure you.
It is a very justified fear and would scare anyone :)

[Want_to_break_free]

so you think I should just come out and say I have a fear of going blind rather than the softly softly approach?

[rockydog]

Yes definitely, ive tried the other way many times and as they dont realise what the fear is they dont really help. I have even said it as a bit of a joke like i know youre going to now know Im mental but is this definitely not skin cancer ! :) as they look at my ordinary spot ....

[Want_to_break_free]

It is probably the best way to put my mind at ease ... until the next time!

[Itryireallytry]

Hello. I also think I'm going blind. I see stars when I look in the sky and when I'm calm they are almost not there anymore. Sometimes my vision is blurry and I'm too scared to go to the doctor. What if he says I'm going to get blind?

[Want_to_break_free]

I felt like that but you really ought to go get it checked out to put your mind at ease if nothing else. I'm going tomorrow. Not looking forward to it but have to face my fears

[Want_to_break_free]

so ... today I can see numerous floaters in my visions...!!!

[rockydog]

Hi how did you get on ? ;)

[Jules147]

Hello. I also think I'm going blind. I see stars when I look in the sky and when I'm calm they are almost not there anymore. Sometimes my vision is blurry and I'm too scared to go to the doctor. What if he says I'm going to get blind?

Your starry eyes are caused by anxiety. They are almost not there when you are almost calm. Think about it and while you are at it give those negative thoughts some competition with some positive thoughts like:

What is the worst case scenario?

I am going blind.

How likely is that?

Not very.

Which is the most likely cause of my starry eyes, anxiety or a progessive and debilitating illness that will make me go blind?

Answer:............

Did I have starry eyes and floaters when I was suffering from anxiety?

Yes.

Did they go away when my anxiety was cured?

Yes. I still see floaters from time to time but they are perfectly normal and don't frighten me any more. I went for a ROUTINE (i.e. not for reassurance) eye test in November and my eyes are fine. I had an eyeball scan too.

---------- Post added at 09:34 ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 ----------

Click on this link and study the chart. It is a poster kindly given to my by my CBT therapist last year:

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2658/imag0343lm.jpg

[rockydog]

Hi Jules i was given this poster on Friday too :)

[Jules147]

It should be framed and hung on the wall.

[Want_to_break_free]

Didn't really check much despite my insistence. I explained my symptoms and was told I suffered from dry eye ... prescribed me some drops so checked em when I got home ... if used for 6 weeks or more they may cause Glaucoma and I have them for 6 weeks! Called back today saying I didn't want to use em (would drive my HA into overdrive) ... awaiting a call back!

[rockydog]

I dont blame you, that is a crazy thing to give someone ! Hope they call back soon.
They really cant be concerned about your eyes though :)