Case History 14

Greetings from Perth, my name is Anne and I have Blepharospasm. I was first diagnosed with BEB in 2014 although the signs appeared as early as 2007 but it took the next few years of various tests to reach the final conclusion. I was told that Botox injections were the best way to cope with this issue and so I began a series of 3 monthly treatments. However, it became obvious that this treatment was not working for me and so I stopped after 18 months. One year later I tried again with a leading expert in Blepharospasm Botox treatment. This was brought to a halt when Covid put us all in lock down. At my first BEB meeting in Perth I had heard about Dr. Farias’ Dystonia Recovery Programme, which was also an online course and so I decided to explore it and subsequently enrolled in 2020. It was not only a revelation but it changed my life. Very little seemed to be known about BEB, it’s causes or it’s treatment, apart from Botox or an operation and yet Dr. Farias had been developing this Dystonia Recovery Programme for more than 25 years!

First of all I discovered that it comes under the Dystonia umbrella and then I found out more about BEB, it’s probable causes and how to begin to manage it. Dr. Farias does not state that this is a cure but rather it is a means to help you understand and thus learn to manage the problem in such a way that you can carry out your daily life as close to normal as possible.

The programme has a holistic approach as Dystonias, such as BEB do not just affect your eyes and eyelids but also your whole body and brain. There are various courses and classes included in your personal programme and these include Front Desk ( welcome, how to get started and how to use the programme), Exercise courses, Dance, Relaxation Courses including Well Being and Nutrition, Education Courses, Workouts and Instruments. All these classes are sent in video form and Dr. Farias, takes part in most of them. His very able team take on the remainder. It is interesting to note that the team members and Dr. Farias have various Dystonias themselves and are therefore well equipped to instruct and help you on your course.

This may seem a lot of work and quite daunting but the help you receive on your journey is very good with a team that knows and understands the issues you face every day. Dr. Farias reads every single email received and either he or the team member responsible for that particular area will respond to you quickly. Some people may think that trying to fit everything in to ones already very busy daily schedule is impossible. At first this may be so, however, it is a programme that can be done at your own pace and in your own time. Once you become familiar with the exercise, these can be done at any time and anywhere during the day. Be aware that learning to manage Blepharospasm takes a long time but I have found that the benefits and advantages of this programme far outweigh any disadvantages.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Dr. Farias’ remarkable programme, please do not hesitate to contact me. Use the form on the Contact Us page and it will be forwarded to me.

Dr Farias’ website is https://dystoniarecoveryprogram.com.   Please note there is a cost involved.