New Delhi: Losing the ability to see, even if gradual, has a considerable impact on a person’s mental health and sense of self. It is one thing to no longer have your vision, but it is a drastic change to adjust to an entirely new way of living. Emotional reactions during this phase can shift from uncertainty, anger, frustration, and grief. Tasks that used to be fairly simple, like walking, reading, or greeting someone, become complicated to manage. People who are in the process of losing their vision will often feel anxiety and depression in the first stages of losing vision.
In an interaction with News9Live, Dr. Simakurthy Sriram, CMO and Consultant VitreoRetina, Sankara Eye Hospital, Hyderabad, spoke about the mental health impact of losing sight and how one can cope with it.
Acceptance is the key
The fear of exclusion or misunderstanding causes one to avoid social situations. They often feel ashamed or worried by the fact that they are a burden to their family and friends. This is also accompanied by the emotion of loss of freedom that they once had, and the life before the incident. Emotional turmoil during this situation is quite natural, and the individual may take time to accept reality. The initial step is to acknowledge the truth of one’s situation and reality instead of being in denial. It may be helpful to consider seeing a therapist or counsellor.
A therapist will assist the individual in processing their emotions and finding a new way to stay motivated and hopeful. Online or in-person support groups may also provide a positive support experience. Spending time with others who have been through similar experiences can validate their life changes, help individuals identify that they are not alone, and remind individuals of opportunities to live a life that is fulfilling and grateful.
Process of learning
Another important part of coping is to learn new skills. Some skills can include using a cane, reading Braille, or utilising voice assistance on computers and phones. These are all skills that your rehabilitation program can teach you to learn to regain independence as well as confidence in performing daily activities.
Occupational therapists help make the home environment easier to use, such as labeling items with tactile markers, planning furniture for safer navigability, and narrowing down lighting for accessibility. The role of family and friends is important to the patient. Their patience, encouragement, and ability to simply assist without entering the person’s private space can lead to significant emotional benefits. Simple gestures like describing the surroundings and walking with the person can help restore trust and confidence. There are small steps that can aid in diminishing stress and improving mental health, such as meditation, music, or creativity (writing stories, doing crafts, etc).
- Vocational Training Programs: These programs focus on job skills such as typing, competencies needed in a call center, and music, arts, and therapy skills like massage and craft making. The goal is assisting people with visual impairments in a means to earn a living and or financial independence.
- Counseling and Psychosocial Support: Many centers provide counseling services where trained professionals help people deal with anxiety, depression, or trauma caused by vision loss. Emotional support is as important as learning practical skills.
Losing one’s vision is difficult for certain, but it is not the end. With the proper assistance, techniques, and attitude, individuals can regain their independence, continue to participate, and live life to the fullest.
Losing the ability to see, even if gradual, has a considerable impact on a person’s mental health and sense of self. It is one thing to no longer have your vision, but it is a drastic change to adjust to an entirely new way of living. Emotional reactions during this phase can shift from being scared about what is to come to a mixture of uncertainty, anger, and sadness.
Tasks that used to be considered fairly simple, like walking, reading, or greeting someone, become complicated to manage. People who are in the process of losing their vision will often feel anxiety and depression in the first stages of losing vision.
The fear of exclusion or misunderstanding causes one to avoid social situations. They often feel ashamed or worried that they are being a burden to their family and friends. This is also accompanied by the emotion of grief over losing the freedom they once had and the life before the incident. Emotional turmoil during this situation is quite natural and may take time to accept the reality. The initial step is to acknowledge the truth of one’s situation and reality instead of being in a denial phase. It may be helpful to consider seeing a therapist or counselor experienced with visual impairment.
A therapist will assist the individual in processing their emotions and finding a new way to stay motivated and hopeful. Online or in-person support groups may also provide a positive support experience. Spending time with others who have been through similar experiences can validate their life changes, help individuals identify that they are not alone, and remind individuals of opportunities to live a life that is fulfilling and happy.
Process of learning
Another important part of coping is to learn new skills. Some skills can include using a cane, reading Braille, or utilising voice assistance on computers and phones. These are all skills that your rehabilitation program can teach you to regain independence as well as confidence in performing daily activities again.
Occupational therapists help make the home environment easier to use, such as labeling items with tactile markers, planning furniture for safer navigability, and improving lighting for accessibility. The role of family and friends is important to the patient. Their patience, encouragement, and ability to simply assist without entering the person’s private space can lead to significant emotional benefits. Simple gestures like describing the surrounding objects, and/or walking with the person can help restore trust and confidence. The issue of mental health, due to the main opening quote, is also significant. There are small steps that can aid in diminishing stress and improving mental health, such as meditation, music, or creativity (writing stories, doing crafts, etc.).
- Vocational Training Programs: These programs focus on job-related skills such as typing, competencies needed in a call center, music, arts, and therapy skills like massage and craft making. The goal is to assist people with visual impairments in earning a living and achieving financial independence.
- Counseling and Psychosocial Support: For many centers, counseling services exist in which professionals trained to counsel individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and the psychological impact of vision loss can assist. There are skills needed, but there is also an emotional aspect involved with counseling.
Lastly, losing one’s vision is difficult for certain, but it is not the end. With the proper assistance, techniques, and attitude, individuals can regain their independence, continue to participate, and live life to the fullest.