Psychological personality traits of people with visual impairments. Life after an eye injury

Vision as a perception system includes two components: firstly, the visual organs themselves - the eyes, nerve fibers, certain parts of the brain, and secondly, the processes of deciphering signals entering the brain. And if the hardware of this system has been studied thoroughly, then how decoding works - we can only make hypotheses about this. The act of seeing is quite comparable to the electrochemical activity of certain parts of our brain, but where, how and in what internal space of a person the screen of an everyday TV series is located - scientists still do not know.

This dual organization of the process of seeing the world around us has formed two main approaches to eye disorders - ophthalmological and psychoneurological. A kind of dispute between physicists and lyricists in the study of the human visual system.

The ophthalmological approach considers vision, first of all, as an optical and electrochemical system, that is, a very complex, but still a machine. Accordingly, if something in the mechanism does not happen as it should, this implies a breakdown of one of the parts, a violation of the transportation of technical fluids, improper operation, or, in general, an initial defect during assembly. In other words, the three pillars of traditional ophthalmology: trauma, heredity and prolonged visual strain in conditions that are difficult for the functioning of the eyes.

Psychologists and neurologists, on the contrary, admit that our vision can be influenced by psychological trauma and stressful conditions. On the one hand, stress and stress on the psyche directly affect organic matter. For example, trying to stay within the limits accepted during social contacts, we “keep face” by force of will, but emotions will still find a way out. As a result of an increase in arterial or intracranial pressure, the pressure of the vessels of the fundus will also rise, or for a long time the muscles that focus the lens will be overstrained, etc. Such conditions are close to classic psychosomatosis - it is not surprising that migraine has now been added to the “golden seven” of psychosomatic diseases, with its characteristic eye pain, light intolerance and sometimes an aura (partial or complete short-term loss of vision). On the other hand, a destructive mental load may not disrupt the functioning of the sensory organs, but it is quite capable of causing distortion or blocking of the interpretation of visual information.

My eyes wouldn't look!

As a system for perceiving and processing information flow, vision not only perceives what it sees, but also, if necessary, displaces it. Denial of access to awareness of traumatic, dangerous information can be compared to fuses in electronics. At extremely high psychological stress vision can simply turn off - “I don’t want to see,” “I can’t see.” As a result, the body implements the imperative literally - we really stop noticing anything.

Cases of blindness or vision problems due to mental stress or shock have been known since ancient times.
Herodotus has a description of the psychogenic blindness that struck an Athenian warrior during the Battle of Marathon: “The Athenian warrior, Epicelius, son of Kuthagoras, was fighting bravely on the battlefield when he suddenly lost his sight. Both his eyes stopped seeing, although he was not hit by a sword, a spear, or a stone fired from a sling. From that moment until the end of his life he remained blind.” High emotional intensity and the sudden awareness of imminent death forced Epicelius’s psyche to block visual information.

The most common psychogenic visual impairments are partial or complete blindness, tunnel vision, unilateral or bilateral decrease in visual acuity, doubling and disarray of objects. The nature of the disorders leading to such results is very different. More often than not, the culprit is unconscious reproduction of symptoms in an attempt to solve social conflict. For example, vision is sharply lost or critically deteriorated in strictly defined situations.

At the same time, the “patient” also receives some benefit. The primary one is that it is possible to avoid a destructive conflict between what a person sees and the basic settings of his internal reality. The secondary consists of purchasing bonuses in interpersonal relationships And social life. This includes manipulation of loved ones, and the opportunity to implement certain behavioral patterns - for example, “let go of the oars” - and a chance to receive care and constant attention from relatives. Moreover, the symptoms are not associated with any changes in the organs: they can appear suddenly, persist and disappear just as unexpectedly. This gives distrustful observers reason to suspect the patient of malingering.

Depending on the psychological school, the process is interpreted differently, but the general basis is based on classical psychoanalysis. For example, psychogenic blindness indicates a direct reluctance to see the problem, myopia indicates a refusal to try to predict the future, farsightedness indicates a rejection of what is at hand, routine, and the immediate environment.

Often, somatic disorders are supported linguistically: many stable phraseological units seem to illustrate what is happening or set the direction of the reaction to a traumatic event - “I don’t want to see this”, “my eyes wouldn’t see you”, “don’t show yourself to me”, “it’s dark in my eyes” , “as if through a fog,” “it’s black in the eyes,” “can’t see beyond the nose.” Although it cannot be said that impulses repressed into the unconscious literally use linguistic cliches to manifest themselves in the form of functional disorders.

Use glasses, eye drops and surgery to cure vision problems as a protective reaction of the psyche - at least naive. If the patient chooses this path of protection or manifestation of unmanifested mental processes, an attempt to medicinally reduce these signs to nothing will only aggravate the situation - the following somatic signals can be even more sophisticated and harsh. Much more effective in this case are psychotherapeutic methods in combination with sedatives and antidepressants, and this is a question for specialists.

TEXT: Denis Grachev

People with one eye cannot watch 3D movies because their visual analyzer is unable to perceive colorful effects. They have difficulty playing football, volleyball and other games in which it is necessary to correctly judge the distance to the ball or other objects.

We will tell you what other inconveniences a one-eyed person experiences and whether it is possible to overcome them. We will also find out whether people with one eye can drive a car and obtain a driver's license.

Eye patch, sunglasses or prosthetic?

How to live with one eye? This question is asked by people who have lost an eyeball due to injury or illness. Naturally, they have a strong complex and try in every possible way to hide the defect from others with the help of dark glasses or an eye patch. However, such “disguise” is far from ideal and has many disadvantages.

An eye patch attracts undue attention from others, making a person feel self-conscious. It's fair to say that scary headbands look good on pirates from historical films, but not on people in everyday life. As for tinted glasses, they are not always appropriate in winter time cause confusion among passers-by. And they look quite strange indoors. Consequently, both of these methods are not suitable for everyone and not always.

Thanks to the development of science and modern technologies exists today great way hide the absence of an eye. This can be done with the help of a prosthesis, which in appearance is practically no different from the eyeball. The implant is placed in a specially formed cavity and remains there for a certain time. Different types of prostheses are subject to scheduled replacement every few years.

Types of eye prostheses:

• Glass. Quite light, have a smooth surface and are well moistened by tear fluid. Require careful attitude and careful use. Such dentures need to be changed once a year.
• Plastic. Much stronger and safer to use than glass. They are resistant to impacts external environment, allowing patients with one eye to wear them much longer. The service life of such prostheses is two years.
• Standard. Produced in mass quantities. Have different shapes, size, color, etc. Note that for the right and left eyes there are different types prostheses. They try to choose the most suitable implant for each person.
• Individual. Made to order, taking into account all the individual characteristics and desires of a person. Implantation of such a prosthesis allows you to achieve the highest quality cosmetic effect.

Men and women who have lost an eyeball should not despair. Many people live without an eye for many years and at the same time lead a full life. The unsightly defect is hidden with the help of a prosthesis, and one can gradually adapt to monocular vision.

Is it possible to drive a car and get a license?

Can people with one eye get a license and drive a car? Yes, but only if certain conditions are met. Let's figure out whether a person with anophthalmia (an underdeveloped or completely absent eyeball) can drive a car and what is needed in this case to obtain a driver's license.

According to the law Russian Federation(Article 23 Federal Law No. 196 “About security traffic"), every driver must undergo mandatory medical examinations. If during the examination he is diagnosed with diseases that prevent him from driving, he will not be able to obtain a license.

Man has no right to control vehicle category B, having visual acuity below 0.6 in one eye and less than 0.2 in the other eye. Note that vision is checked with correction, that is, with glasses or contact lenses. This means that even a patient with a high degree of myopia can get behind the wheel, having previously selected a means of correction.

By law, people with one eye can drive a car equipped with parking sensors - an acoustic parking system. Since people with anophthalmia have impaired binocular vision, they need APS to avoid accidents.

Adaptation to monocular vision

People who are blind in one eye from birth will never be able to have normal binocular vision. The fact is that their brain is simply not capable of providing depth of perception of the world. Such patients have nothing to compare their vision with, so they consider it quite satisfactory.

But for people with one eye who have lost the other during life, their vision may be partially restored over time. It will never be the same as before, but it can improve. As a rule, this requires 1–2 years. Over time, a person gets used to his condition and learns to perform everyday work. After the adaptation period is over, he can even drive with one eye while driving.

Features of life with one eye

People who have recently lost an eye have to relearn how to move and navigate in space. At first, life with one eye may seem too difficult and unusual for them, but over time this will pass. The main thing is not to worry or despair.

Tips to help people with one eye quickly adapt to their new condition:

• Obstacles from the missing eye. People with anophthalmia have a narrowed field of vision, which may prevent them from noticing objects that are located to their side. Therefore, in an unfamiliar place or new room, they need to look around carefully so as not to stumble upon an obstacle.
• Grabbing objects. To take any item from a table, open a door, or shake an outstretched hand without missing a beat, you need to move very slowly. By turning your head, you can better assess the distance to an object and its location in space.
• Walking up the stairs. When going down the steps, a person with one eye needs to carefully monitor the railing - this will help avoid an extra step down and a painful push. On the street, the stairs can be replaced by observing the shadows of objects.
• Estimation of distance to objects. While on the street, distance can be determined using visual nuances. To do this, you need to carefully examine trees, traffic lights, and sidewalks. The size of an object gives an idea of ​​how far it is located.

In medicine, anophthalmia is the absence of an eyeball. This condition occurs after surgical removal of an injured or diseased eye. People with anophthalmia lose binocular vision, making it extremely difficult for them to navigate in space.

Life does not end after losing an eye. The defect can be hidden with the help of a prosthesis, and it is quite possible to adapt to monocular vision. People who have lost an eyeball can lead a normal life, play sports and even drive a car. All you need is desire and perseverance.

Useful video about artificial eye

This article will talk about the psychosomatic causes of poor vision, and will also give some recommendations for changing the ways of thinking that caused the deterioration of vision.

Our eyes are not just one of the senses, they are completely responsible for our perception and vision of things both around us and in ourselves. Eyes - represent the ability to clearly see the past, present and future. If vision is impaired, the perception of reality and oneself as they are is impaired. Visual impairment is a reluctance to see or notice certain things around you (myopia) or in yourself (farsightedness), as well as in life in general. Psychosomatic causes of poor vision

Aggressive emotions such as hatred, anger, anger accumulate in the soul, and they create problems with the eyes, because the eyes are the mirror of the soul. Such people are prevented from seeing the good by their pride and stubbornness. They do not understand that they see bad things in their world only because they look at the world through the prism of their aggressive emotions. There is only one way out - to clear your perception of negative thinking, patterns and prejudices, then the world will become a better place. Create a world for yourself that you would enjoy looking at.

The eyes are the place where sadness is released. Vision problems occur when sadness is not fully expressed. Therefore, the eyes get sick both in those who cry constantly and in those who never cry. When people reproach their eyes for seeing only one unpleasant thing, the foundation of an eye disease is laid.

Poor vision is a direct consequence of a suppressed desire not to see something and (or) someone. Deterioration of vision is a signal (metaphor, message) that the need and need not to see something or someone has become unbearable, and there is no way to satisfy it (i.e., to avoid a harmful stimulus).

By losing his sight, a person receives a “secondary benefit” for this, that is, he gains the opportunity not to see closely what he does not want to see, and over time this develops into the benefit of not doing something (for example, doing small work with farsightedness). He cannot (or rather does not allow himself) to manage his life in such a way that the stimulus disappears from his field of vision, so by weakening his vision he facilitates the psychological experience (compensation occurs).

Forced to see what he does not want to see, a person creates a contradiction between parts of his experience (good vision on the one hand and “bad” psychological vision on the other) - and his good eyesight equates to “poor psychological vision” (synchronization).

And, finally, it is obvious that a person thereby generates in his mind rigid programs of “bad” visual experience (it manifests itself in the words: “I don’t want to see you”, “get out of my sight”, “my eyes would not see you” , “and don’t show your face to me”, “seeing you is sickening”, “it hurts to look at all this”, and so on and so forth).

It is no coincidence that, according to statistics, young people’s vision deteriorates, as a rule, with a minus sign (myopia or myopia), and in older people – with a plus sign (farsightedness). Older people have a lot of past, and in the past there is a lot of pain, disappointments, mistakes and everything that you really don’t want to see in yourself. And for young people it is fear of “prospects”, fear of the future.

Another reason for visual impairment is associated with the establishment of a forced physical boundary at viewing distance. Such boundaries are the walls of houses, fences, books, monitor and TV screens, etc. (there are even studies confirming that the more densely populated a city is and the less space it has (a house literally sits on top of a house), the statistically worse is the vision of its residents).

There is always an obstacle in front of your eyes on which you focus your gaze. The eyes, encountering constant obstacles, are trained to see only up to a certain distance ( ordinary person, when waking up, he does not see further than the walls, when going out into the street he immediately directs his eyes to his feet, on public transport he looks at a book, at work at the monitor, and in reverse order).

The eyes of many are simply not trained to look beyond a few meters (that’s why, when working with a vision restoration system, I insist not only on completely abandoning glasses, but also on relieving the eyes as much as possible). This distance is established unconsciously by the person himself in order to isolate himself from something external (for example, not to see real world further than your book, TV or computer game).

Visual impairment can also be associated with the type and style of thinking. In addition to our eyes, we have another type of “eye” that is capable of seeing at any distance and overcoming any obstacles, which see equally well both at night and during the day. These “eyes” are our mind.

The mind is able to simulate visual sensations without any connection with what is in at the moment time is seen by our own eyes. A person who reads a lot, dreams of an unrealistic, fantasy future, or often draws pictures of the past, all the time generates visual pictures in his head that do not exist in reality (not here and now). Over time, his eyes (physical vision), in fact, become a sensory vestige of psychological vision. The true visual function is constantly suppressed, roughly speaking, as unnecessary, and vision deterioration occurs.

People who live all the time “here and now” have very little chance of spoiling their eyesight, because most of the time they use only physiological vision, and very little - psychological vision, so to speak.

This was a summary of several of the most adequate theories of visual impairment. And now, for convenience, I will analyze each of the cases of weakened vision separately. Myopia

With myopia, a person does not see far, but sees well near - this means that the person is concentrated on himself and on his immediate surroundings. People with myopia, as a rule, find it difficult (or scary) to look into the future, make long-term plans (that is, they do not see a picture of their life in a year, five, ten years), and it is difficult for them to predict the consequences of their actions.

In this case, a person needs to develop the skill of constructing his long-term plans, and in addition, expand the scope of his interests to a larger area (for example, begin to be interested in world events, etc.)

In the case of farsightedness, people experience fear of the future, inability to perceive it objectively, distrust of what awaits them ahead, a feeling constant danger, wariness, hostility of the world towards them. Such people do not see the future.

In addition, myopia develops in people who are prone to generalization and schematization of reality. Those of its realities that do not fit into their logical structure are ignored.

Myopia often affects people who are too focused on themselves and have difficulty perceiving other people’s ideas (they see and perceive only ideas that are “close” to them in spirit, and those that are “far away” do not see, do not perceive, and do not make room for them in the world). They have a limited outlook.

Myopia can also mean fixation on the external, on form, on the superficial, the presence of rigid stereotypes of perception that interfere with the objective perception of reality.

“Nearsighted” people judge other people all the time, but they themselves literally cannot see beyond their own noses. They don't like what they see around them, they don't notice any of it beautiful world, nor wonderful people, but they see only the negative, that’s why they unconsciously chose “not to see” (there’s nothing to look at, there’s nothing good there). In fact, what myopic people don’t like about the world and people around them is simply a reflection of their own behavior.

The psychological causes of visual impairment can also be determined based on the period in which it began to fall:

For example, some people develop myopia in early school or preschool age. The reasons are that in their home, in their family, in their parents’ relationships, there is always a lot of negativity - quarrels, screaming, even beatings. It hurts the child to see this, because for him parents are the closest people, and he himself cannot influence the situation. And as psychological protection his eyes weaken, myopia helps him dull the pain, “not seeing” what is happening. This is one of the reasons.

There is also the opposite option. For example, at home, before school or kindergarten, a harmonious atmosphere reigns in the child’s family, kind and respectful relationships between parents, the child receives love and support. Having become accustomed to such an attitude, he finds himself in a team where the conditions are completely different - no one loves him just like that, he has to fulfill certain conditions in order to achieve good attitude teachers and friendship of classmates.

The model of the world that he learned in his family turns out to be completely different from the “big” world, and he himself turns out to be unprepared for reality. The child does not want to put up with what he now sees, experiences stress, pain. As a result, this leads to the fact that he develops myopia - and he can clearly see only what is next to him, fencing himself off from the injustice and cruelty around him.

For many, vision deterioration occurs during puberty. Teenagers are faced with the topic of self-identification with their gender and, accordingly, many fears arise regarding these issues: what boys look like as men, and girls as women, whether they will succeed as partners and whether they will be chosen as partners, etc., if It is very difficult for a teenager to look into the above areas, as a result, vision decreases.

Such teenagers are afraid to become adults, because they are alarmed and frightened by what they see in the world of adults (example: they do not like the lifestyle of the adults who surround them, they want a different fate and live differently, but in fact they simply avoid growing up , not wanting to see their future).

If your vision began to deteriorate during the period of graduation (first year of college), this may mean that you are afraid of joining a new, more adult community.

During the period of graduation, young people, just like before college, have a fear of adult life, a fear of not succeeding in the professional field - “childhood’s games are over, here it is adult life,” in this case, fear also blocks vision.

IN general outline the mechanism is clear. And it also works in adults, since we carry most of our conditions out of childhood without much revision.

Sometimes myopia is not associated with fears of the future and prospects. In this case, it is necessary to understand at what age vision began to decline, because Perhaps at this age some event happened that was difficult to look at and the person “chose”, due to his vision, “not to look” at this event.

If vision has not normalized with age, it means that the topic of the event or period is still subconsciously relevant for the person. In this case, it is necessary to deal with the event or period that was difficult for him to watch or difficult to accept or experience.

For example, if your vision decreased during puberty and never recovered, then you still do not accept yourself as an adult man/woman and do not take on the functions associated with these roles. Or if vision has dropped sharply after childbirth, this is the key to recovery in motherhood (in relation to oneself as a mother, in relation to a child, in accepting the role of a mother, etc.).

Recommendations: in order to correct your vision (myopia), you need to get rid of the fear that caused your vision deterioration. This may not be one fear, but several at once, for example, vision began to decline during puberty, worsened a little more in college, and became completely worse after childbirth. Each of these periods is accompanied by certain fears that could not be accepted.

It is necessary to open up to new ideas coming from the outside, to accept the points of view of other people (not to be rigidly fixed on your view of the world, but to allow several opinions to exist in parallel). You need to learn to solve problems as they arise and stop expecting the worst from the future.

Such fears are actually caused not by objective reality, but by the excessive activity of your imagination. Learn to look into the future with optimism. Also learn to respectfully listen to other people's opinions, even if they do not coincide with yours.

Farsightedness

With farsightedness, a person sees well in the distance and does not see close up, this means that the person is interested in what is happening in the world, in the distant environment, he is interested in his distant plans, and is not interested in looking at himself and his immediate environment (he is interested in something global, but everyday little things are so annoying that you don’t want to see them). Therefore, farsightedness is considered an age-related ailment, since in old age a person, for one reason or another, does not accept himself, age-related changes that happen to him or in his immediate environment. It’s as if your life becomes boring, but the world and your surroundings become more interesting.

According to statistics, farsightedness occurs earlier in women than in men. And this is understandable; women have a harder time accepting their age-related changes.

In modern medicine, it is considered a normal physiological phenomenon for accommodation to deteriorate starting at about the age of 45 years. By “normal” here we only mean that, according to statistical studies, people over 45 years of age are much more likely to suffer from farsightedness than people under 45 years of age. Interestingly, the word "accommodation" means "adjustment" or "process of adaptation."

Therefore, we can assume that age-related farsightedness affects those who find it difficult to adapt to what is happening. It’s hard for them to look at themselves in the mirror, to see how their beloved body ages, to feel less and less attractive, they believe that aging is only a deterioration. Perhaps it is even harder for them to see the situation that is developing in their own family or at work.

People with farsightedness worry excessively about everything that happens around them and are too attached to physical dimension. Because of this, their inner vision weakens, and they do not see their significance, acquired along with experience over many years.

Farsighted people go overboard with their good intentions. They want to see far, they want to get a lot at once, but they do not want to see little (everyday little things). If a person demands from others, including the state, to ensure his future, then his vision deteriorates, since he does not see that everyone must first of all arrange their own life.

Recommendations: People with farsightedness need to learn to accept themselves, look at themselves with love and live in the here and now. Don't forget that your future depends on how you feel about your life today. Learn to adapt to the people and situations that appear in your life, and this will significantly improve its quality, and at the same time your vision.

Farsighted people in life need to first learn to enjoy the little things, then life can trust them with more. In order to move forward, they should first look at their feet and only then direct their gaze into the distance (after all, they may not see the obstacle under their nose, they will stumble, and in the end they will not get anywhere).

Astigmatism

With astigmatism, a person has his own stable view of life, and it is correct for him, and all other opinions are incorrect for him (hence the split in the visual picture: one image is an objective reality, the second is subjective, and their overlap friend does not happen). People with astigmatism need to accept that other points of view are valid and begin to accept them. Astigmatism can also be a signal of fear of actually seeing yourself.

Colorblindness

When a person does not see color/colors it means that the person subconsciously excludes this/these colors from his life for some reason. It is necessary to understand what certain colors symbolize for a person that he has excluded from his life (it is not their generally accepted symbolism that is important, but personal meaning for humans).

When a person confuses similar shades, it means that a person sees his life in polar colors, but does not see shades as nuances of life or does not want to see.

When a person confuses contrasting colors, it means that a person’s life does not have rainbow colors and as if everything in life is one for him.

The situation with diseases differs in children under three years of age. A child under three years of age is psychologically in a strong connection with his mother and does not yet identify himself as a separate person, therefore all diseases in a child under three years of age are maternal diseases.

Those. a child under three years of age expresses through his body (in this case, eye disorders) the problems that his mother has, and if the mother deals with these symptoms as if she were her own and deals with them, the child will no longer need to show the mother’s symptoms.

Conjunctivitis (styre or inflammation of the eyes)

From a psychosomatic point of view, the symptoms of this disease mean that something is happening in a person’s life that causes him irritation, anger, hatred and resentment, and the person does not agree with what is happening (this could be a situation, a person, etc.) and he does not wants to see this annoying factor.

The reasons are not important, the main thing is that the person experiences a feeling of irritation and anger. The stronger negative emotions, - the stronger the inflammation. Your aggression comes back to you and hits you in the eyes. In this case, if a person identifies what factors cause him to feel irritated or angry and deals with these factors (or finally accepts the irritating factors or removes them from his field of vision), the body will not need a symptom of conjunctivitis.

Sometimes the manifestation of schadenfreude and malice can lead to inflammation. After all, what is the evil eye? This is wishing evil on another person. And it will be reflected in your eyes.

Strabismus

When a person sees normally with both eyes, both pictures are synchronously superimposed on one another. With strabismus, a person sees two various paintings, from different angles of view. And his subconscious is forced to choose one. This is how a one-sided view of things is formed.

Multiple strabismus in a child means that he sees contradictory messages from his parents. For example, when a mother wants one thing from a child, and a father wants another, and when the parents are of equal importance to the child, i.e. he cannot prioritize between mom and dad, a situation occurs when the child does not know who to listen to, and his eyes literally diverge.

Convergent strabismus. In contrast to multilateral strabismus, the cause of convergent strabismus is the child receiving contradictory messages from caregivers of the same sex (for example, mother and grandmother) and the child also cannot set priorities, and therefore physical level the above psychological “distress” can be expressed in the convergence of the eyes to one point.

Strabismus in adults means that a person looks with one eye into real reality, and with the other either into an “illusory reality” or into some “other world”. In this case, I put an esoteric meaning into the concept of “another world”. Strabismus in adults means fear of looking into the present right here and now.

Glaucoma

With glaucoma, intraocular pressure increases and severe pain appears in the eyeball. It literally becomes painful to see. A person is pressured by old grievances against people, against fate, some kind of heartache, he does not forgive the wounds inflicted on him in the past. By stubbornly refusing to forgive, you only hurt yourself.

Glaucoma signals to a person that he is subjecting himself to severe internal pressure. Blocks out his feelings. In this case, it is very important to learn to express your emotions and give vent to your feelings. This disease is always associated with sadness. If glaucoma is accompanied by headache, this means that the process is underway increasing this very sadness.

Congenital glaucoma - the mother had to endure a lot of sadness during pregnancy. She was greatly offended, but she gritted her teeth and endured everything, but she cannot forgive. Sadness lived in her even before pregnancy, and during it she attracted injustice, from which she suffered and became vengeful. She attracted to her a child with an identical mindset, whose debt of karma was given the opportunity to be redeemed. Congenital glaucoma means being overwhelmed and overwhelmed by these feelings.

Cataract

Inability to look forward with joy. The future is covered in darkness. Why do cataracts usually occur in older people? Because they do not see anything joyful in their future. It is "foggy". What awaits us there, in our future? Old age, illness and death (so they think). Yes, there seems to be nothing to be happy about. This is how we program ourselves in advance for suffering at this age. But our old age and our departure from this world, like everything else, depend only on ourselves, on the thoughts and moods with which we meet them.

Dry eyes

Refusal to see, to experience the feeling of love. I would rather die than forgive. A malicious, sarcastic, unfriendly person. Loss of vision

The emergence in memory and replaying of only bad events.

Vision loss caused by aging is a reluctance to see the annoying little things in life. An old person wants to see the great things that have been done or achieved in life. If he does not understand that life begins with little things, which are just as important as the big things, since one cannot exist without the other, and he begins to hate these little things, then they will begin to annoy him more and more. Although vision deteriorates so that a person cannot see small things, as he would like, the person does not like it. He doesn’t want to see little things, but for some reason he puts on glasses so that he can see them. Anger contributes to increasingly weakening of vision. Anyone who stops wasting themselves on trifles, appreciating time in old age, can wear glasses of the same optical power for decades. And if an old person stops paying attention to the little things in life, because he feels that they have lost their meaning for him, then his vision begins to improve. What is change? Yes, everything that is of little importance to you.

Olga is 29 years old: she is a good restaurant marketer and recently moved from cold Yekaterinburg to Krasnodar, where she lives with her husband, little daughter and bearded miniature schnauzer. A white cloud swirls in the pupil of her right eye - a sign that the eye is blind. 11 years ago, an ophthalmologist gave her an unsuccessful injection, and, as if nothing had happened, continues to work in her profession. The girl says: “I am not mine dead eye”, but is still unable to drive and faces daily difficulties that could have been avoided. In the section " Personal experience» The Village tells the story of medical error, of which anyone can become a victim, is about acceptance, overcoming and impunity.

Error

In the spring of 2007, Olya and her mother went to a private clinic in Yekaterinburg to pick up glasses. The girl read a lot, but she had no problems other than progressive myopia. “It was only necessary to measure visual acuity and write a prescription, but at the appointment the doctor threw up his hands: horror, nightmare, the retina is starting to peel off, everything is very bad, urgently prescribe a therapeutic course,” she says. - The course cost a lot of money at that time - about 10 thousand rubles, but we immediately agreed. It was difficult to find the necessary and rare drug, which was sold only in one pharmacy. For the next ten days, I went to the doctor for magnetic laser therapy and very painful injections, which are placed in the outer corner of the eye, in the orbital socket.”

The injections chosen and administered by the doctor are called parabulbar. During this procedure, a needle is inserted into the retina around the eyeball almost a centimeter - this is painful and very risky. Later it turns out that only highly qualified specialists have the right to carry out such a procedure, and only in case of emergency. The doctor had no such right - and, as it turned out, no need either.

“For ten days nothing changed or happened except pain and bruises under the eyes. And suddenly, on the tenth day, there was a sharp pain all over my head, and my eyes went blind. The doctor obviously panicked, but still gave an injection in the second eye and said that I was nervous and this was a spasm: I need to calm down and go home,” Olya recalls. - I still remember this sunny Saturday. I go home and warn my mother not to be scared - my eye is temporarily blind. But by evening it didn’t get better, and by Monday too. I went to see a doctor, and then a two-week marathon of my confusion and human meanness began.”

The doctor sent the girl from the Preobrazhenskaya Clinic to the Department of Eye Diseases of the Ural Medical Academy, to the state clinical center - his colleagues examined the patient, took the money and shrugged. Olga called the doctor every day, but for two weeks no one could diagnose her. Until, finally, her sister took her to a doctor she knew in an ordinary city hospital, where, in a shabby office, using antediluvian equipment, an ophthalmologist routinely diagnosed her with optic nerve atrophy. Both the attending physician and his colleagues, as it turned out, knew right away that the blind eye would never see again.

The optic nerve is the channel through which the image that enters the retina is transmitted to the brain. There these signals turn into a picture. If its nutrition is disrupted for some reason, the nerve gradually dies and can no longer normally transmit signals from the retina to the brain. “The doctor basically pierced my eye. The drug, which was supposed to get into the muscle area, got into the vitreous body of the eye. It heals the muscle, but causes a toxic shock on the vitreous body, which has already led to blindness. It turns out that if the doctor had evaporated it right away, the consequences would not have been so terrible,” says Olya.

Disability here must be confirmed every year - and I find this humiliating. Indeed, what if in 365 days I grow a new eye or, say, a leg?

Blindness

“In the first year after the incident, I could still count the number of fingers on an outstretched arm - I still had objective vision. Now with my right eye I can only distinguish between light and darkness, and I can understand what color the beam is if it is saturated: yellow, red, orange or green. I do not distinguish the dark shades of the spectrum. I have minus nine on my left eye.

A few days after the diagnosis, I started crying uncontrollably for days on end because I suddenly realized what was happening. What the eye cannot see. That your usual field of vision is no longer there, and you suddenly hit your head against walls and pillars when you walk your usual route. To feel it, close one eye. Over time you adapt to this, but I did not learn to live with such vision right away.

One day I was walking home at dusk and had two intersections to go when I rubbed my eye and lost the lens. It’s dark, there are cars, and the traffic light doesn’t work - but I can’t see how far away these cars are, and there’s no one around. I don’t know how much time passed while I was sobbing from helplessness, but in the end I clung to a group of people crossing the road. After this story, I clearly understood that there is no need to moan - even completely blind people do not complain, but learn to walk with a stick.

It can be annoying and inconvenient not to see things that everyone sees - this happens in bright light, then I have especially poor eyesight. I didn’t pass my license because they don’t issue licenses to visually impaired people: the ophthalmologist won’t write out a report and won’t let me go through a medical examination. I know how to drive a car, but I would never get into heavy traffic - while in normal life I can turn my head to look at something better, then on the road I risk simply not being able to make it in time. When I was expecting my daughter, the doctors insisted on caesarean section- the risk of losing my vision completely was too great; I gave birth naturally.

I also have a problem that many girls will understand - doing the same makeup. To apply makeup to your eyelid, you need to close your eye. And when I close my only sighted eye to apply makeup, I really do it blindly. It turns out that I do my makeup from memory. Eyebrows are no easier - you have to take off your glasses to do them, and very often I leave the house with different eyebrows.

Despite all the difficulties, ten years ago my mother and I consulted and decided that being disabled at 19 years old was unnecessary. Firstly, in our country, unfortunately, this concept is terribly stigmatized. Secondly, disability here must be confirmed every year - and I find this humiliating. Indeed, what if in 365 days I grow a new eye or, say, a leg?”

Doctor

“During the ten days that I came to the doctor for procedures, and each time spent about 30 minutes in his office, we developed some friendly relations. A grown man, very similar to my dad, and suddenly, when he hurts me, he doesn’t call me and ask for forgiveness, but sends me to his colleagues, persuading me not to give me a conclusion, and goes on the defensive. In response to the lawsuit, he wrote that the patient did not follow the recommendations, did not show up for examinations, disappeared, and her eye was probably pierced somewhere in the alley.

Ten years ago in Russia it was very difficult to prove the guilt of doctors; widespread practice simply did not exist. My mother got me a referral to Moscow, to the Helmoholtz Institute of Eye Diseases, where they confirmed the diagnosis and informed me that the doctor could correct his mistake: the vision would not be completely preserved, but part of it would remain. They also said that my retina was in perfect condition - no treatment was required. I went to get used to this idea, and six months later I filed a lawsuit against the clinic. An experienced medical lawyer helped the case, but at the first instance, in the Kirovsky District Court of Yekaterinburg, we were denied. Mom wanted to fight, but I refused - it wouldn’t have given me back my sight, but we would have spent a lot of money.

Two years later, a cataract began to develop on my blind eye. When the eye does not receive enough nutrition, the muscles weaken and the eye begins to move out of orbit. In a defocused pupil, protein degradation begins: it turns white and turns into a thorn. It all started with a small cloudy dot, which quickly occupied the entire pupil, and the eye began to look squinty. I again visited the Helmholtz Institute, where I underwent laser coagulation of cataracts - they stopped the inflammatory process. After that, I wanted to look with my floating eye into the eyes of the doctor - the same one.

I found a commercial clinic - another one, where he still works. No, I didn’t want to gouge out his eye, just because of the surging emotions I decided to see how he would react to me. But they quickly called me back from the reception and informed me that the doctor would see me only in the presence of the head of the department and at a completely inconvenient time for me. I freaked out and the meeting didn’t take place.”

I understand that my vision will decline from year to year. When I started thinking about what jobs blind people do, I went and completed several massage courses

Acceptance

I formulate my attitude towards what happened with a joke: “Oh my God, you lost your eye in the war, how are you living? “Nonsense, a scratch, the generous gods gave me a second one!” The main thing I learned is that while you are alive, you can adapt to everything, another thing is how you will pass this exam. I'm an ordinary young woman with everything ahead, I just don't have a spare eye anymore. We are so obsessed with the physical, with appearance, we are so afraid of not being like that: slanted, with an imperfect body and an incorrect bite, that we don’t notice that everything is like that with us, everything is fine.

Perhaps my eye will dry out and shrink in its orbit - such degenerative processes are possible. The eye is removed and an implant is placed in its place. I will be like God alone. I also understand that my vision will decline from year to year. When I started thinking about what jobs blind people do, I went and completed several massage courses. While I lived in Yekaterinburg, I developed a large client base, and people said that my hands really heal. Perhaps this is a consequence of deteriorating vision - the brain has a great compensatory force, and I noticed how over time my sense of smell improved and my tactile sensations became more acute.

My peculiarity is noticeable, but I surround myself with tactful people who pretend that everything is in order. When on the third date I told my future husband about blindness, he simply asked: “So what?”, and the conversation stopped there. When my eight-year-old nephew asked what was wrong with his eye, I answered in a menacing voice that I could see everything he had done in the past. The only time I was deliberately offended happened on Instagram: I criticized the post of a female photographer I knew, and she reminded me that I was askew.

I tell my friends my story so that they never go to the doctor who harmed me. Although some are still treated by him, and seem to apologize: “Well, it happened by accident.”

Often, eye injury leads to partial or complete loss of vision, and sometimes even the eyeball itself.
This puts the victim and the people around him in new conditions. The suddenness of vision loss at working age only increases the difficulties of adaptation.
A person and his loved ones are bombarded with a whole range of experiences:

• fear of the future associated with changes in working ability, family and social status
• resentment towards fate, blaming oneself and others for the current situation
• depression, irritation, despair
• decreased self-esteem
• the need to give up a number of habits and values

According to psychologists, a person who has lost his sight is frightened not by the fact of blindness itself, but by the need to live and interact with the “world of the sighted.” Difficulty in communication, distortion of needs and interests, inconsistency with one’s previous social role gives rise to a feeling of one’s own inferiority. Life is suddenly divided into “before” and “after”. Many subconsciously isolate themselves from others, refusing to accept new circumstances, preferring to live in the past and, thus, leaving themselves without a future.

Types of defensive reactions

• isolation, withdrawal into the inner world
• waiver of the right to choice, responsibility
• infantilism, adoption of a position of dependence on others
• stubbornness, aggression, denial of any help
• indifference to oneself and/or surrounding people and events
• selfishness, manipulation of others

The victim’s relatives are no less tested, tormented by the same questions, fears and worries. The two most common and fundamentally incorrect types of reaction to the loss of vision of a loved one:

• excessive care, pity
• avoidance, lack of attention, refusal to acknowledge the fact of vision loss

The main reasons for these diametrically opposed reactions are similar: ignorance of the psychology and capabilities of people with low vision and the blind, a subconscious, unreasonable feeling of guilt for the preservation of their vision, ideas about those who have lost their sight as unfortunate, not adapted to life, inferior people.
It takes great tact and courage to cope with what happened, to continue living and developing further. The process of psychological adaptation and the possibility of rehabilitation in psychological, biological and social terms largely depend on the attitude towards injury.

Psychological assistance

Professional psychological assistance is necessary equally for both the victim and his relatives.

Professional psychological help is necessary equally for both the victim and his loved ones.
Important:

• Accept the fact of partial or complete loss of vision
• Realize the consequences, adequately assess your capabilities
• Actively search for socially significant areas of activity that allow the victim’s abilities to be most fully demonstrated (art, teaching, organizational activities, service sector, etc.)
• Create positive motivation and attitudes among the victim and those around him
• Discuss your fears, experiences, expectations and plans for the future

Only mutual support, timely professional psychological and medical care, as well as the desire to move forward while maintaining an increasing quality of life - the main wealth we have - will allow you and your loved ones to overcome the consequences of injury.

Where can I go?

ALL-RUSSIAN SOCIETY OF THE BLIND – protection of the rights and interests of the visually impaired, assistance in employment.
OCULAR PROSTHETICS CENTER – the ability to manufacture and individually select prostheses with maximum cosmetic effect.
MIRROR SPIRAL STRESS MANAGEMENT CENTER – Change emotional response, psychological support.