TO YOUR HEALTH
Maybe your next therapist shouldn’t be a therapist
Visual Stress During the COVID Mess The Effects of Eye Stress and Tips for Good Vision Health ...continued from page 17
highly symptomatic sometimes benefit from subcutaneous Botox injections to stop the muscle spasm. Tips To Reduce Vision Stress Many of these stress-related eye symptoms can be quite alarming at first when you are uncertain of the cause. The good thing about this issue is that reducing the stress frequently reduces the visual symptoms. So, get out and exercise, be sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep, adopt a healthy, ideally, mostly plant-based diet, and consider breathing exercises, yoga and medita- tion. If there is any question as to what may be causing a new visual symp- tom, reach out to your eye doctor right away. Understand that visual health is as much in the mind as it is in the eye. Take a deep breath, activate your cre- ative subconscious, recall positive affir- mations, and reprogram your brain to recognize challenges as opportunities and not defeat. Let your eye doctor take care of the rest. It is also important to understand you can have normal 20/20 eyesight and still need a set of specially-designed glasses for use during the time you are working on the computer. If you wear contacts or glasses, new more comput- er-friendly prescriptions are available. An individualized treatment program of Vision Therapy, which is Physical Therapy for Your Visual Brain (office or virtual), can also be extremely effective at reducing many of these visual stress symptoms. In addition to working directly with an eye doctor who is Board Certified in Vision Therapy (FCOVD), consider these recommendations to reduce com- puter eyestrain problems: • Computer Setup: Adjust your monitor so it is about 20 degrees low- er than your eye level when you are seated and at least 20 inches away from the screen. Use a document holder po- sitioned for as little head movement as possible. An anti-glare screen for your monitor can help reduce glare from sur- rounding lights. It is essential to sit and work with proper posture as often as you can. • Adjust Lighting: Try to change the lighting (or your device) to minimize glare and use natural lighting when- ever possible. • Practice the 20/20/20 Eye Rest and Blinking Break Rule: Every 20 minutes during your work, force yourself to blink a few times, look away, out the window or at least toward a distant point at least 20 feet away for 20 sec- onds to refocus your eyes. Give your eyes at least a 10-minute break every 2 hours spent looking at anything within arms reach, and especially on any elec- tronic device. Life during COVID has resulted in daily habits and lifestyle changes in-
build-up in the macula, the portion of the back of the eye responsible for your central vision. Mild cases can be treated with stress management and observa- tion, but a retinal specialist is usually required to manage more severe cases. Please see your eye care provider im- mediately with any sudden onset of blurred vision. It is important to deter- mine the cause and find appropriate treatment. Ocular Migraines Migraine headaches are a common neurovascular disorder associated with stress or a release of stress. Visual auras frequently precede or accompa- ny these headaches. People experience a variety of symptoms such as flashes of light, areas of blurred or missing vision, tunnel vision, lights, and/or a kaleidoscope effect. Often these symp- toms can occur with or without the ac- tual headache. If you experience these, it is essential to have a comprehensive eye exam to monitor for more serious problems affecting the back of the eye. Uncorrected refractive error or bin- ocular vision problems can contribute to these symptoms as well, requiring an office Vision Therapy program. Some of the more serious problems that need to be ruled out include reti- nal and vascular disease, along with compressive brain lesions or tumors. It helps to keep a headache journal to monitor the triggers, which sometimes can include food, alcoholic beverages, and caffeine. In addition to getting the correct glasses prescription, vision therapy, blue blockers, anti-glare fil- ters, and tinted lenses can help mini- One of the most common complaints I hear is, “My eyelid has been twitch- ing for weeks.” This is called myoky- mia and is caused by the involuntary, continuous contraction of the orbicu- laris oculi muscle that surrounds the eye. This can be very persistent, often affecting one eye at a time and lasting anywhere from a few minutes, a few days or even a few weeks. Episodes of- ten occur during periods of high emo- tional stress and fatigue, lots of near- point activities such as video games on an iPad, physical exertion, increased caffeine, or lack of sleep. mize the frequency. Eyelid Twitching Typically, myokymia is benign and will resolve without treatment. Very rarely can it be a more serious prob- lem. While often quite an annoyance to the person experiencing this, it is rarely visible to other people. Treatment often consists of patient education and reassurance. Reducing stress, taking breaks when on an elec- tronic device, and decreasing caffeine intake, smoking, and alcohol use can mitigate incidences. I also highlight the importance of an adequate amount of overnight sleep (seven to eight hours). As a last resort, individuals who are
Eric Weinstein It’s Not Therapy (It’s Problem Solving)
Did you know that: • licensed therapists are limited to certain approaches by “standards of care” that leave out a number of highly effective healing modalities? • even if you’re paying out-of-pocket for your sessions, your therapist might be unable to use anything “different” because of insurance company requirements and state regulations? I’m not a therapist, but I always have therapists among my clients. They come to me for: • the most ancient healing modality (shamanic healing) • proven, but more esoteric modalities (hypnosis/NLP and Eye Movement Integration [similar to EMDR, but safer]) • the most exciting new energy modalities (Energy Psychology, such as EFT or “tapping” on meridian points, biofield work, and chakra manipulation) • intriguing coaching modalities (including Motivational Interviewing, True Purpose coaching, and Archetypal coaching) And they come for all the same problems they’ve seen one of their more conventional colleagues for – as well as problems of a spiritual/ energetic nature. So, whether you’re struggling with the new stresses of the pandemic or with older issues that keep you from being who you want to be, call me to find out how I can help. If you’re feeling insecure about money, I’m offering 90-minute sessions for $100 instead of $150. I have a limited number of sliding-scale appointments, and I offer helping and healing professionals two appointments at half-price: only $150.
Have questions or want to set a video appointment? Call 703-288-0400 or email
eric@its-not-therapy.com Serving the DC metro area and Anne Arundel county from offices in Reston VA and Annapolis MD.
Read more about how I can help you at www.Its-Not-Therapy.com
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PATHWAYS—Winter 20-21—19
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