I constantly, unconsciously half-blink with my eyelids never fully closing -- but it is a never productive, full blink that would provide visual relief. I surmise this habit started while I was in third grade during an incident when my cousin accidentally hit me above the left eye with an aluminum baseball bat. At that age around age 8-9, I was still in the habit of greatly exaggerating pain, crying and acting out imaginary levels of perceived suffering like all children do to avoid being spanked or reprimanded more gravely by my mother and grandparents. So when I was hit with that bat, I carried over such behavior to this incident. I immediately closed my eyes, exaggerating my response to reflect a make-believe pain threshold created in my mind, and cried for a very considerable duration, all the while thinking that if I opened my eyes I would never be able to see again. This exaggerated and self inflicted trauma likely caused this negative visual habit to become ingrained and unconscious -- persisting to the present day. Unfortunately my mother and other adult relatives are not able to confirm if this is when I picked up this negative motor pattern, but this is the best I have to go with.
The medical term for this is blepharospasm. When I try to practice productive blinking it is hard and forced for me. If I succeed it is more akin to closing my eyes and opening them, rather than a rapid blink. Far as I know, Bates and his wife Emily Lierman/Bates never discussed this issue ever.
Does anyone have a suggestion of a beneficial practice to improve this condition?
Rishi on his group told me to do sun treatment for this problem. I definitely notice something in the muscles and soft tissue of my top eyelid when I do sun treatment for long enough. I feel a stickiness of my skin, muscle and sclera and a sense of those muscles that I normally don't perceive. I cannot explain it any better. Unfortunately Fall has come to Northeastern, USA where I live, plus I have been in a depressed mood, which means I have been lax lately. I got my brother to do the sun glass twice for short bursts on my closed eyelids and it seemed to soften my sclera temporarily, but he is impatient in helping me and I don't want to ask him too often.
RoyFokker, I'm in the northeasten US too, north of you. I'd consider getting a light box and sitting under it an hour a day or so while you're doing something else anyway, as this is supposed to be a big help with seasonal depression from lack of sunlight. I have a full-spectrum light right next to the computer and look up at it occasionally in a relaxed way, like it's my mini indoor sun. I also make sure I get outside and look at the sky for a while whether it's sunny or not every single day. Consistent exercise helps with depression too. Just be glad you don't live in Alaska!
