'GLOBAL AWARENESS OF 'CHARLES BONNET SYNDROME'

I am the founder of a newly formed NGO by the name of The Trinidad and Tobago Society for Charles Bonnet Syndrome. An experience with a family member who suffers from Charles Bonnet Syndrome led me to become an advocate for this syndrome.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) outlines Charles Bonnet Syndrome as a common condition among people who have lost their sight and consequently see things that aren't really there, known as visual hallucinations.

People with CBS see the unimaginable and impossible!

Visual hallucinations impact negatively causing undue fear, nervousness and anxiety for victims.

There is no cure for CBS. According to Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), the most effective form of treatment can come from knowing that the condition is not a mental health problem.

Dr. Dominic Ffytche and Thomas M. Cox recently concluded a CBS survey and outlined the need for education prior to hallucination to help reduce negative outcome.

Awareness of CBS globally

For medical professionals to consider the latest findings on CBS

Communication.

Removing the stigma of mental illness

Centuries have gone and Charles Bonnet Syndrome is still not known to many. Dr. Oliver Sacks calls it 'The Silent Multitude in his book 'Hallucinations.'

This abstract was prepared for those silent multitudes who wish to hear someone say 'It's ok, you are not losing your mind, it's called Charles Bonnet Syndrome.'

Cheron Faustin Holder