It’s easy to get caught up in a daily habit of making many small choices that seem harmless at the time. But, these can end up creating a giant snowball of health-related issues.
I am not a nutritionist or health professional. However, over the past 20 years of working with people with vision loss, I have observed the many, often subtle ways that new loss of vision can affect a loss of healthy habits.
People with vision loss are 90% more likely to experience depression. When you feel a sense of loss, you may turn to comfort food or mindless snacking to dull the pain or fill the void.
There are new challenges to simply moving around. New vision loss can lead to injury from bumping into things, frustration at getting lost and fear of falling down the stairs in your own home. You can no longer jump in the car to drive to the gym, hop on the bus to meet friends for a social outing, or run alone. That lost freedom of going when and where you wish can be keenly felt.
You may replace meals prepared from fresh ingredients with convenience or fast foods. Loss of vision may mean not being able to see what’s on your plate or cut items with a knife and fork. So, you may simply eat foods that you can hold in your hands — like hamburgers, fries and pizza.
Healthy food is generally food that has been prepared from scratch. This requires grocery shopping, comfort using a chef knife and other kitchen tools, confidence around a hot stove and oven, and the ability to find what you need when you want it—even the leftovers in the fridge. You may also have to read nutritional labels and cooking directions as well as cook from a recipe to keep the healthy eating happening. Until you learn new ways to perform these tasks and gain confidence, many people prefer to avoid the potential for mess, frustration and injury. As one person once said to me “why cook when I can dial a phone?”
Emotional and practical support from family can be a huge help. Family members, however, can also block the road back to health. Safety is a major concern. They may be gently interfering so you find yourself always sitting safely in a chair instead of moving about as you normally would. They don’t want you walking outside by yourself or in the kitchen where you could cut or burn yourself. You may find them feeding you your favorite foods again and again!
Your friends may not know what to say to you when you start experiencing this new way of life. Invitations to meet may fall off. The change or loss in friendships can result in more time at home alone. This feeds into both depression and lack of movement.
I encourage you to think about changes that are within your power. Again, after 20 years or working with people, I do believe the key to being able to take control of your health boils down setting some new short-term goals that feel attainable. Once you accomplish these, you can start working on longer-term goals.
There are some simple things that you can try on your own. These can build your confidence and start you on the right path.
Long-term goals can be attained with vision rehabilitation training. The staff at Second Sense is ready to work with you to discuss the training that will help you reach these goals.
When it comes to making healthy choices, we can all be our own worst enemies, visually impaired or not. Self-reflection, education and short-term goal setting are key to taking control of one’s health.
Polly is a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist at Second Sense.