Coping with Visual Impairment: Helping our Patients Face the Truth

Abstract

This chapter explores the factors influencing patients’ ability to cope with imminent visual impairment (blindness) as well as methods that can be used to aid patients to rid stereotypes associated with their visual impairment. The factors that influence a patient’s ability to cope with blindness can stem from both biological and social backgrounds; biological as it relates to age and social, meaning individuals that are in contact with the patient on a daily basis. Older patients tend to have more difficulty coping with blind ness because they have established norms while children tend to feed of their parents’ view of their visual impairment. Some patients practice a more spiritual approach to coping with their visual impairment. Although studies have been inconclusive; patients who pray and practice faith tend to have a more positive attitude towards their situa -tion. Participating in sports can also help the visually impaired to have a more positive attitude towards themselves. synchronization promotion, altered levels of melatonin and serotonin, suppressed corticos triatal glutamatergic neurotransmission, immune response boosting, decreased levels of reac tive oxygen species as measured by ultra-weak photon emission and reduced stress.