Open Hand Autumn 2016

Information
21
It is important to remember
that CBS hallucinations are
completely silent.
At the moment, there is no
magic medication to dispel the
hallucinations. Reassurance
and coping strategies are all
we can offer.
It has become clear that too
many doctors, nurses and
optometrists know nothing
about the condition. I learned
about CBS from my Mother,
Esme, who was tormented by
hallucinations to the end of her
life. With the help of Dr
Dominic Ffytche (from King’s
London) who is the lead
researcher and globally
acknowledged expert on CBS,
‘Esme’s Umbrella’ was born,
with an event at The House of
Commons.
lobby for funding for muchneeded
research - and to
combat mis-diagnosis.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome is
named after the Swiss
naturalist and philosopher,
who documented the ‘visions’
seen by his 87 year old
grandfather, who was nearly
blind. This was in 1760, yet
here we are in 2016 with very
little progress made in
understanding or treating the
condition. With our aging
population and the growing
number of people with type 2
diabetes (which carries the
risk of retinopathy leading to
blindness), there will be many
more people developing CBS –
so it is time we focused on this
condition.
My aim is not only to raise
awareness but to persuade
ophthalmologists, GPs and
optometrists to warn their
patients; to offer support and
If you would like to add your experience to the website, start a
support group, or have any ideas about spreading the word,
please contact Judith on the details below.
www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk
esmesumbrella@gmail.com Helpline 0345 051 3925