I said earlier in the thread that you can decline dilation if you want to. However I did at no time suggest declining the whole sight test. The incidence in the UK of a new patient presenting with a retinal detachment is 5 per 100,000 or 0.0005%. Now in that cohort the incidence of someone presenting with a retinal detachment without symptoms is even less. Generally if you have a retinal detachment you know about it and thats what prompts you to go to the optometrist in the first place. So your chances of having a retinal detachment are prettty much zero.

You don't give a location, but lets say you live in the USA. Its a highly litigious country. The legal system casts a long shadow over medical practice there. So that affects the way an optometrist will act at all times. The fear of career ending Medical Negligence lawsuit will be in the practitioners thoughts. Therefore the advice that optometrist will make will err on the side of caution. The bill for missed pathology will be a lot less in a dilated eye than undilated eye. Hence her or his referencing retinal detachment as a means of persausion. In the UK dilation is not routine and modern technology renders it obsolete in the vast majority of cases.

I have two quotes from Mark in Idaho. The first I disagree with.

"There is no reason to not have your eyes dilated. It is very difficult to examine the retina without dilation."

Its actually very easy to view the retina with modern equipment unless the patient has constricted or miotic pupils and/or cataract for example. Then dilation may be indicated. Earlier in the thread I referenced Optomap Eye testing, wide field fundus cameras. Here is a link to a random American Optometrist.

Optomap, The Undilated Retinal Exam - Total Eye Care

Even with constricted pupils and cataract this instrument renders dilation a thing of the past. If your optometrist is only offering old fashioned dilation it means that she/ he has underinvested in equipment. All you need to do is find an optometrist in your area with this instrument and your problem is solved.

Except it isn't. This is a quote from Mark I agree with

"As I have said, your biggest challenge is your anxiety. You need to get control of your anxiety."

I can't help you with that. However you may want to Google the work of neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. This man is a genius. He offers simple breathing and mind and nervous system calming techniques. In fact I would be very interested to hear how you get on with them should you try them.

How to Counter Anxiety + Sleep Like a Baby with Andrew Huberman — Kelly LeVeque

I wish you well.