Young people - your feelings about your vision impairment

Below, we describe some of the feelings you might experience. If you recognise any of the emotions, try our tips to work through them. It may be helpful to work through any challenges together with those close to you.

Living with vision impairment can affect how you feel in different ways. How you feel about your vision impairment might change sometimes, whether or not you’ve always had the same level of vision.

What you’re feeling might be new to you. You might know exactly how you feel, or you might find it difficult to name your emotions or express what you’re feeling in a way that feels right, which may be confusing and frustrating.

You might have difficult feelings when dealing with a new challenge, such as starting a new school or meeting someone for the first time. These feelings can be consistent or occur on-and-off over a long time, particularly if a recurring challenge keeps reminding you of your vision impairment.

Your feelings can come and go. You might feel differently from one day to the next, or even at different times during the same day.

Taking some time to notice how you’re feeling can help you understand what’s causing those emotions and what might help.

Everyone experiences their vision impairment differently. You might experience some of these feelings, all them or none of them. It might be challenging or difficult for you, your family and others around you.

By recognising, observing and working through what you’re feeling together over time, you’ll be able to start dealing with these emotions:

Shock and denial

You might find it difficult to believe what’s happening or want to avoid thinking or talking about it.

Anger, questioning and frustration

You might feel angry or frustrated about your vision impairment, wondering why things are happening to you or why people are acting in a certain way.

Helplessness, fear and anxiety

You might feel out of control and like you can’t do anything; being afraid to try something because you might fail or that other people won’t understand.

Sadness and loss

You might feel like crying, like something is missing, and like you can’t achieve what you wanted or expected to.

If you experience deep sadness and don’t feel like this will change, it might help to talk to a friend, family member, support worker or a school staff member. Talking to someone you trust can help you make sense of your feelings.

This could include if you:

• can't face doing anything that you’d normally do
• don’t feel like seeing your friends and family
• have stopped eating properly
• can’t sleep at night
• feel low most of the time
• feel like harming yourself in any way.

If you’re thinking about hurting yourself, tell someone you trust as soon as you can. You can also contact one of the young people's organisations at the end of this page for support.

If you’d rather talk to someone outside your family or school, you could speak to a counsellor or your GP. You can often make an appointment with them yourself to explain what you’re feeling. They should take you seriously and keep what you say confidential whatever age you are, providing you can understand what they're discussing with you, and you don’t need emergency support.

Your counsellor or GP may recommend different actions that will help you engage with daily life while you understand and move through your emotions.

If you’re working through difficult feelings, it might be hard to imagine doing all the things you thought you would do as an adult, but don't give up. The key question to ask yourself and those around you each time is “How do I do what I want to do?”.

Start a small task

If something feels difficult, break it down into smaller steps. Choose something you feel that you can accomplish and build from there. Each time you repeat that task, you’ll have another opportunity to learn.

Do it again

Practice the tasks you set for yourself and you’ll improve slowly. It’s absolutely fine not to get everything right all the time. Accept that accidents might happen and that you might have off days when you’ll need to be kind to yourself while you’re doing what you can. Every time you spill a drink, work on your cleaning skills and then make another drink. Make sure you celebrate what you’ve accomplished each week too – small wins lead you to bigger things.

Give yourself time

Even if it feels like the end of the world or you feel like you can’t do the things you dreamed of doing. Give yourself time to sit with the feeling, talk it through with others, then ask yourself: “How do I do what I want to do?”

Talk to people you trust

You don’t have to work through difficult feelings on your own. Be kind to yourself, embrace support from family, friends and loved ones and gradually increase your independence. Working through your emotions and the challenges associated with them over months and years builds your strength and resilience.

Keep doing the things you enjoy

Having a vision impairment doesn’t mean you have to give up on the things you want do. Many people with vision impairment have incredible careers, relationships, families, hobbies and social lives. They make art and music, study, work, travel, play sport and much more. It’s not always easy, but the most important achievements in life often take time and effort.

If you’d want to see what's possible, take a look at this video about three young people in employment.

If you want to reach out for support, you can contact any of these organisations for children and young people:

• Childline – free counselling service for children and young people.
• YoungMinds – information and support for young people’s mental health.
• Kooth – online counselling for young people aged 13 and over.

RNIB provides free, specialist advice and support for children and young people with vision impairment – from birth to age 25 – and their families.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or you’d like more information about anything mentioned on this page, we can help.

We offer:

• family, early years and transitions support
• support for education professionals
• advice about accessible books, toys and learning materials
• opportunities to meet and talk with other families.

Please contact RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected].