Why is it so hard?
Are you in a really hard place, and struggling with how to understand and accept it? Here are some of the emotionally taxing aspects of various forms of dry eye. Not all of these reasons apply to everyone, obviously - it depends what's going on with your eyes. But it may be illuminating to go through it and see how many you recognize in yourself.
Because the cornea is the most sensitive tissue in the body. The sensations it produces are a really, really big deal.
Because the condition has such a trivializing name.
Because of financial challenges, including lack of insurance coverage for some treatments, high out-of-pocket costs for over-the-counter remedies, and worries about your job.
Because of anger and/or guilt, if your dry eye resulted from an elective medical procedure such as LASIK or cosmetic eyelid surgery.
Because it's inescapable. There is no time during your waking hours that you are not actively using your eyes.
Because of anxiety and fear for the future.
Because of your doctor doesn't seem to understand how much this is affecting you.
Because you've tried so many things and nothing seems to be working well enough.
Because you wonder why you're not coping, when others seem to be dealing with it so much better.
Because you're in shock that this could be affecting you so much.
Because you're taking today's experience, extrapolating it into the future and are terrified at the prospect.
Because you're consumed with fear that it will never, ever get better.
Because you're young, and it can only get worse from here, right?
Because you've been through much bigger challenges in life, including health challenges, and came through with flying colors.
Because you're experiencing scary, maybe even suicidal thoughts for the first time in your life.
Because you feel isolated. You don't know anyone else who has experienced this.
These are just examples, but they should be more than enough. There are so many factors conspiring to make this hard. If you're struggling, you need to know that you're not alone, that it is normal to be struggling when faced with this kind of condition.