Mentally induced palinopsia/positive afterimage

[Renardo]

Well first I am a healthy 18 year old and saw 2 ophthalmologist before and everything in my eyes turned out fine. With the afterimages, I was reading about psychology experiments and reading about how people with stress sometimes see palinopsia and afterimages. So I started to look for afterimages by looking at a car in the street and looking at the sky and I did this several times and I actually started seeing positive afterimages (same color of the stimulus). The same thing happened with negative afterimages.It's also easier to see afterimages now and it's nothing like the experiments where you stare at a picture for 30 seconds. I just need to stare at the image for a second. This started 3 years ago and I have no history of drug and medicine use.

So the question is, will my brain be able to filter these out again or will this be permanent or cause me to become blind? Once I started seeing the positive afterimages and negative afterimages, they never really went away.

-Many thanks.

[Renardo]

Thanks. I am absolutely positive that these symptoms were psychologically fabricated and nothing else is causing it.

[Bepositive1000]

I am not sure if my problem is something which called Palinopsia or not! but for example when I move my hand (specially in dim light) I see an afterimage/light thing following the motion on my hand. This is very disturbing and have been there for almost 8 months now! Is it some thing you call it Palinopsia? seeing some lights following any object in motion ?
Eyes have been tested as normal by eye doctor. MRI of the brain has been normal as well. So, I do not know if this is the Palinopsia or not!

[Glennyrd]

I have the same thing and that's what I've been calling it. I went to a neuro-ophthalmologist and he said it's called "perseveration of vision"

[Angela2108]

Hi there! I also have been suffering from Palinopsia since January 2017. I had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder when I was 20 years old, I am now 32... I overcame my panic attacks 7 months after I have been diagnosed with this disorder. I have never taken any medication for that. i received counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy as well 1 year after my diagnosis. What is weird to me is that I had my first Palinopsia episode 3 years ago, out of the blue. I woke up in the middle of the night having this flashlight when i was blinking my eyes. It was like flash light was coming out of my eyes when blinking fast. I really don't know how to describe it. Since then I have been experiencing all symptoms of Palinopsia except the one of the vision snow. I had all kinds of tests: MRI, regular test by me eye doctor and neurologist. I had all kinds of blood tests, holder for the blood pressure. All came out negative. I think is something that has to do with the brain or blood vessels. I am trying not to pay attention to my symptoms but at night before I go to sleep or when I wake up is getting worse. I do not have panic attacks since 2006. They keep telling me maybe it will resolve in its own someday. It does not sound ok to me.
I was wondering if you still suffer from it and if there is a treatment out there for those who are suffering from Palinopsia. I was surprised by the fact that the majority of the doctors are not aware of this disease.

[Lmnopeas]

Have you gotten used to the visuals?

[ericduarte]

I developed this symptom in August 2013, this occurred after much anxiety about an infection that i had in the eye, even now I have the symptom, but not increased, I think something in our brain is triggered by anxiety and ends up staying, but not is nothing serious, we have to learn to live with it.

[Lmnopeas]

Good! I see positive and negative afterimages and they really bother me and cause a ton of anxiety. How long before my brain grows accustomed to them, do you think? Do you have any other strange visual phenomenon? Thanks!

[Renardo]

@lm

Pretty good! They don't bother me at all. They are the same intensity from the start!

[Lmnopeas]

How are your afterimages today?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
It is normal for medical and psychology students to practice what they read or feel the symptoms of an illness they read about. You must learn to dissociate yourself from this.   Please stop staring at objects and see things normally. The symptoms will go away as they came. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.

[Renardo]

Any help would be great. Thanks.