Convergence Insufficiency? ADHD or Vision Problem?

The wonderful thing about going to doctors is that they can always find something wrong with you, and if you go to a specialist, you can find even more problems that require expensive therapy.

After a two-hour eye exam today, the optometrist told me that I have a convergence insufficiency and need vision therapy. She wants me to come back for another appointment before giving me details on the costs, but I wanted to see if anyone here has any experience with convergence insufficiency - I had never even heard the term until recently.

I probably have convergence insufficiency in addition to ADHD, but I am not sure how many thousands of dollars it is worth burning to try and fix my vision problems.

additudemag.com/adhd-and-vi...

Is It ADHD or a Vision Problem? If your child is fidgety, hyperactive, or distressed by his schoolwork, an ADHD diagnosis might seem like a no-brainer. But these behaviors may actually be due to vision problems instead. Learn how to tell the difference — and how to get an accurate diagnosis.

[BlessedLady]

You need to get a second opinion.

[Gettingittogether in reply to BlessedLady]

Ditto: a second opinion from a doctor from an entirely different practice. Go high level: read some google reviews or online reviews, find someone highly respected in the field.

[Hidden in reply to Gettingittogether]

Thanks. From the additudemag article that I linked to above, "We also note a seeming threefold greater incidence of CI [Covergence Insufficiency] in the ADHD population. This may represent an association and not be a causative relationship." I hadn't even heard of CI and that is part of the reason that I posted about it on this forum. I appreciate your response.

[Hidden in reply to BlessedLady]

Thanks, unfortunately, and I guess it didn't come across in my earlier question/post that was seething with frustration and sarcasm, I really liked the optometrist that I saw and thought she was quite good. Yes, she is trying to sell a service, but although I am not sure about her service, I trusted her expertise and the positive reviews I found of her practice, to pay for her evaluation and opinion. Because of many concussions and other issues, I thought it definitely possible that I could have an eye problem, such as convergence insufficiency (even though I didn't know the term). I may go to another optometrist to get an opinion, but the other one I talked to also charged over $500 for the evaluation. So paying $1000 or $2000 for therapy isn't all that crazy in comparison to spending another $500 for a second opinion, or getting an opinion from the best eye doctor I've found that would cost nearly $3K. My frustration is that it is so much money, especially when I am still unable to work, and I don't feel like I can trust anyone anymore, except some of the wonderful people on this forum, which is admittedly a bit silly.

[Gettingittogether in reply to Hidden]

Sorry to hear of the costs. I almost got your sarcasm but wasn't sure! I'm glad to hear that you trust your provider.

Tons of research amazingly finds that trust is one of the biggest factors in how well patients fare. I had long known that was true for therapists, but apparently it's true for doctors across the spectrum, including surgeons!

People do better when they're with someone they trust (assuming that person isn't a full-out charlatan of course).