Re: A shocking and depressing news!
Shrike, I completely agree with you that blindness is a completely different way of experiencing the world, especially for people who relied on their vision when they had it. It is because of this inability to have sight when one wants it that causes fear, anger, depression and a sense of failure that some people experience. But it does not have to be that way. I do not know what blindness services you have used in the past, are using now or what you are planning to take advantage of in the future, but I urge you to obtain orientation and mobility instruction because I do not believe you will regret it, even though you say that you suffer from anxiety. Orientation and mobility specialists are trained to help people who have had vision to adjust to traveling without vision. Obtaining the confidence to travel around like your friend takes time and is something that you have to work hard for. None of the good things in life come easily--even living fully-sighted. Think of the rewards that your hard work could lead to. There is no reason why you should suffer the anxiety, stress and depression that you have to deal with now. Orientation and mobility instruction and a confidence and willingness for independent travel may even alleviate your anxeity because you know that you can get yourself to wherever you choose to go and are not reliant on others. But even though you have depression, you are not weak. As I have said, living with blindness is hard at the beginning, as living as a sighted person would be for a congenitally blind person. As you are saying, "Independent travel? No thanks," a blind person who has become sighted would say "Interpreting facial expressions? No thanks. Colors? Maybe later. Reading print? How stressful ..."
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