Excerpt from the free online medical consultation website Tell Me, Doctor!
• Asker: 50s, female 11/14/2019
Sometimes letters seem to hover above the page, and I see sentences. It’s starting to worry me.
Is there anything that matches these symptoms?
It started about three months ago, and it’s getting worse.
I mentioned it to my husband, but he brushed me off and said I was just imagining things. I’ve never had any major illnesses, and I’m very worried there’s something wrong with me.
I’m not good with computers, so I apologize for any typos.
• Respondent: Ophthalmologist 11/15/2019
Visual distortions are tough, and they can interfere with your daily life.
Because there are no external symptoms, family members often don’t understand. But eye problems can become serious if left unattended. I recommend that you visit an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
I can’t make a precise determination based solely off your question, but hovering letters could be anything from tired eyes to a macular hole or a detached retina.
Considering your age, it could be age-related macular degeneration.
This can happen as you get older, as retinal bleeding or swelling causes your eyesight to deteriorate. It won’t heal naturally, and if left alone, the symptoms could worsen. It’s possible you could even go blind.
Regardless of the cause, periodic checkups and treatment usually reduce symptoms, so I recommend visiting a clinic soon.
→ Asker’s reply 11/17/2019
Thank you for answering.
I’ll go see an ophthalmologist.
But I get the feeling this might be something else. It’s like the letters hover in the air and form a sentence. Like someone is trying to tell me something.
Sometimes the words appear to be written just for me. All the letters use the same blocky font.
• Respondent: Psychologist 11/18/2019
I saw your question and your reply to the other doctor.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but are you starting to forget things more frequently? Or have you experienced any traumatic events, like the loss of a close friend or family member?
People your age can often develop Alzheimer’s or behavioral disorders.
As long as you know how to handle it, there’s no reason to be scared.
Just to be safe, why don’t you show this exchange to your family?
If it’s nothing, then you can all have a good laugh about it. But I urge you to discuss this with people close to you instead of brooding over it all by yourself.
→ Asker’s reply 11/18/2019
Thank you for your thoughtful response.
I wondered about that, too, since it’s hard to notice the onset of dementia in yourself. I showed my husband this website.
It doesn’t seem like I’ve been forgetting things. I prepare dinner every day as usual, so I think I’m fine.
But I can’t say for certain that I’m not losing my mind.
My husband said I worry too much. But I just can’t stop feeling like someone out there is trying to get me to read something.
It started with a supermarket flyer.
Some letters floated up from a block of text, forming a sentence.
Sometimes it would be newspapers or books, and the sentences would be quite long.
It happened another time when I was choosing a pen at a stationary store.
Those blocky letters were there on the test pad. I’m not sure why, but it felt like they were picking up where those other sentences left off.
After that, it happened with the waiting list at a restaurant when I went out with a friend. Then it was on the neighborhood association circular.
The sentences didn’t make any sense and really disturbed me, so I didn’t write them down. But they seemed to be asking me something.
Even now, those same sentences keep floating up around me, or I’ll see the blocky letters on something I just happen to glance at.
When I look back at what I’ve written here, I can tell I sound crazy.
I haven’t had any major traumas. My parents live far away, but they’re doing fine.
That said, I can think of one thing that might have caused this.
I’m not too upset about it, and I don’t think there’s any reason to tell a doctor, so I think I’ll keep it to myself.
→ Psychologist’s reply 11/19/2019
Thank you for your response.
Based on your answer, this seems to be really troubling you.
Please don’t doubt yourself. I recommend speaking with a psychologist at least once to help address your concerns.
Don’t deny what you’re feeling, and talk with a specialist about your experiences.
I’m sure they will discuss the matter with you and help you overcome your worries.
I am curious about what you think caused your symptoms, though.
Even if you believe it’s nothing, it might be putting significant stress on your subconscious mind.
I suggest you discuss it along with your symptoms when you speak to a medical professional.
→ Asker’s reply 11/19/2019
I followed your advice and am going with my husband to see a doctor next Saturday. The cause was something really minor, but since you kindly listened to what I said, I’ll tell you what happened. It’s very silly, though.
My son is in college, and three months ago, he and a group of his friends went to check out a place they’d heard was haunted. I think it was some run-down hotel or a corporate retreat somewhere in .
Silly, right? I warned them not to go because it was dangerous and would bother the people living nearby, but they didn’t listen.
My son said the building was a mess and some parts of it were collapsed, so they didn’t go too far inside. But near the entrance, they looked through the reception desk and found a notebook.
It was one of those guest logs they often have at tourist attractions. There were lots of comments from kids on school trips and from workers on company retreats, none of them all that noteworthy.
There was something odd about the notebook, though. The second half was blank, except for a weird comment on the last page.
My son and his friends didn’t understand what it meant, but apparently it was some kind of request. He said it really unnerved them.
He told my husband and I about it over dinner.
I started seeing the hovering letters a little while later.
The sentences they formed were similar, and it kind of upset me.
Rationally, I know things like that aren’t real. At my age, I’m ashamed to admit I even considered it.
If I mentioned it to my son, he might go out there again.
It’s embarrassing, but I will tell my doctor about it. Just in case.
Thank you for listening to me.
→ Asker’s reply 11/21/2019
It’s me again. I think there may really be something wrong with my head.
My neighbor stopped by yesterday. She said I had placed a weird letter in her mailbox. I don’t remember doing it at all.
We met each other through the PTA when my son was in elementary school, so I’ve known her for close to a decade, and I’m sure she’s telling the truth.
She showed me the letter. It was definitely my handwriting, and the envelope had my name on it. I have the letter with me, so I’ll type out what it says.
I am looking for myself.
Thank you for finding me.
I am looking at you.
Can you become me?
My adorable child.
Please raise it together with me.
It cries for more friends.
Anyone can invite someone else.
So please.
But that is not enough.
Only those who have created life understand.
Please guide everyone from a higher place.
Until then, I will be watching.
When I read the letter, I got the feeling it said the same things as the hovering letters I’ve been seeing.
My husband and neighbors are all worried.
I didn’t mention this before, but I sometimes hear a voice as if it’s coming from right beside my ear.
I checked online, and I think it might be something like schizophrenia.
If I go see a doctor, do you think I should see someone in psychosomatic medicine?
I will ask my husband to take a day off tomorrow and drive me to a clinic.