Eye Issues

[Jedi133]

Hi Thrivers,

I have complex PTSD from an academic setting. I'm getting a PhD at a different institution. One of the hardest physical manifestations (outside of the primarily psychological symptoms of panic attacks, depression, etc.) is the eye strain. I'm not sure eye "strain" is the right word but I'll use it for now. It is very difficult for me to read. It is both a visual concentration thing and a mental concentration thing. My eyes focus too much on peripheral vision rather than reading. It is much worse for reading on the computer but it still exists for reading a print book. Using a book mark to get my eyes to focus on the correct line has helped some and I try to take breaks every 25 minutes or so.

A related symptom is facial twitches when I get overwhelmed. It is very obvious to an observer because it looks like I'm sneering. The facial twitching comes when I'm emotionally overwhelmed but it can also occur after reading too much.

Have you had experience with this manifestation of PTSD? Any coping suggestions?

 

[Justmehere]

Sorry if this seems like an obvious question, but have you had your eyes checked? Does the eye strain get better if you make the font size much larger? Does this only happen when you are reading up close or does it happen at a distance or other times as well?

I have PTSD and I get eye strain at times. Sometimes it's because it's time for me to use reading glasses, and other times it's related to overall fatigue and stress related exhaustion. I have found relief through making the font larger, and using various colored backgrounds as well.

Look into Irlen Syndrome - some of the tools used for people with Irlen Syndrome might help with the difficulty of visual concentration. Kids or adults with Irlen Syndrome often use bookmarks to track the words on the page to make it easier to read and it might be a clue you would benefit for an eval for Irlen Syndrome. It's also called scotopic sensitivity.

If your school has a disabled students office, consider connecting with them and getting some input on assistive technology that could make the page and screen easier to read when the eye strain kicks in, if glasses don't work. They may also be able to provide other accommodations that would reduce distractions and help your concentration.

For twitching, deep breathing can help kick in the parasympathetic nervous system and help things calm down more. Working with a solid therapist on skills to relax the body and empty the stress cup (grad school is super stressful even under the best of circumstances) may help considerably.

It could also be a sign of a nutritional deficiency, and you may be low in potassium or magnesium (or something else.) To increase potassium and see if that is possibly playing a role, you could try eating more bananas. Magnesium supplements (500mg or so) might also help, and are relatively cheep and safe. (Don't overdo it though on the Magnesium though, or it might cause diarrhea.) You could also try drinking Gatorade or similar electrolyte enhanced drink. When I was in a PTSD intensive inpatient program, the staff always had Gatorade in stock.

I hope you find something that helps bring relief!

 

[Jedi133]

Thank you so much @Justmehere!! This is a treasure chest of information. I'll look into these things and update this thread as I discover things.

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

I get eye twitching when I need a new glasses prescription or if I'm over tired.

I'm not sure if I get some of the things your talking about because of PTSD or because I'm dyslexic. Changing the colour background on computers helps and you get overlays for books. I use audio books quite a bit. the university may have some resources on audio for dyslexic and blind students. May be worth a check.

Dissociative symptoms can cause vision problems, blurred out of focus, things that are stationary may look like they're moving. May be a good idea to figure out if anything is causing you anxiety and take breaks to ground while studying. Exercise will help burn off the extra adrenaline if you are anxious. Do some exercise then study? Might help.

Get your eyes checked you should do every 2 years minimum anyway. best to check it's not something as simple as you need reading glasses before you try out the other stuff. If you already wear glasses you could just need them adjusted cause if they're not positioned right they don't work as well.

 

[leelee]

When my stress level is Really high my eye twichs. I have been to eye/doctor and it is stress related. Just like with grinding your teeth at night. Theres nothing you really can do eventually it will stop on its own, mine did. But it happens ever so often when Im stressing out at max level.

 

[Jedi133]

Thanks! I'm going to talk to my doctor tomorrow about my migraine medicine and possibly a muscle relaxer for my facial twitch.

I discovered an app on the Apple store called Screen Tint. I'm experimenting with it on my computer. I'm hoping it will help.

I plan to print off a lot of my course material so I don't have to read it on the computer screen.

 

[Muted]

What type of lighting do you have? I know fluorescent is harder on your eyes. Have you ever tried anti-blue light glasses there are some that also block both that and UVA and UVB rays as well.