“I think the hardest thing for me was to step out of the world of vision and step into the world of visual impairment, and the shock of it really sent me into a depression.” — Annie
Anxiety and Depression: Finding a way forward
From Annie: “I think the hardest thing for me was to step out of the world of vision and step into the world of visual impairment, and the shock of it really sent me into a depression.”
Reaching Out for Help
Annie is not alone. Feelings of depression and anxiety often accompany a diagnosis of uncorrectable vision loss. It’s hard to know where to turn and how to live with it.
Annie didn’t know anyone else with impaired vision. “I was trying to do this blindness thing pretty much on my own,” she says.
But then she decided to get help from a professional counselor and things started to turn around for her. “Because I had somebody to help me navigate through the emotional and psychological trauma of sudden blindness, I was able to pull myself out and get myself back into living again,” she says. Conversations with her counselor also helped her put vision loss in perspective and, as Annie puts it, “recognize that I was still a whole person.”
“My Emotions Were Everywhere”
Marilyn was 46 when she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. “I was very depressed,” she says. “I had to go on medication, and I felt very lost. My emotions were everywhere.”
Marilyn experienced anxiety and learned some breathing techniques to help. She also came to realize that the difficult emotions she was feeling are a natural part of her journey.
Like Annie, Marilyn found it helpful to reach out to others for help. In Marilyn’s case, it came in the form of a low vision support group local to her. She also joined her local YMCA. “I always wanted to learn how to swim,” she says. “And I did.”
“I just keep one foot in front of the other and keep walking and facing challenges and living my life,” Marilyn says.
Learning from Emotions
Annie and Marilyn both reached out for help with sorting through the difficult emotions that vision loss can bring—but it’s not always easy to find support. On our Hadley Presents podcast, clinical psychologist Dr. Ann Wagner, who is legally blind herself, shared some ideas about learning from our emotions to bring about healing and transformation. You can check out the podcast on Emotions, Mental Health, and Vision Loss here.
And if you’d like to connect with a counselor or support group near you, call Hadley at 800-323-4238 and we’ll help you find one or connect you with one of our groups.
Annie’s story, “I Came Full Circle,” and Marilyn’s story, “My Emotions Were Everywhere,” are on Hadley’s Insights & Sound Bites podcast, where people share what helped them cope and adjust to vision loss. This podcast is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, as well as by phone: 847-558-1317.
Have you experienced depression and anxiety on your vision loss journey? Were there things you learned—or things you’d like to learn?