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Vision Shifts And Dissociation

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Hope4Now

MyPTSD Pro
So in my ongoing array of bizarre physical symptoms, the newest one is inexplicable and dramatic vision changes. I have been having vision issues for several years now. Not severe, just really, really annoying. In November, I went to an opthamologist who tested my vision and said there wasn't any significant changes in my vision so he was surprised that I was complaining about it. I have heard this before. I got the new prescription.

There were still issues, but I assumed it was because I had decided to return to single vision lenses from the graduated ones I had. Over the past two months or so, I keep noticing I can't see right. I take my glasses off. I put them on. I wear reading glasses, then I don't. I returned to the eye doctor last week for a different issue and I mentioned these problems. They retested my vision. There had been what they called a "dramatic change" from the results they found in November. I was so excited when they gave me these little lenses to hold up. I said, "I can SEE again!!!" They gave me a new prescription.

Today, I got my new glasses with the new prescription. I have been so excited to be able to see again. I just put them on, and I can't see properly out of them.

Then it occurred to me that this might have something to do with my dissociative issues.

So I'm wondering if anybody on this forum has experienced visual shifts that relate to their alters/parts (whatever you want to call them) having different visual acuity.

This stuff is driving me nuts, so I would love to hear from anyone with any information on this stuff.
 
I don't have solid information for you but I definitely notice huge shifts in my sight. I have dodged the 'eye glasses' bullet but there are times I can't see at all and other times I am perfectly clear sighted. My left eye seems to be most affected.

As I recall when I was younger (20-30) I noticed huge shifts in eyes as well. Don't know exactly how to address it. I will be interested in this thread. Thanks for bringing this up.
 
So in my ongoing array of bizarre physical symptoms, the newest one is inexplicable and dramatic vision...

I have no formal evidence of vision shifts with dissociation, but I have noticed when my symptoms are worse, my eyes bother me a lot. I get light sensitivity, and am unable to look around quickly without feeling like my head will pop off. I've always had great vision, but since the PTSD started, I've noticed some changes. I haven't seen an optometrist to see if there are any physical changes, but will soon. Since EMDR is such a huge source of recovery for dissociations and PTSD, I assumed the eyes have a lot to do with whatever is going on during these attacks.

I hope you find some answers!
 
Depending on the age I'm hooking into with the dissociation my vision changes. Pdoc/T said it's totally normal. I carry 3 strengths of reading glasses with me now. Sometimes I need none. Sometimes 150 or 175 for distance. And sometimes 175 or 250 for reading. I also have snow vision and that changes with the dissociation too. Clearer or more grainy.

All part of the fun of healing.
 
I have noticed visual changes in my eyes, and some days I can see better than others. But lately I have been having such a hard time being able to read on my lap top. I chalk it up to age and eye strain. I was so pleasantly surprised when I passed the eye exam at the DMV for my new liscence.

I am aware also that I have cataracks developing in my eyes and I cannot afford the surgery when My eyes get really bad. This scares me. I need to be able to see clearly. But I do not notice the eye changes due to my issues with PTSD. Interesting thread. I just got new glasses a while ago. I wear progressive lenses and sometimes when I shift my head it does improve my vision.
 
Yay! Thank's, y'all, for posting responses!

I get light sensitivity, and am unable to look around quickly without feeling like my head will pop off.
Yep. I get this. It's weird because sometimes the lights don't bother me at all, and other times I find it intolerable. Same with looking around quickly.

my vision blurs. Like things move in swirls or ripples or like things zoom in and out.
Yes, I get this often. It is usually when I am really dissociated...not so much like being stuck in a "part" (which is one kind of dissociation)...moreso when I am really spacey and I have trouble blinking or focusing or moving my eyes. Then things start to look totally bizarre. I've always joked that I have never had a need for psychedelic drugs because my brain provides all the altered perceptions of reality any person could ever want. :banghead::banghead::banghead:

carry 3 strengths of reading glasses with me now. Sometimes I need none. Sometimes 150 or 175 for distance. And sometimes 175 or 250 for reading. I also have snow vision and that changes with the dissociation too. Clearer or more grainy.

All part of the fun of healing.
Oh,so fun! You're smart! I wish I could do this, but my glasses are prescription ones. So these days I have been making do with just taking them off and putting them on until I find something that works well enough to get me through whatever it is I'm doing. Makes me dizzy on the transitions. I am getting contact lenses at the end of April which will do the distance thing. Then I will need the over-the-counter reading glasses. Probably will end up like you with multi-pairs! Oh fun.

I wear progressive lenses and sometimes when I shift my head it does improve my vision.
This does help. I wore progressives for a while and found I had to learn just how to hold my head to see. I ended up going back to single vision though. I'm sorry about the cataracts! Have you looked into speaking with organizations or individual doctors that might do the work pro-bono (free?). It is such simple, straightforward surgery these days. It has made a HUGE difference for the people I know who have had it!
 
Physically :

I have to get my eyes dilated (have to have to!) because I can self correct about 2 diopters in either direction. Wearing my -4.00 I can blurry up my vision to -6.00, or I can have 20/20 vision with -2.00 contacts, (but will get eye aches & then headaches & then things will start losing clarity). When dilated, my eyes register at -4.00.

Glasses are incredibly difficult for me, because my eyes will be messing about with the blurry edges the lenses don't cover, meaning that only about 1/3 of the time will the Rx the lenses are at be "correct". I can wear glasses, but they're vexing, unless I trick my eyes into matching up with the Rx by taking them off every few minutes. The total blurry is so obnoxious that they "relax" into whatever the Rx happens to be.

Psych :

- My night vision is incredibly affected by my anxiety & pain levels. The higher my anxiety, or lower my pain, the better I can see in the dark. It's really quite dramatic. From seeing like a cat, to literally blind.

- Hypervig affects my distance viewing like crazy. At my worst my world shrinks down to about 18" to 1 arms distance. Everything outside of that bubble becomes first caricatured, then a bit of a Monet, to a blurry wash of colors/lights/movement. Lesser levels increase the "bubble" where I can see / operate clearly in. My eyes can see just fine. My stupid brain is just not processing the damn data correctly. Vigilance I like. Hypervigilant can bite me. Can't freaking see. Hugely frustrating. Tunnel vision also happens, here, if I'm all hypervig AND anxious or in pain. Which is a but different than the wash outside the bubble.

- Disassociation. Bye bye world.
 
Thank you for the thread and to those whom posted within. Like @CrowFeather I have several pairs of glasses. However, as I have been in some intensive therapy and have had some of my symptoms increasing...none of my glasses seem to work without the rearranging them on my nose or angling the frame at times. Then as @FridayJones offered ....I am not seeing dip outside a bubble at all for periods of time.

Being female and having hormones 'once' such as pregnancy I was use to that occasional blurriness but I am long past that stage of hormonal flux. As well, I have recently felt sad when I go temp limited sighted. So it is comforting to read it may be associated with memory stress.
 
I have the exact same issue. I have had my optometrist and Eye Specialist sending notes back and forth to each other saying the other one doesn't know how to do their job, retest my eyes, remake the glasses etc. It got quite ugly. I finally got diagnosed with the dissociative disorder last year. I told my eye specialist at the last appointment and he looked at me, sighed and said ugh hugh. He has now written a note to the optometrist to tell them that continually testing my eyes is pointless. I keep the one set of glasses. Some days I see perfectly. Some days I am shortsighted in the morning and long sighted later in the day. Some times the changes occur continually all day. It is only in my right eye. It is so frustrating but at least I have an answer now.
 
I can totally relate. I used to see just fine with my glasses before the accident. After the accident I can't see a thing. I got new glasses in December. They never really worked right but I eventually want back this month. My prescription had changed. They get me new lenses. I can't see with these either. I now have 4 pairs of glasses and I can't see out of any of them. It is so frustrating. Sometimes I will be driving and everything is just one big blur. Not the safest thing I know but I just can't go back to the eye doctor again. He will think I am a nut job which is probably not far from the truth but still.
 
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