Does any one else do this?

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I'm really stressed at the moment, struggling with anxiety. My mental health team are calling me this afternoon.

I have this thing where I close my left eye and press against it for a short time. It helps to ease the anxiety but afterward for a few seconds my vision is blurry and I see stars.

But I'm worried about the harm it's doing to my eye. Does anyone know what harm it is doing or could do? I've tried to stop this but it's a habit now and I don't seem able to.

You should be careful, but you are not wrong to think it can relieve stress: The dangers of rubbing your eyes

From the link:

I would find a substitute behavior. Perhaps just putting a warm damp cloth over your eyes.

You may be experiencing what is called "stiming". Sometimes people with Aspergers apply some motion, pressure, or or other stimuli that helps reduce anxiety. In a way it may be the intentional exercise of action helps to restore a sense of control that can push back against a growing sense of anxiety.

The suggestion that you find a substitute is a good one. I would recommend staying away from the eyes or other area that could receive damage. Things like hand flapping (sometimes observed with children) is not recommended as it can be alarming to others. Something subtle I found is using one hand to apply pressure to the fingers of the other hand. This is seldom noticed and can reduce anxiety.

Yeah, sure, I've done this all my life although I have always done both eyes at the same time. I first discovered this when I was a child in school when I was having difficulty paying attention to the teacher. I discovered that when I do this I could see all kinds of really AWESOME patterns and stuff. Sometimes stars would get replaced with checkerboard squares, and so on. After doing it, I tended to feel better.

I realize now that I was stimming. As an older adult, I don't do it as often but sometimes I still do.

Can it damage your eyes? I have no idea, I don't think it hurt my eyes *BUT* it would be a good idea to ask your eye doctor. Logic would seem to dictate that as long as it isn't done to excess, it's probably O.K.

Fred

Does anyone know what harm it is doing or could do?

Most are familiar with closing the eye lids and pressing on the eye to see 'phosphenes', the constructs of our cortex in response to signals from the retina, but stimulated by pressure not light. Such pressure, if from a blow to the head, produces the 'seeing stars' effect commonly referred to. However, it is not recommended that this be done often or with any significant pressure. Clearly applying sustained pressure on the eye is the same as the risk from Glaucoma, and often an exterior pressure is greatly in excess of that which might be internally generated. Non repairable damage is likely to result from any significant increase of pressure on the eye. The rate of damage and extent of vision loss will be governed by eye health and age for the most part. When young the eye is resilient and pressures are absorbed more easily in other structures. With age tissues become more rigid, there is less natural protection, and the risk is increased.

Source: Be cautious when applying pressure on the eyes

How do you stop this habit?

1. It sounds like a stim (self-stimulatory behaviour) and one way to stop a stim is to substitute another stim in its place.

2. Since this is driven by stress and anxiety, the other approach is to vent the stress from your body and allow it to return to its natural state of homeostasis.