Focus Your Eyes, Focus Your Brain
Help for those with autism, ADHD, SPD, anxiety, depression and more . . .
Hi, Please listen to my audio diary today.
Please follow me and you will hear the up and downs of my energy patterns through the year and how I have learnt to thrive, no matter the weather, no matter the light! You will find all my previous entries on my ‘Lightwatcher Diary’ page.
If you understand your state, then you can understand your needs. If you understand your needs, then you can fully live your life.
Jennie
Yes, as much as anyone can ride a bicycle, knit a jumper or bake a cake, anyone can work with their phorias. It is not like going to the see the optician or optometrist, though, where things are done for you and results are presented to you. It is a skill that takes a level of self awareness and needs to be learnt over time. The skill of working with your phorias requires you to be curious about your relationship with your eyes.
The only people who start this adventure are those who feel there is something not right about their eyes, having tried everything the health professionals have to offer. You might suffer with unresolved light sensitivity, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, depression or anxiety . . . just to name a few symptoms that could be bothering you. You might feel a deep sensitivity that is all consuming and severely hampers you from living a full life.
I have written this blog for people like you – not for those who are happy with their eyes – but for those whose eyes are saying “Surely something could be better.”
For the last two days I have only wanted ham sandwiches for lunch. The second of the two days I managed the texture of crisps. On the first day the crisps tasted ‘soft’ and on the second they tasted, well . . .crisp!
Then today I suddenly wanted texture again and had chicken curry, rice and courgettes.
On days one and two I knew I had an UP phoria but I had no glasses with DOWN prism to treat it. Now on day three I have an OUT phoria and have some IN glasses to treat it. When I put these glasses on, I was suddenly very clear thinking and I didn’t feel dizzy and disorientated any more. I thought about what I would like for lunch and to my relief I didn’t have to choose ham sandwiches!
A phoria can cause the image to go off centre on the part of the retina that is related to acuity and good colour perception. Just being a tiny amount off centre can cause issues with these things. Everything you see just feels ‘off’. Colour doesn’t make sense. There is slight distortion of depth perception, meaning that we don’t feel centred. This makes it difficult to have a good relationship with our physical world. It is literally an effort to pick up the knife and fork and engage with the food. A curry will look a ‘funny’ red and courgette, a ‘funny’ green, and rice just bland. Nothing draws us in to want to eat.
When I wear my glasses to treat my phoria, the image goes back on the centre of my retina. I feel centred and able to engage with the physical word. Colour appears fine and food appears appetising. I can’t wait to pick up my knife and fork and enjoy my lunch!
Hi, Please listen to my audio diary today.
Please follow me and you will hear the up and downs of my energy patterns through the year and how I have learnt to thrive, no matter the weather, no matter the light! You will find all my previous entries on my ‘Lightwatcher Diary’ page.
If you understand your state, then you can understand your needs. If you understand your needs, then you can fully live your life.
Jennie
The biggest thing I have gained by treating my phorias is a sense of stability that I never had. it is a feeling that I know where I am in time and space. The over-riding feeling is that I belong.
Basically you are looking at something but your eye gaze is somewhere else.
In reading, your child’s eye gaze could be between the words rather than on the words. it could be between the lines or at the top or bottom of the words.
In maths this is even more pronounced because we tend to work with lots of small symbols in a big space. At least with writing, the lines lead your eyes to try to focus into the correct place. But with no visual guide in maths, your gaze could be anywhere on the page. Your child’s gaze might well not be on the number, symbol, line or shape that they want to look at.
Misdirected eye-gaze left untreated causes exhaustion, frustration and low self esteem.
If you suspect your child has issues with eye gaze why not try the Reading Test with them.
Focus Your Eyes, Focus Your Brain 