Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Insecurity (self.Blind)
submitted by Duriello
Back when I had sight I would never leave my comfort zone. I would try to explore new things but only when I was sure that I could fail safely. This was possible because I could rely on my senses to validate both what I could remember and the information provided by others. Now that I'm deprived of the most important sense my ability to do that seems to have been severely crippled, and as a result I avoid doing things alone. On one hand I feel the urge to ask for help all the time since I find it silly to do things by myself when others are available to help, but on the other hand I end up not enjoying anything and am quite self conscious about my lack of independence, so I wonder whether part of accepting blindness requires learning to live on the edge.
KillerLag 2 points 4y ago
There is a quote I like about that.... "Growth occurs at the edge of the comfort zone". You stagnate inside your comfort zone, since you aren't doing anything new. Too far outside of your comfort zone produces anxiety, since there can be too many things to cope.
When I am teaching people to travel skills, some of them haven't been outside on their own in years. So I usually start small, and have them practice going up and down the driveway. As they feel better, I increase the distance... maybe down the sidewalk to a neighbours place. We focus on locating landmarks to help them recognize where they are, and sometimes problem solving to figure out if they get lost. I often suggest that once they are comfortable going a certain distance, try going just a little further. Far enough that if they start to get nervous, they can turn around and easily get back, but far enough they can encounter new things.
The same basic techniques work for other things as well. Let's say someone has no idea how to do anything in their kitchen anymore. Well, we can start with pouring water (over the sink, to keep the mess contained). As they get comfortable, we start to push that comfort zone (different amounts, different cups, maybe cold or hot water, milk into a cereal bowl).
One big thing is getting a teacher to help teach you new skills. They are assisting you at first, but it is so you can learn the skills to do things yourself.
When I am teaching people to travel skills, some of them haven't been outside on their own in years. So I usually start small, and have them practice going up and down the driveway. As they feel better, I increase the distance... maybe down the sidewalk to a neighbours place. We focus on locating landmarks to help them recognize where they are, and sometimes problem solving to figure out if they get lost. I often suggest that once they are comfortable going a certain distance, try going just a little further. Far enough that if they start to get nervous, they can turn around and easily get back, but far enough they can encounter new things.
The same basic techniques work for other things as well. Let's say someone has no idea how to do anything in their kitchen anymore. Well, we can start with pouring water (over the sink, to keep the mess contained). As they get comfortable, we start to push that comfort zone (different amounts, different cups, maybe cold or hot water, milk into a cereal bowl).
One big thing is getting a teacher to help teach you new skills. They are assisting you at first, but it is so you can learn the skills to do things yourself.
Duriello [OP] 1 points 4y ago
I can do things around the house just fine as well as travel walking distances to places that I'm already familiar with, however I feel insecure about using public transportation, navigating unfamiliar places, or even using a computer for anything important without enlisting the help of others, which makes me feel that it takes an adventurous spirit to do anything meaningful blind.
KillerLag 1 points 4y ago
For public transportation (say, a bus), does it basically follow a long route, that loops back? So the same bus comes back to the same stop? You can always get on it and ride it all the way around, until it gets back to the same stop you got on from. It gives you a chance to try something new, but you arrive at the same location that you came from.
Navigating an unfamiliar location is fairly difficult, if you aren't aware of the layout. That is why often, O&M instructors meet with people to do familiarization of areas and learn routes and landmarks there. Depending on other factors, there may also be some technological things to help with orientation (Blindsaquare, other GPS apps, tactile maps, etc).
Navigating an unfamiliar location is fairly difficult, if you aren't aware of the layout. That is why often, O&M instructors meet with people to do familiarization of areas and learn routes and landmarks there. Depending on other factors, there may also be some technological things to help with orientation (Blindsaquare, other GPS apps, tactile maps, etc).
ginsenshi 1 points 4y ago
To me it sounds like you could benefit from adjustment to blindness training either a NFB center or one that uses a similar model to the In nfb’s.
Though I’ve been blind all my life, growing up with legal blindness, 20/200, and now being mostly totally blind with some light shapes and shadows.
That you need to be pushed Moore out of your comfort zone’s.
G
Though I’ve been blind all my life, growing up with legal blindness, 20/200, and now being mostly totally blind with some light shapes and shadows.
That you need to be pushed Moore out of your comfort zone’s.
G
NotGoing2Say 1 points 4y ago
I want you to think about your *comfort* zone and *safety* zones being 2 different things.
By playing life super safe - you’re laying the foundation for a smallish and less fruitful future. While chilling out in your safe and confer zones feels god...staying there too long isn’t much good.
I want you to also accept that it’s OK to ask help. you did it when you were a child and nobody thought less of you. Doing it as an adult means you’re mature enough to know your limits.
There’s shit tons of stuff you can do. You can be an international sports star, work in govt or business (at any level), you can be a killer book author or musician.
I’m willing to bet you could do speed rock climbing (which is pretty fun).
How much sight do you have ? Describe your vision in 3 words, please.
By playing life super safe - you’re laying the foundation for a smallish and less fruitful future. While chilling out in your safe and confer zones feels god...staying there too long isn’t much good.
I want you to also accept that it’s OK to ask help. you did it when you were a child and nobody thought less of you. Doing it as an adult means you’re mature enough to know your limits.
There’s shit tons of stuff you can do. You can be an international sports star, work in govt or business (at any level), you can be a killer book author or musician.
I’m willing to bet you could do speed rock climbing (which is pretty fun).
How much sight do you have ? Describe your vision in 3 words, please.
Duriello [OP] 1 points 4y ago
> I want you to also accept that it’s OK to ask help. you did it when you were a child and nobody thought less of you. Doing it as an adult means you’re mature enough to know your limits.
I do ask for help, but only for essential things, because otherwise I feel like I'm abusing people's goodwill.
> There’s shit tons of stuff you can do. You can be an international sports star, work in govt or business (at any level), you can be a killer book author or musician.
I'm aware of that, but I imagine that the people who do that sort of thing must have a very high tolerance for discomfort. I used to be a programmer before going blind, something that I could, at least in theory, continue to do, but I've tried it with text-to-speech and it took me a day and a half to do something that normally would take me half an hour to accomplish, and that experience left me feeling like I am no longer in control. I could also try Braille, but I'm not sure I will ever adapt to it since currently I struggle a lot with it, and a Braille display is too expensive to be left collecting dust if I fail to adapt.
> How much sight do you have ? Describe your vision in 3 words, please.
Totally blind, can't even perceive light.
I do ask for help, but only for essential things, because otherwise I feel like I'm abusing people's goodwill.
> There’s shit tons of stuff you can do. You can be an international sports star, work in govt or business (at any level), you can be a killer book author or musician.
I'm aware of that, but I imagine that the people who do that sort of thing must have a very high tolerance for discomfort. I used to be a programmer before going blind, something that I could, at least in theory, continue to do, but I've tried it with text-to-speech and it took me a day and a half to do something that normally would take me half an hour to accomplish, and that experience left me feeling like I am no longer in control. I could also try Braille, but I'm not sure I will ever adapt to it since currently I struggle a lot with it, and a Braille display is too expensive to be left collecting dust if I fail to adapt.
> How much sight do you have ? Describe your vision in 3 words, please.
Totally blind, can't even perceive light.
NotGoing2Say 1 points 4y ago
Don’t try don’t know.
Only you can control if you abuse people’s goodwill.
I highly recommend braille. It takes a while to master it - but worth it. I guess you could give up before you’ve given it a good go and see where that gets you.
Only you can control if you abuse people’s goodwill.
I highly recommend braille. It takes a while to master it - but worth it. I guess you could give up before you’ve given it a good go and see where that gets you.
GinRinoa 0 points 4y ago
It was Har to accept it to a costume to this new life my got notify yesterday that she is going blind and and I don't know what to do how to help her you can give some advice please
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