Having tricks of vision is most definitely an anxiety symptom. The type of tricks vary but generally speaking they involve blurry vision, tunnel vision, and just plain thinking you saw something when there was nothing there.
Most of this can be chalked up to stress. Stress was not named the silent killer because it just sounds good. Overtime stress can take a real serious toll on you psychologically and physically. Now when stress and anxiety join forces is when you may encounter a problem with respect to your vision.
I want to keep this basic so I will simply say that if you are having vision problems because of your anxiety it is mainly tied to fatigue, muscle tension, and the excessive production of adrenaline.
Chronic stress (because of ongoing anxiety) leads to an over production of adrenaline. This has several potentially nasty effects on the body but of importance to us is the fact that it can increase intraocular pressure. And although the elevation of intraocular pressure may not be significant it can cause blurry vision.
Tunnel vision is also related to the excessive production of adrenaline. One of the bodies mechanisms most clearly tied to anxiety is the fight or flight response. Among other things, this bodily reaction pumps adrenaline into the blood stream which may temporarily cause tunnel vision.
In life or death situations tunnel vision can be a life saver (literally) because it brings focus to the task at hand. However, if you’re sitting on your lazy boy and having a panic attack the benefit is lost.
In addition to blurred or tunneled vision you may have also experienced peripheral vision tricks. That is, you thought you saw something from the corner of your eye when nothing was there. This is one that can be related to lots of things, but in my view it happens to all people.
It may however happen more to anxious people because they are hypersensitive to their surroundings and also anticipate things all the time. Being cranked up on adrenaline can also make you jumpy and super aware of gleams of light, shadows, and even slight variation in wind velocity. In other words, don’t worry so much about this one.
In terms of seeing spots of light and wiggle worms (floaters), this is probably due to an actual vision problem. Please remember that if you are experiencing new or different vision problems to speak with an optometrist so you can obtain a proper evaluation. You know what happens when you assume things.
This is by far not an exhaustive list of things that can go wrong with your anxiety driven vision problem. Indeed, you may have dealt with some very strange vision problems before as a result of being anxious. And that is my main message to you.
Anxiety can do seemingly everything when it comes to our bodies. It can strain muscles, temporarily raise blood pressure, create tension and many other things that can affect vision. So once more let me be the one to verify for you that you’re not crazy. This stuff does happen to anxiety sufferers.
I’ve had my eyes tested as well as had a CT Scan and everything comes up fine…I am attributing this to my anxiety…therapy is not really working…
What do all you guys do for anxiety.. Do you guys know anything to take or do to fight anxiety?
Anxiety Guru, you mention “address your anxiety.” how would you suggest that?
Hi Ash, there are many ways to address your anxiety, such as therapy, medication, self-help, excercise, certain supplements and so forth. There is no one way. The important thing is that you choose what works for you and stick to it.
Many times people with anxiety dabble with solutions but never get serious about resolving their anxiety problem. This is unfortunate because like I said there is a lot that can be done to bring this under control.
Hope that helps.
Hello, I understand the feeling. I have dealt w anxity since age 19, I am now 28. I KNOW we can be rid of this as my attacks totally went away for a few years until our infant daughter passed away! Now the symptoms are way worse than they used to be.
I thought I had anxiety about driving or riding in a car but notice if I look downward I am fine, I think my eyes try to hard to focus. I am going to the eye dr this weekend and hoping this helps the issue as far as driving.
I do have GAD but will NOT medicate myself as there are more deaths from meds than from actual anxiety.
Hi guys, i started getting major anxiety 2 months ago, about a month ago my vision started changing as well. after plenty of research i came across a term called derealization which is similar to what your all talking about. it’s honestly like living in a nightmare. after research i’ve discovered that this symptom is tied to anxiety. worrying about it just makes it worse. i don’t know if this helps but i just thought i’d give my opinion because i know what it feels like to feel all alone..
hi guys ive been struggeling with my eyes for around a year and a half now ive had eye tests also ive been to see a neurolagest she said i was fine ive now managed to be refered to have an mri scan to see what the problem is my eyes are constantly blured and also fuzzy its a constant worry as i have a 15 mounth old son and life will be a worry untill i know whats up with me i have consatant headache i just want to know if it my nerves or maybe something worst ? all i can think of is would my eyes be having these problems constantly when im not always anxius would love to hear peoples veiews
Hi, I just want to add on here that I also have blurred vision issues but this didn’t start until I came off of Klonopin for my anxiety (about 1 month after completely off of it). I saw an neuro-opthamologist 1 year ago and it looks like I suffer from an issue with “square wave jerk” so that I can’t properly focus on things, especially looking out a moving vehicle. Because of this I can’t drive (now not just because of my anxiety, but because I can’t see well enough!) or read for longer than about 1 minute. All of this makes my anxiety even worse.
The neuro-opthamologist said the square wave jerk problem should go away over time but it has been 1 year now and I still suffer from this and nothing has shown improvement. I will be seeing him again next week so I hope he will have some advice or something to help me! I am worried I might have brain damage from Klonopin but it might just be linked to my stress and anxiety.
Whew, this made me feel better. I was driving and kept getting lost and I got so frustrated my anxiety level was going through the roof. Just as I finally found the place I was going to and started to pull into the parking space, my vision suddenly got blurry. It only lasted about 30 seconds or so, but it was really weird.
thanks for this paul. 🙂 old time reader here, having anxiety issues again. just googled about this as i’ve been having some spots and vision issues and wondered if it was the anxiety. nice to find you right at the top of my search results. hopefully this will help me relax about this so i can accept my anxiety away. thank you again!
Hello cori w – I have been living with varing degrees of anxiety for about a year, and vision issues are one of the major symptoms that seem to keep me anxious. I have had a vast array of medical tests to rule out something serious – CT Scan, MRI, stress test, Opthomologist, etc. The Opthomologist told me that my spots are nothing more than eye “floaters” which are totally harmless for me. He said I have had them for years, but that for some reason my brain has decided to start seeing them. I know the reason – anxiety and nothing more. He also said that in time my brain will retrain itself to ignore them. Some days I don’t notice them at all (usually when I’m relaxed), and some days they make me crazy.
I also have some surreal vision during anxious periods that I used to describe as blurry or being dizzy. I have come to realize that what I am actually experiencing is derealization. It has never made me unable to function or drive, but it certainly isn’t pleasant. It does however make me even more anxious and that seems to make the derealization more intense. A vicious cycle.
What I have learned, at a great expense to my insurance company, is that there is nothing wrong with my eyes, body, or brain. I have some inappropriate anxiety that causes me to experience vision tricks. At times I feel like I can’t bear to take another minute of it and that I’ll crawl out of my skin. But when I find myself calmly accepting the vision tricks I realize that they are not dangerous to me at all. It is at these times that I feel the most hope and see that the real solution to anxiety is calm acceptance. I am trying how to figure out how to do it more consistently. Hope this helps.
hey..
i am 16 years old and i have been suffering from anxiety for the past 2 months now . and i always have this feeling that im gonna die soon and i even stopped going to school because my anxiety became more and i get alot of panic attacks and i went to alot of doctors checking up on me and they said i am okay .. i started taking inderal 10mg it helped for a bit but now its even worse i have blurred vision and its hard to concentrate on anything . and when i sleep and wake up i feel like someone was breaking my bones while me sleeping . i am really suffering and im always tired .. depressed .. confused , muscle craps , and i think alot about it .. i just dont know what to do because i think my life is actually over . please i need help thanks!
I’m Paul 19 years old i experienced similar to what they mentioned above, like i feel that like I’m going crazy, palcipatating of heart, i have blurred vision, i even use eye glasses….and most of all thinking that im goin to die…i even go to doctors. take herbal medecine and etc.
please i need a help….there something in myself that iwant to find but icant…i want to live but i hate please help me… contact me ashlymontenegro@yahoo.com(my yahoomail}099993760179 my cell number…
to those who have anxiety please contact me let share our problem no one will understand us but we who already has,,,i know it can help us alot to regain our strenth.
paul…
I have had anxiety for 4 yrs now. I’ve had all the symptoms from having chest pains (thinking I was having a heart attack) stomach pains, to now my vision. Which has been going on for almost 2 yrs now. My vision seems to looking like it shimmering/vibrating. Its gets really bad when looking at patterns for lines. I’ve noticed the more anxious I am or the more I think about it the worse it is. This is a everyday thing. I’m scared that something is wrong with my brain. Does anyone else experience this?
Hey,
I’m not a doctor or anything but dealing w/ anxiety…I’ve been dealing w/ it too and basically I think it comes all down to stress. Just try not to stress about everything. Stress is the leading cause of anxiety. Remember, I’m not a doctor, this is just from personal experience of going through it. You know what I do? Go hang out w/ friends, grab a drink, and let loose and have fun. Do not stay cooped up at home avoiding your friends, they’re the ones that can help you.
I’ve been having problems lately and still trying to figure out what it is. Can anxiety cause constant thinking to yourself? At first it was kind of to put positive thoughts in my head to tell myself id be okay and now its bad mostly when I try to sleep, I think to myself so much it can keep me up, can that be a sign of anxiety or a different mental problem?
@ Jessica
I do the same, I’ve always been like that though. I wish I couldn’t think to myself so much all the time but it’s mostly when I’m sitting infront of my pc desk at work for hours on end. Whose to know that’s not normal though? I just try to accept it and accept it as normal. I can’t change it and I chalk it up to just lack of concentration.
@ Honda (16 Years Old),
Hang in their. I had anxiety for years. I suspect that I feel the same way you do, as I just finished college and am getting slapped with reality. I also had an alcohol and cannabis problem. I am clean and sober now. I also removed caffeine from this equation. I currently suffer from difficulty focusing, blank and confused mind, hot and cold flushes, heart palpitations, mild head sensations, dizziness, and blurred vision. Caffeine can be devastating to your health. If you drink caffeinated beverages, I would recommend reducing your consumption. This would include energy drinks, sodas, coffee, teas, etc. Also, your developmental stage is another factor. You may be going through some extreme life changes that may be exacerbating your anxiety. This is normal, however uncomfortable it may be. Here are some things you can do to relax:
Meditate (Applications for this on smart phones and internet)
Exercise (15 minute walk 1x’s/Day, Jogging, Treadmill, Etc.)
Yoga (Instructions found online, Books, Videos, C.D.’s)
Mindfulness, Emotion Recognition, etc. (Self-Help Books,) A WORD OF CAUTION: If you have past trauma, a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist should be consulted, before engaging in self-help.
I hope this helps.
🙂
this week i kept having slight blurred vision but it would correct itself. When on my way home from work yesterday, my vision in the car was so blurred, i barely made it home. I wasnt sure if it was my vision or something much more serious. Once I got home, I rested and my vision seemed to improve, and now this morning, i realize, it too is due to stress and anxiety. WOW… so relieved, and such a reminder that i need to change my life, because what I am doing now is certainly slowly but surely going to kill me if I do not address my “issues”. My body does not handle stress well, and I need to get a new job, find time to exercise, and maybe seek counseling. (last year, I was told by my dentist that gum disease is also worse with stress and anxiety).
I agree with several of the ppl on here yes stress can cause anxiety But it is also a chemical inbalance in the brain I have been suffering with anxiety for what seems like forever i believe with the shape the world is in sure doesnt help on bit.Ive been on medication and it helps take the edge off but when im under alot of stress the medication doesnt seemm to work as well….what can i say but just hang in there and just remind yourself that its just anxiety and it will soon pass .
For several years now when I get extreme anxiety it affects my eyes and vision. Am wanting to know if anyone else has this problem and is there anything I can do to calm myself down enough to correct this.
@claudia
after extreme anxiety, it affects my whole system, especially my vision and I get a bit paranoid. it takes like a week or 2 weeks to get over it. exercising and doing stuff i enjoy helps me get over it faster
so glad i found this site. i have suffered from anxiety for 6 years and recently since im completly off the ssri’s that messed me up i notice some vision problems expecially under artificial lighting, just like the tunnel vision i have read about. cant fugure out of its the anxiety triggering the vision problems or vice versa. Still going to check in with the eye doctor though.
Reading this has put my mind at ease majorly!!!I have been dealing with anxiety and Panic Disorder for the past 8-9 years. I do really well for awhile then have relapes. Like last fall I drove myself and my 3 boys down to the beach in NC, now I have issues just driving to Walmart and getting my groceries!!! My focus on bodily things tends to shift(((one month it could be my heartrate, my vision, my breathing,etc)) but I always come back to the vision. As I have issues being in stores with bright lights, I always feel like its messing with me, that therefore throws me into an attack!!! Keep in mind I have been to an eye doc and do have astigmatism, and wear my glasses 50% more than I actually have to just because of the visual disturbances!Also been to the doc and had tons of bloodwork, and guess what…I`m healthy! Just knowing my anxiety can be and probably is the main factor behind my vision issues,has helped me relax ALOT! So thank you!!!!!!!! 🙂
I too have anxiety (hypochondria) and have been suffering with severe negative afterimages since my panic attack last year over the summer.
I have been to see and optometrist and apparantely all is well.
I was wondering, does anyone else get these? Also, increased sensitivity to light? Eg. camera flashes – I still see the bright flash as loads of green/blue blobs for about 5 minutes after its flashed but it’s the negative afterimages that are really bothering me.
If you don’t know what I mean, if I look at something red and then look away at the wall I see the same thing I’ve looked at but in green. (Green is the opposite of red) And it also happens with blue, yellow and pretty much most bright colours.
I know this isn’t normal as I haven’t always experienced it – only since my severe health anxiety started (and later anxiety induced depression followed).
I am going to see a counsellor/therapist about all my problems hoping it’s just anxiety that’s the issue as no one can find anything physically wrong with me.
But does anyone else have any experience with this mysterious field?
Any advice on what to do would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Nads – I have experienced both the negative afterimages and the light sensitivity you mention along with a few other very odd vision sensations. My eyes have been completely checked by an Opthomologist and were found to be fine. I do have eye floaters, and they can be quite bothersome in certain light conditions, but they are harmless.
What I think is very improtant to mention is that during days when I’m not feeling abnormally anxious, I don’t notice any of the strange vision sensations. This is usually when I’m fully engaged in something that requires all of my attention. I am well on the road to full recovery from abnormal anxiety. I have relapse periods when the old anxiety feelings flash back, but I realize that the intensity isn’t anywhere as strong as it used to be. The vision tricks always follow closely behind these relapses, and the more I focus on them the worse they become. I am now, however, at a point where even these visiual disturbances don’t derail my grip on normal living. Paul gives sound advice on acceptance, and it has taken me to a much better place in my life – vision difficulties and all.
I have come to realize that when we are abnormally anxious, our bodies can create all kinds of odd sensations. Accept it all and move on. Life is too vaulable to spend worrying about odd sensations.
Hope you find some comfort.
@Betty your anxiety sounds a lot like mine. I have issues with driving on highways and sometimes being in store. I also have astigmatism and am currently having vertigo when I read or shop. I just got my first pair of glasses hoping that would help but I am still having vertigo. I hope once my vision and vertigo os under control that it will help ease my anxiety all together. I am wondering if a lot of it was caused from my astigmatism to begin with. I made an appointment to get acupuncture done next week in hopes that that will help as well! Has wnyone tried that route??
I have a history of anxiety disorder since ’94. The initial symptoms were panic attacks that include racing heart, difficulty breathing, esophagus tightening sensation. Without medicine, I was able to overcome it in about 5 months. Since then I have some minor flare ups. Then it hits again in 2007 and the symptoms were different, no panic attacks since ’95, but then I was having racing thoughts from time to time during the day, and when I listen to music, the music would be repeating itself in my head. Then it went away about 3 months.
Then recently it came back again, this time is dizziness, blurry vision and brain freeze sensation. Last year I was diagnosed as having a benign tumor growth in my left inner ear. After visiting several specialists, it was concluded that it would probably cause me to have a feeling of imbalance from time to time, but they’re not sure if it’ll cause constant dizziness like I have now. Therefore I’m attributing the dizziness as my anxiety disorder coming back.
I have tried acupuncture, it does help in a way, but only temporarily. I noticed that right after the acupuncture session is when I feel the best, full of energy and the dizziness is gone. But after 30 minutes to an hour, it came back.
I also have my body and eye checked, everything turned out to be fine. Constant worrying as a result of anxiety disorder is the biggest enemy. It’s best to move on and look at things positively. I still have dizziness and at times I must admit it bothers me emotionally, I still got to get on with my life.
I’ve recently started writing a blog https://anxietyempowered.blogspot.com/
and I hope people will come to read and share their experiences. To me, sharing and support is the best medicine. By the way, except taking Xanax back in ’94 for a couple time, I have not taking any meds because I think it does more harm than good.
@Crystal reading your comment is like listening to myself talk. I have bee experiencing anxiety like symptoms for the last few months, feel faint, heart palpations which my docs tag as “tarchycardia”, dizziness, vision problems, weakness and sometimes afraid to drive. And also, with my vision things seemed to bright. When go into stores the light really bothered my eyes things just didnt seem right or to bright like it had a glare. Lime you, sometimes if something looked to bright I would feel like I was going to pass out or my eyes would go dim trying to adjust. It also scares me and then I have real anxiety over it and I go home. In addition, It bothers me looking at the computer screen for very long an I get dizzy and my eyes hurt an I have to strain them. It also bothers me sitting in my house with the lights on. I have been taking (1) B-12 sublinguial for the last few months. After reading your comment I decided to have my doc add a B-12 test to the series of urine and blood tests I am currently undergoing. I will keep you guys up with the results.
@Mickey Hello your symptoms sound very similar to how I was. Im sorry your going through all that its very scary and its hard to do any shopping or trying to drive when you feel like that. When you feel like that it can cause real anxiety but I dont just pawn it all off on anxiety thats what so frusterating when doctors try to say its just anxiety and everything else is ok. When I first starting haveing all those symptoms I went to several doctors they couldnt ever find anything but that was because they werent checking my vitimins. My b12 and vitimin D was real low and my gallbladder wasnt functioning properly. They think my stomach problems were what caused my vitimin b12 to get low. I had to get b12 shots every 2 weeks at first. I slowly started getting better. After I had my gallbladder removed I switched to the b12 pills sublinguial. I dont really have vistion problems anymore and my anxiety isent bad at all. I will randomly feel slightly tired and dizzy or have random heart palpations but the b12 seems to help with that and the doctors never could find anything wrong with my heart. I went to my doctor over a week ago because my stomach still isent 100% better and I randomly get leg cramps, feel tired, a lil dizzy and heart palpations randomly. She did blood work and a urine test. To check my stomach and checked all my vitimins again since its been over a year. Im going back to my doctor this Thursday to find out how my lab results turned out. If they cant find anything I will probably have to go to another Gasterologist but I dont think that would explain why I still get tired, leg cramps, and random heart palpations. I sometimes still take b12 but not constantly dont feel like I always need it. If I take a muli vitimin it seems to help with the leg cramps but it kind of bothers my stomach. Its like a no win situation. I hope the doctors figure out whats causeing all these symptoms for the both of us. Keep me posted on what you find out from your doctor. Best of luck!
I have had anxiety since I was a little girl. I was on medication for many years and then once I went off of it my vision changed. Things vibrated…..sensitive to light, night vision feels weird. Then I went back on the meds and it went away only to get worse when stopping the meds to get pregnant. After the birth of my son my anxiety came back bad, i tried the meds and my vision has changed since. Its sparkly like static and faint after images. I now get migraines which are treated with medicine. I dont know if its the anxiety or the meds. i also have floaters.
I have been having anxiety for the past 3 years I’m only 17 And my symptoms first started out as panic attacks, felt like I couldn’t breath and heart racing. Now 3 years later I have symptoms of head pressure tingly weird feelings in head, visual trails like when I move my hand in front of my face I can see a fuzzy trail behind it almost like seeing the air. I just don’t feel like me I get bouts of depersonalization which that is very scary. My vision at night is very weird like I feel like I’m drugged up high or buzzed. Has anyone else expirienced any of my symptoms I haven’t found anyone that sees visual trails and that scares me. Any advise would help thanks mason godless
I have had GAD / Depression since i was 14 i had a lot of trauma growing up as a child. Now im 22 just had a baby 4 months ago . i did some cocaine with a group of friends about 2 months after giviing birth and i went to bed and when i woke up i had severe panic attacks that would not stop i went to ER they gave me Ativan .. The next morning i woke up i felt strange as if i was still hungover or drunk like feeling.. so i gave it a couple more days and it still never went away ive had a ct scan of the brain seen 2 neurologist my eye surgeon had many blood test everything is fine they say. But i have this CONSTANT state of strange vision as if things dont look right some things are blurry and i feel out of it definetly dont feel like myself .. it sucks cause im trying to take care of my beautiful baby boy and no one has answers for me im scared i dont want to live like this the rest of my life .Can somebody please help me im so devestated!!
Hi Jamie,
I felt compelled to respond to you. When I was 16 I had a bad reaction to extacy…. I had my very first panic attack on it. Within the next few days after I thought it was all over with I started feeling off balance, suffering panic attacks, felt disconnected, and my vision was just OFF. I thought I was sick with the flu, but honestly…. who has ever heard of a flu like that lol. I finally realized the drugs had set me off (depression and anxiety run in my family). It opened a portal so to speak inside my brain. Neurons that fire together wire together. Because I was in such a heightened state of anxiety for such a long time (the length of the roll and then the following days after) my brain wired together that being anxious was normal. I also go so depressed, I wouldn’t leave my bedroom floor. Because everything was so off, I always felt like I was leaning to one side and the floor kept me grounded. I finally decided to try medication and also get a book – overcoming anxiety. It had a work book that you could get too, and I recommend. I worked really hard with the book and taking the medicine and it worked. It brought me out of that hell. Unfortunately for me, I had smoked pot at random times which caused anxiety and set the whole thing off again. Then after some trauma in my life, it came back. I am literally pre wired for this stuff. After stopping my medication to get pregnant, my vision got worse, seeing trails and static, etc. I am not sure if this was from being in the same room with someone smoking pot, because I didn’t touch the stuff for a long long time, or if it was from my anxiety that was triggered from the smell, like PTSD, or going off the meds. So many factors come into play, but after I had my son I had full anxiety and panic. Was feeling weird again, etc. It has been almost 3 years since then and I am a far cry away from how I used to be. I would suggest seeking out a therapist to do CBT and DBT, (look them both up). Stay away from drugs, and those who do them. Any friends who wanted you to do drugs 2 months after you had a baby, I hate to tell you, they are NOT friends!!!! I repeat, they are NOT your friends. Misery loves company!!! I used to do the same stuff and looking back at those friends I had, ain’t none of them my friend anymore and most didn’t get anywhere in life. Focus most of your attention on your baby boy…. you are going to find joy again through him. I felt so disconnected from my son, but it came and he is my saving grace from this hell.
if you want to talk – skimordiegirl@gmail.com
Hang in there,
Candi
Hey Candi thanks for the reply i tried to email you maybe check your junk mail?
I had a panic attack about 3 weeks ago, i was driving on the motorway, it felt like there was a earthquake(neibours were talking about earthquake), my wife was with me, i was talking to her about that day, that there could be an earth quake today, i was not scared, but i was prepared for it, that if it happens, i will park my car to the side. i started telling my wife that there is a earthquake going on, she said everything was fine, then i parked my car on the road side 3 times, and drove to the doctors, they checked me everything was fine. now next day i went to my gp, he gave mee prescription, i took that prescription for 2 nights , then stopped having it , spoke to my brother in india regarding this as he is an yoga instructer. he told me few yoga meditations, i tried it for few day, i was going fine with that, untill i had another panik attack right after 1 weeek, when we went to see a movie, by the end of the movie my breath sort of started getting low, i could hardly breath, rushed to hime, on the way, about a kilometer to home, i had to stop, and let my wife drive the car, i started running, towards home, as i thought my oxygen level was going low, but when i reached home, my oxygen was fine. then again i started getting short of breath, called ambulance, they did my heart scan and blood sugar scan , everything again normal. now after 2-3 days of it , went to work, sort of started feeling that i was having another panik attack, when my collegee who is very very soft spoken , told me that jay you are okay, we all are here for you , you gonna be okay, take a deeep breath, then i could work the whole day. i am not wearing my contacts from that day, as i start to feel num sort of feeling, when nothing is num at all, its only happens when i wear glasses, since that day i leanrt how to control my self, always remember that college saying nothing is wrong with you , you gonna be okay. i can control myself a lot better now, i can drive, i learnt to stay calm. but only problem happening is today i am typing with having my glasses on , and having that num sort empty feeling again. i have been to eye doctor fro an eye exam, but nothing much is wrong with my eyes, i think anxiety gives you fobia about things, we need to fight through them and then we are able to over come, it. for me first it was driving, then going to work, and then wearing glasses. i have overcome driving and work one, but i am fobic with wearing glasses, as it is giing me this weird feeling again. my suggesstion to everyone, don’t give up on things that are making you feel weird, only then you will be able to ovver come them, i am having those pills at night, i go for 1 hour walk, and to keep my sensations calm i eat, every 3 hours. deep breathing had been really helpfull for me to stop attacks. good luck everyone, and to me too, i know this feeling so bad feeling that you can’t explain it to normal person, they tend not to understand you much.
I’m posting this because I’ve had anxiety for a couple months, but today something weird happened. I woke up and in a half asleep sort of state I felt panicked and my vision was sooo weird. Everything seemed darker and hard to look at and I looked out the window and stuff seemed really weird and blurry and hard to see. I know I was half asleep because the way my vision made outside look made me think it was a zombie apocalypse (obviously that’s not awake thoughts). It only lasted a few seconds and then slowly my vision returned to normal but it was soo scary, I’m still scared, don;t know if it was anxiety or health issues. Can’t tell my mom to tell the doc, she’ll get mad.Please reply if you know what’s going on. 🙁
I have had anxiety and panic attacks for 40 years. I realized it was my eyes and found Vision Specialist of Michigan. After being tested I had prisms put into my glasses because of a condition called HYPERPHORIA. The prisms were put in a little at a time until I adjusted to them. In the space of three years my symptoms disappeared. I only left the house in that period of time to only go where I had to go. Hope this helps someone.
Can anxiety cause dry irritated eyes? Like I kind of have the sensation that there is air blowing into my eyes? I have suspected for awhile that this is a symptom of anxiety (I have health anxiety). The more I focus on it the worse it gets. No drops help, allergy, dry eye, etc. It is really annoying and it brings on a lot of panic and anxiety when it starts up!
Your problem is probably your eyes. The condition is called vertical hyperphoria. This is where one eye is higher than the other and causes Agoraphobia. You need prisms put into your glasses. Go to https://www.vsofm.com for more help.
I suffer from anxiety and have found that when you feel anxious just close your eyes and take a deep breathe or drink ice water/milk or hot coffee/chocolate. hope this helps you all
~Cassie~
Hi guys
I have been suffering with anxiety/depression for almost 4 years now.
Lately though my eyes have become “twinkly” or as some of u put it I am seeing “floaters”.
How common is this?
I noticed the other day when arguing that they became really bad and it was almost as if I had tunnel vision.
I have been to the doctors and she tested my vital sighns, checked my ears, eyes etc and said I was fine? Should I push for a CT/MRI scan?
If anyone has any answers could u email me at connahiatt48@googlemail.com
Thanks guys & girls.
Hi Anxiety Guru, I see I left a comment about a year ago. I hope someone here took my advice and went to Vision Specialists of Michigan’s site and are well on their way to a full life. I also hope all of them have read my book “My Silent Disability, by Yolanda Antonino” and have been encouraged that there is a end to all of this. And last I am sure that all of you are reading my blog “agoraphobiawhat.blogspot.com” and can’t believe all the information they have received there. Send me a message. Yolanda
Omg my anxiety has been off the roof. I have been so sensitive to my surroundings it’s almost causing me a feeling of paranoia. I double check to make sure I didn’t see something. Or double check sounds to make sure I’m not hearing things that aren’t there. Normal things you would pay no attention to when your anxiety is low. My current med of Effexor has pooped out or started causing me problems , severe anxiety and withdrawal symptoms without changing the dose. So I’m coming off that now going to Zoloft. Which I’m sure will add to my paranoia for a while. I started to think I was becoming schizophrenic and just waiting for the hallucinations or voices to start. Anxiety sucks.
You are on the right path with your eyes. Your anxiety isn’t doing that to your eyes, your eyes are giving you the anxiety and the panic and the dizziness etc. I have written a book “My Silent Disability” that describes my 40 year journey through severe agoraphobia and what I had to do to get rid of it. Also look at my blog at agoraphobiawhat.blogspot.com. The best, Yolanda
Recommend checking for thyroid issues. Would affect chemical balance and all body systems. Anxiety is a biochemical and physiological response that can be linked to stress, but can also have genuine metabolic triggers. Keep a log. There may be food intolerances involved. The other thing to consider is viral issurs such as herpes. Both herpes and thyroid issues are known to cause vision problems in some cases. Nutrition is a huge factor. Physioligical anxiety, including palpitations, is linked to blood sugar, anemia, etc. Lazt but not least, hormonal triggets are involved. Another factor csn be a genetic issue like celiac disease. Undiagnosed genetic issues can cause almost all the symptoms described.
Please consider thyroid issues in reference to both anxiety anf vision problems. Bkth genetics and nutrition can play a factor. Anxiety is physiological and biochemical. Stress csn refer to oxidative stress snd metabolic stress, not just emotionsl stress environmental toxins, nutritional imbalances, genetics, such ad celisc disease, or blood sugar imbalances, .can all be involved.
my 16 year old daughter has severe vision issues. She has seen 3 neuro ologists 3 opthomologist ( Harvard medical, Boston children’s and every other test none to man. in the past year and half we have seen 17 doctors and all we have heard is maybe it is stress. She was on cymbalta for. RSD / Crps which was fine for awhile. They added amtryptline which made her feel as though things were moving. Stopped that got better . a month later vision gone again and we started celebrating. no vision changed ( still blurry to the point of a cane needed) for 5 months. was told to try noratryptline that made her vision go to now she feels if everything is moving as well as her. Promptly stopped that. So hear we are 6 months later now in a wheelchair and no answers. She can’t read, can’t write can only read letters on a white board if 12 inches or bigger or on a i touch. She has no depth perception at all. Help,
i am 21 years old .i was suffering from writer’s cramp.i consulted a nueo-rophysician for this and he gave me tablets for a month. after that i had stomach problem parallel to this like gas and acidity. i thought it may be some sideffect of medicines so i again visited doctor. he felt that i was suffering from anxiety as i was little bit of scared.
so,after this he started giving me tablets of anxiety but i didn’t continue it for longer time.further i consulted a physician ,he told me that i am suffering from a GAS problem inside stomach thats why i feel uncomfortable in vision.but i don’t feel any change.my problem was constant.
i started yoga and exercise which improved my writing but visual problem is still there.i am really very confused i can’t explain what is the exact problem with my vision.i can see everything cleary but some uncomfortable feeling like feeling tired like vision is there.
i feel very uncomfortable and irritating at noon. some times there is pain on upper portion of my eye.
please give me solution of this ,i am really tired with this.
I really don’t feel like my anxiety is normal, and it makes me more anxious. I just feel like I focus on my eyes 24/7 and I know that there is nothing wrong with my vision, its just like an OCD that makes me concentrate on my eyes. Now I cant even watch tv because every time I watch something i feel like im focusing on my eyes instead of paying attention of what Im watching and it makes me really anxious and sad. I sometimes which that I would hit my head so hard that it would erase that Idea of memory from my mind. I dont feel normal, I cant do anything, the feeling is there all the time. Basically, i just feel like sleeping all the time because im afraid of opening my eyes and feeling this pressure…
Good news. Anxiety makes you feel like your dying or going crazy, but the reality is neither are happening. Blurry eyes cure………
1. Close eye
2. Picture you are on a boat far off the shore and are looking through a telescope. Keep closed eyes.
3. Focus on a hard to see object on the land for one minute. Pretend you are using the telescope to see the person from the distance. Really strain to see. Keep eyes closed.
4. Open eyes….fixed. only temporarily but it will get your eyes to dilate appropriately again
I am not sure if anyone can help me with an answer.
I had a huge panic attack about 2 years ago, went for a run and went to bed. I woke up the next day with a major Headache, and 3 dots in my right eye and one in my left.. these dots are like a flash from a camera has gone off and left me with those dots. But they do not move, or change…
I have had MRIs of my brain, my optical nerves and CT scans of my brain and macular. nothing was wrong with any of them.. My optical nerves are symmetrical and there is not a physical problem with my brain or the nerves or my eyes that anyone can see..
No one can see these dots apart from myself which is even more frustrating. My Neuro didnt think it was stress/me having these from my panic attack as the dots would come and go if it was stress.
Just hoping someone can shed some light on the situation. I can live with the dots and they havent changed which is a good thing. But just want to know if perhaps one day i can get my full site back without these dots, if they were caused by stress that is.
Thanks,
Hi Everybody, I think it has been another year since I have been on her again. I wrote a new book as a sequel to my first book. The new book should be out by January on Amazon it is entitled My Life After Agoraphobia, What Now”. It is a continuation on how I improved and the steps it took after the new prisms were added to my glasses. It was a continual healing and is still ongoing today. Of course look at my blog at agoraphobiawhat.blogspot.com and take the test to see if you have this condition also. The Best, Yolanda
Besides stress consider the eye problem stemming from soy and/or msg allergy/ sensitivity. Both have a side effect of eye blurriness, cloudy etc besides many other side effects.
I found this out by going to a certified acupuncturist who identified the problem and presently working on the fix. At this point it’s slightly better but I have a long way to go with treatments.
Hi wondering if anyone has the same. Started about 2 months ago I started having anxiety the doctor put me on antidepressants couple of days of taking them I noticed a change in my vision , my family thought I was making it up. Went to my doctors they also didn’t believe just said I need mew glasses ( I was in tears at this point because no one was believing me ) I’ve had 3 eye tests in the last 2 weeks and everything is okay I just don’t get it because I see a big change , I get the blurred vision, I feel like lights can go dim on me , I get the flashes, can’t focus properly,sometimes my vision can shake! The eye people said if anything was wrong with my eyes they would know but I can’t get that in my head, constantly thinking about my eyes and that they have changed , it’s making me not do anything just lie in bed depressed. I’ve had blood tests they came back all fone. Everyone keeps saying it’s anxiety and that’s making my eyes like
This but I don’t believe them. I’ve got a really bad phobia about going blind this plays on my mind 247. Is anyone else like this. I forgot to say i came off the antidepressants after 2 weeks because of the vision problems but still having them. I’m so scared.