I mean I knew to limit computer time. But now I realized trying to watch videos on the computer tends to provoke massive anxiety.

If I dont watch them - things improve.

I think vision therapy in the cards but in the meantime - staying away from video. Especially youtube stuff.

Screen time is all about content. If the video is fast action and emotion stimulating, yes, it should be avoided. Video games are to be avoided.

The No Screens idea comes from high school athletes who get a concussion and are sent home where they have video games and get over-stimulated on video games or action flicks.

The simple rule is, If it causes any symptoms, don't do it or stop doing it and do something different.

Reading a book can be overstimulating as the eyes try to process a page with a thousand words on it. Some find that they can reduce reading over-stimulation by using a blank sheet of paper below and maybe above the few lines they are reading. Cut a window in a piece of stiff paper if this works.

Others create a self-fulfilling prophecy by doing something that they think they should not do and then looking for symptoms. Their anxiety about "Did I mess up by watching screens and make myself worse?" creates the problem.

Vision therapy will not solve this issue. Learning to moderate activities will. Changing activities frequently can be helpful.

But cant over stimulation cause these anxiety symptoms? Yesterday I made a effort to not look at screens at all and the anxiety was basically gone.

Also - when you say vision therapy will not solve - what if there are convergence issues. Could that not improve that type of issue?

Vision therapy will not fix your anxiety.

It will not change your ability to look at a screen that is 2 feet from your face.

I have horrible problems with my eyes working together properly. I can look about a room and get dizzy. I can look at computer screens for hours with no problem because the screen stays the same distance from my face.

Convergence is a problem when trying to observe and follow things that are moving. Once they stop moving, your eyes find the right convergence spot and all is fine.

Videos that have objects or people moving toward or away from the camera quickly could be a minor struggle.

Video games that are purposely designed to look 3D are not good. They strain your vision system.

Looking at screens with text or moderate moving objects should not be over stimulating. If you notice needing to reread a line of text, take a break. Use ad blocker software to declutter pages.

Steve,

As another person who has done vision therapy a while back, what Mark is trying to say is the people who this stuff is really going to help are the people who like can't read text because the words are moving all over and are blurry because their eyes are either not working together with one another or with the vestibular system or both to form a stable image. There is a multitude of issues that people deal with, but you would really know if this was an issue for you.

Not sure, but it seems like, using your devices just got you riled up a bit and got your anxiety going. If anxiety is your only symptom, none of these other therapies are going to help you. Your initial injury is healed. Count yourself lucky that you don't have any other lingering symptoms. Though I know anxiety is terrible to deal with, it is treatable. Do CBT, exercise, sleep well, eat well, take care of yourself.