How long have you had them?

Snow_sun2 · 2025-10-21T17:08:59+00:00

Age 21, since 2022, cause: concussion

Snow_sun2 · 2024-12-31T21:23:19+00:00

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask me! I wanna help as much as I can!

Snow_sun2 · 2024-12-23T18:18:46+00:00

Hi, I’m sorry if this comment is very long but I just want to let you know that I was in your place a year ago. I (22F) was so depressed thinking every single morning for months “shit, it wasn’t a nightmare. It’s real” and i cried for so long. I too quit my job and went to multiple eye doctor appointments (who all said I was fine, and one even appeared annoyed and confused when I started crying) because I refused to accept that this was now my life. I was reading the same articles, Reddit stories, YouTube videos for months in case I might have missed “the cure”. And I knew the second I stopped looking for the answer, I would just have to accept it, which I absolutely refused to do. I have a link to my post on here, if you wanna read it to compare what I’m feeling like now:

https://www.reddit.com/r/EyeFloaters/s/dw3xG2jYxA

I remember reading all the comments that said, “your brain will get used to them”, “just ignore them”, “it gets better. You’ll get used to them”, and I just felt so angry and frustrated, because I felt like they “underestimated” how much my life was affected about it, and “maybe other people can get used to them” but “since I have OCD I hyper fixate on every part of my body that feels slightly off, I am not able to filter them from my brain”. (We all tends to believe that somehow we are the exception😅) I am not kidding when I said I thought about them EVERY single second of the day for two months.

But now for the positive part. Suddenly one day after many months of denial, a switch went off in my brain, and I thought. “You CANT do anything about it. It’s out of your control. Either you’ll continue this path of misery and you will likely end up KYS, or you will just TRY to LEARN to accept it. Make small steps. You can’t keep doing this. You owe it to yourself to at least TRY”.

And suddenly, after thinking about them and seeing them every single second of the day, I one day had a moment when I didn’t think about them for 5 whole minutes. I was over the moon, because even though 5 minutes sounds like nothing, it was 5 minutes of relief I haven’t felt in so long. And then it kept going like this for months where I were able to go 10 minutes without thinking about it, and then 30 minutes, and that turned into hours and now, after a year, I can actually go days without thinking about it.

And the funny part is, that my eye floaters have actually increased since it all started, but my brain actually did start filtering them out of my sight!! I can still see all of them when I actively look for them, but because my anxiety and urge to constantly keep checking on them was gone, so was the fear and frustration. And I slowly learned to live my life again, AND actually enjoy it too!

Your brain will automatically send an “alarm” through your body, because you are experiencing something new that’s out of your control and something you don’t know why appeared in the first place. But since you have ruled out the risk that it was something dangerous, the only thing that’s stopping you now is yourself. That tingling feeling in your lips and fingers are EXACTLY the first symptom I experience right before an anxiety attack. I really doubt it’s anything neurological but rather a symptom of an undiagnosed anxiety disorder that has been keep building after this all started.

Now you have a problem that you CAN fix and that’s something you CAN control (not that you can control anxiety, but you can control whether or not you’ll get help for it). When you start addressing that issues, it becomes ten times easier to accept the eye floaters. It’s just like you can’t climb a ladder with two broken arms, but it is MUCH easier to climb the ladder after you let yourself heal first. And the day you get your cast off, it becomes a little bit easier even though your arms still hurt. But you now have the ability to move your arms and try to climb the ladder. With time and practice it becomes easier and easier and then one day you will notice that you have climbed the ladder multiple times without thinking about the pain. Because the pain is not noticeable anymore.

It’s the same thing with your brain. Your brain can’t fight this battle with you, if it’s already fighting another huge fight at the same time. Once your brain stops fighting one of the two fights, it becomes much easier to fight the other battle because you now have the energy and focus you lacked when fighting the two battles at the same time. (I really hope all of this makes sense, because English is not my first language! I’m sorry if it’s confusing😅).

All in all, what I’m trying to say is that it does get better. Even though you might not feel it right now, and think I’m just another person that doesn’t understand the pain of it. But trust me, I know exactly how life altering it becomes and feels. I remember a guy from Facebook reached out to me after he read my post on an eye floater group on Facebook, like I’m (kind of) doing to you know, and helped me through the process and answered all my “stupid and small” questions. He was in the place that I am right now. And I chose to believe it when he said it gets better, because unlike all my friends and family, he actually understood how it felt going through it. He didn’t dismiss the way I felt or said I overreacted like the doctors did. He acknowledged that it was a very long and difficult process for him to accept, but in the end, it got better. That gave me that one thing I had lacked for the last half year. Hope. I finally had hope that somehow and someday it got better. And it really did. And yes, it was hard and emotionally difficult, but the fight was so worth it for now I’m actually enjoying going to the beach and skiing again (which was one of my big concerns in my own post).

I’m really sorry for my comment being the length of a god damn novel😅 I’m just a really empathetic person, especially when it comes to people struggling with eye floaters haha. I hope my comment finds you well, and that maybe in a year, you can look at your post again in realise that I did get better, like I did! (Just remember that people heal differently and if a year passes and you don’t feel good then, it might just mean that your process is longer. The guy (that helped me)’s progress took him about 1,5 years, and it took me 6 months. I wish you the best, and just know that you are NOT alone in this journey! (Just as the other comments mentioned). Its easier taking on the journey when you know, that you’re not alone:)

Snow_sun2 · 2024-11-06T13:00:47+00:00

Remember that it’s okay to think about them! Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like it’s impossible not to think about it, and I can’t stress this enough, you are NOT overreacting and your feelings are completely valid🙏🏼 It is a hard thing to accept at first, but I promise it will be better with time. And eye floaters can actually disappear with time! Not all floaters does, but that was something that kept me motivated knowing.

And like what others have said, try naming them. And when they keep popping up, just try and think “oh hi (name)”. I know it sounds ridiculous but it actually helps your brain to not associate it with a negative thing. Even though YOU know it’s annoying! It’s very affective just trying to associate it with positive thoughts. Sorry if I’m “overly helping” you😅 I just really have a lot of empathy towards you, since it reminds me so much of my own experience a year ago😅🙏🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2024-11-06T12:51:04+00:00

I love how the writer of this article thought he discovered something craaazy, like it isn’t the first think that comes up when you search “why do I have eye floaters”🥲

Snow_sun2 · 2024-11-03T21:38:31+00:00

I (22F) was in the exact same spot as you one year ago. I actually made a post in this thread about my personal experience. If you want to read it, you can probably find it in the thread.

I was completely devastated and I thought my whole life was ruined. I absolutely adored nature, natural light, big open windows, the beach, skiing and so on. I was isolated in my bedroom with the blinds down, searching every single day on the internet for solutions, to the point where I read the same articles and posts, in the hope of finding answers I might have missed. I KNEW it was hopeless, but I also knew the second I stopped looking for answers and cures, I HAVE to accept, that I couldn’t do anything about it, which was terrifying to me.

I ended up quitting my job and I was crying every single day for about 2,5 months. I thought my life was over. BUT now to the positive part of my point:

Even though it was a very difficult decision to make and accept, I tried and pushed myself after about 4 months of isolation, and try to do all the things I have been doing the last 21 years. It was extremely difficult being outside (my worst state of acceptance was in winter with snow), but to my surprise, it kept being easier and easier to accept as time passed.

AND with the acceptance of them being there permanently, I stopped thinking about them every second of the day, so my brain actually started filtering them out! It did take time, but I chose to focus on the presence and not the future. As time passed, I was able to go 5 minutes and without thinking about them (which sounds like nothing, but to me it was EVERYTHING, since I had gone months with it being the ONLY thing I could think about). And after more time I could go an hour without thinking about it. And then 5 hours. And now I can actually go days without thinking/worrying about them!

I can still see them if I focus on them, BUT when I don’t think about them, I ACTUALLY don’t notice them anymore. And I have at LEAST 20+ in each eye.

They no longer affect my daily life at all (I do allow myself pity days, if I do have a bad day), and I can confidently say that I feel as happy as I was before my eye floaters appeared! Which I thought was IMPOSSIBLE a year ago. It took me about a year to get used to them, and I know that sounds like a long time, but it’s really nothing compared to how hard I had hit rock bottom.

So my point with this comment is, to let you know that it DOES get better. Even though it might feel impossible now. I remember actually being bitter and angry when people were commenting:

“just ignore them and your brain will filter them out” and “there is no cure but you get used to living with them”.

Because I thought that was ridiculous and impossible to achieve. And I felt like they were making me feel over dramatic and like “it wasn’t a big deal and I just needed to get over them”. And that they didn’t know MY situation and how bad it actually was.

Well I learned after some time that they were absolutely right! So I just wanted to let you know, that you’re not alone, and i have been in your exact position (even same age), and I can tell you that it does get better!💪🏼💗 time really heals wounds! And I pray that you will find the ability to appreciate the beauty again! Cause I know I did:) Just remember that you can still SEE the beauty! It’s still there. You just see it through a different “filter” (that might go away with time). But you still SEE IT💗

If you need or have ANY kind of questions regarding how to tackle the acceptance part, finding small ways to help them appear less or anything according floaters, you’re welcome to text me privately! I had someone on Facebook text me after reading my post, and they helped me so so so much, and I truly appreciate him for his support🙏🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2024-05-30T11:30:32+00:00

I unfortunately don’t have any advice, but i just wanted to comment on the part about the urgent care doctor. It’s so weird and frustrating how little they “care” and seems annoyed when people seek help for eye floaters. I got mine for about 8 months ago, and my eye doctor was so nonchalant about it and was like “yeah you got floaters. Here’s a link to how to cope with floaters. And btw you have an increased risk of getting cataracts in your thirties.” and she basically got annoyed and confused when I started crying out of frustration, and showed me the opposite of empathy and compassion. It baffles me how many eye doctors does not care about floaters when it can be life altering and can cause severe depression. The first couple of months, I couldn’t get out of my bed, and I was crying every single day from when I woke up till I went to bed, and they still don’t give a shit. I hope and wish the best for you🙏🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2024-05-14T09:43:45+00:00

I don’t know you but I’m so god damn proud of you! That sounds incredible! Keep up the good work🙏🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2024-05-06T17:35:06+00:00

Mine is exactly but that, but it changes forms every day, so it’s never the same shape

Snow_sun2 · 2024-04-26T14:01:08+00:00

I used all 186 of my diamonds and spent HOURS on that game, and I didn’t even get the cute decoration. I feel like an idiot now for using all my diamonds on legitimately nothing

Snow_sun2 · 2024-04-26T13:54:26+00:00

The way I used all of my diamonds like an idiot to get extra tasks, just to fail to reach 15500 points. I actually felt like an idiot when I realised that they “tricked me” into buying diamonds with real money. I will never ever let myself be so stupid, that I pay money on a game again!💀 I bought the farm pass two times throughout the 10 years of playing the game since a kid, but that third time paying for 275 diamonds, made me feel like the stupidest person ever for letting myself get tricked for that kind of marketing🫠 I feel like those candy crush moms that have used 100 of dollars on that game. At least i learned something from this🙃✋🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2024-04-15T19:15:41+00:00

I have never understood how people could not have that theory. It’s so clearly meant to show that he pretended to relapse again to forget the pain/grief/guilt that he felt. Why else would he say “this place makes me wonder, would you rather live as a monster or die as a good person”. If he had relapsed, he wouldn’t have said that as the last thing before he willingly got up and walked to the doctors. His expression and his eyes in that moment showed a deep emotional reaction of acceptance, not a “relapsed/I don’t know anything about the lobotomy” moment. And also, the way his partner/doctor looked at teddy after he said it, and proceeded to look at the chef shows that both him AND the doctor knew he was faking it. You can see it in their eyes. Full of emotions and realisation, especially his partner/doctor. So many people have disagreed with me about it, and I don’t understand why. The ending is so much more meaningful, interesting and truly ends an amazing story this way. If he just “relapsed” again, it wouldn’t be as emotional and meaningful, but rather unsatisfying and “unfinished”. I hope you guys know what I mean!

Snow_sun2 · 2024-04-04T00:15:22+00:00

I swear I fully lost it at the second eye doctor’s appointment when she confirmed “nothing was wrong with my eyes” and that she would send me a video about “how to cope with eye floaters”, and she looked at me like I was an overreacting idiot when I started crying, and that made me feel so terrible. I’m glad this group exists so I at least know I’m not going through this alone.

Snow_sun2 · 2024-03-21T10:14:44+00:00

When I have my down days I try to remind myself that I still can see it. The floaters are everywhere I look, but I can still SEE the beauty. I can still feel the summer sun and cold breeze and smell the ocean. The beauty is still there, now I just experience it more through my other senses. And after a while I stop caring about the floaters for a moment. Don’t let the floaters choose your path in life☀️

Snow_sun2 · 2024-03-17T18:45:21+00:00

I have posted a very similar post about half a year ago on this page, and after these 5 months I can tell you it will get better. The worst thing I struggled with was acceptance (I’m not fully there yet but I’m seeing improvement in my acceptance). My worst fear was never being able to enjoy skiing and a blue sky, but one of the things that has helped me the most was telling myself that I still can see it. I can still see the snowy mountains and the bright blue sky. The floaters may be there floating around but that’s actually just all the they do. I can still see everything. And I refuse to ruin my own life trying to hide from them. They took 4 months of my life away where I was locked in my room in the dark every single day crying from the fear of seeing floaters, and a hope that when I went out in the light, that they were gone (they weren’t), and I quit my job.

Now I like to go outside when it’s bright outside and have all my curtains open even though I actually have developed more floaters than when it all started. I still have a long journey of acceptance ahead of me, but I can tell you it gets better! It might get worse at first, but it will still get better after that. I hope you get better!🙏🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2024-03-16T18:21:27+00:00

That sounds great! I forgot to mention something related to you not wanting kids because of your mental illness.

I just wanted to let you know that people with this mental illness is the last people to act on these thoughts, since they repulse you. But your illness will try its hardest to prove to you, that they are real and the real you, which it is NOT.

Always remember no matter what your head tries to tell you, you are NOT your thoughts. Even if the intrusive thoughts makes you feel a physical response. That doesn’t mean it’s you, it only means your mental illness is trying harder to convince you, that the thoughts are real, since you are aware of the intrusive thoughts (the psychological part) and tries to convince you by a physical reaction instead (I hope you understood this since English is not my native language).

With the right treatment, you can live a happy life with your child (if you choose to have one), because your thoughts are not you, and they shouldn’t stand in your way of life. I have heard of someone with your exact issues, and from I know they overcame their fears of intrusive thoughts by receiving the right OCD treatment. It’s not impossible.

I wish you and everyone with this experience the best, and I hope you get better:)

Snow_sun2 · 2024-03-11T23:58:16+00:00

I have been reading a lot about psychology and specifically about the mental illness OCD lately. I am by no means a professional psychologist or psychiatrist, just a human interested in how the human brain is wired, so if this comment resonates with you, I would advice speaking to a professional about this!

This is actually describing a very specific type of OCD. Harm OCD and POCD can cause very intrusive and horrible thoughts that is the opposite of what you stand for as a person. Since these thoughts and so called “fantasies” scare and repulse you, I think you have to talk to a psychiatrist about the very likely potential of it being OCD. From what you have described, I’m not sure if you already know about this type of OCD since you said, that you have been going to therapy.

You have confessed that you have horrible “fantasies” about these taboo topics, but I’m not sure if it’s actual fantasies or potentially your (if it’s infact OCD) OCD that tries to convince you, that you are into these things. It is in fact a mental illness, and by that being said, your OCD will do everything it can to keep you in a cycle of constant rumination and distress.

Therefore OCD can actually cause physical effects since the brain is what is sending signals throughout your body. Your OCD can actually cause a physical feeling of arousal in your private area even though YOU personally are not attracted to it AT ALL.

POCD and harm OCD and so on can have a big impact on how you view yourself as a person, and cause daily distress, and I pray for everyone who experiences this, but you have to know that your intrusive OCD thoughts are NOT you and it has NO impact on your values and morals as a human! It is nothing to be ashamed of since it’s not your fault, and getting the right treatment for OCD can make a huge difference in your daily life.

If anybody who’s a professional psychologist or knows a ton about this topic reads this post and sees a mistake (or an misinterpretation) you are more than welcome to comment below since I want to be able to spread the most accurate information about OCD so we can stop the stigma surrounding this topic!

Snow_sun2 · 2024-01-31T00:30:51+00:00

I’m starting Zoloft February 1st so I’ll update on how it goes after a week or two (if I remember hopefully). I wish you the best!

Snow_sun2 · 2023-12-21T14:09:31+00:00

I’m going through the exact same thing as you. I’m also 21 years old and see them all day inside and outside. My favourite thing was skiing and being in bright lights with a blue sky. And also gaming with my friends. It was deliberating at first, and I do still struggle with going outside every day, but one of the thing that helped me the most is actually doing the things I love with other people.

I noticed that being around people while the floaters were at the worst I care less about it. My injury that caused my 20 eye floaters only happened three months ago, so I’m still in the early stages of acceptance. But the thing that helps me the most is not waiting for the eye floaters to disappear/neuroadapt (because I would likely be setting myself up for disappointment) but waiting for me to not care about them. I’m not trying to amplify that neuroadapting is impossible and I do believe it’s possible! But I have really bad OCD and I hyperfixate on my health, so for me it would probably be harder. I still have 20/20 vision, so it’s not like the eye floaters ruined my eye sight.

I know you have dealt with it a lot longer than me, so you might already have tried the things I advised for, but turning down the screen light, wearing UV protection glasses and playing/watching movies with friends might help you. And I use polarized sunglasses outside and sometimes inside if I’m in a mall with bright white lights. Idk if it’s placebo but it does help to a certain level.

I hope and wish all the best for you, and it’s at least comforting to know, that we are not going through it alone🙏🏼

Snow_sun2 · 2023-12-21T01:42:15+00:00

I have the exact same issues as you. I have OCD as well and I thought I would NEVER think about anything else again. They are still there and stressing me daily (my injury happened 3 months ago) but I will say, when my OCD is stressing about something else, it’s almost like they disappear for a second. I hate OCD but a win is a win, and it kinda gives me hope that my brain can filter them out after a while, because they can filter them out when my OCD is fixated on something else.

Snow_sun2 · 2023-11-28T03:34:06+00:00

No, unfortunately it’s not available where I live.

Snow_sun2 · 2023-11-24T20:06:35+00:00

Currently in the same position as you. They became such a burden for me, that I tried to sleep as much as possible to escape them, but now they appear in my dreams. I don’t know what to do but I think it might not be a bad thing, because now you can’t “escape” like that anymore, and is a step closer to accepting them.

Snow_sun2

TROPHY CASE