No one knows what causes either form of macular degeneration. Although total blindness from macular degeneration is rare, the loss of a person's most detailed vision can make everyday tasks frustrating or impossible. I was always afraid, because I live alone, and I thought if I touch the electrical outlet I will get a shock. Some people diagnosed with macular degeneration react with despair. In fact, depression is seen more often in patients with low vision than in patients with heart disease or even cancer, according to Barry W. Rovner, MD, a psychiatrist at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.
Depression leads to disability.
In ongoing research of people with low vision at the Lighthouse, Amy Horowitz, DSW, senior vice president for research and evaluation, has found much the same thing. She has been evaluating people with low vision, beginning when they are referred to the Lighthouse and again two years later. People who are married, and close to their family and friends, are less likely to be depressed. But trying not to think about the problem, or simply seeking more information, are not successful coping strategies, she has found. Instead, lower depression scores are associated with receiving vision rehabilitation services such as mobility and life skills training, and using a larger number of optical devices.