# Trouble with eye contact when other person has lazy eye...



## ToucanSam (Mar 22, 2012)

Trouble maintaining eye contact is a recurring theme on SAS.

It's even harder when the other person has off-axis eyes.

Do you have as much trouble as I do making eye contact when the other person has a lazy eye or eyes that point in slighly different directions?

It's nerve-racking -which eye do you look at?? I tend to ping-pong back and forth between their two eyes in mild panic; do they notice that?


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## SAM101 (Nov 19, 2010)

*OMG Same Problem*

I laughed when i read this, then felt bad for laughing. I try to look at the forehead or between the eyes for as long as i can, then i look around the room before trying to focus back.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Yeah, I've known quite a few people with strabismus. I try my best to maintain eye contact, as I don't want them to feel uncomfortable - I either focus on the 'good' eye or look between their eyes.


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## Nibbler (Nov 5, 2010)

I remember my teacher had a lazy eye really hard when i was beeing told off as didn't know which one to look at! lol


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## NomadChild (Apr 30, 2012)

I couldn't stop laughing while reading this. Just focus on the good eye. I'm sure it's more troubling for the person with the lazy eye since they are the one that have to deal with it.


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## arnie (Jan 24, 2012)

JustThisGuy said:


> I did this to a professor. I went to chat with him in his office and...I thought he was looking to the left, behind me...so then I looked and he said, "just my lazy eye, no one's behind you." I felt awful. Haha. Sooooo awkward.


He's not criticizing you. Just being jovial.


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## KelsKels (Oct 4, 2011)

Ive had to interact with some people with a lazy eye.. its so awkward. I usually just look at the good one. But the entire time Im worried theyre thinking Im rude or something.


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## Fruitcake (Jan 19, 2012)

I just look at the good eye. People can't actually tell very easily which eye you're looking at anyway. It's one of those situations that is awkward for most people, not just people with SA, so I'm sure they're accustomed to people being a bit unsure about it. They wouldn't think you're rude.


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## SAM101 (Nov 19, 2010)

I had this teacher who had a lazy eye.

This one time i was chewing in class, (your not allowed to eat, let alone chew gum) so the teacher starts shoutting to the class about eatting in class and shes shouting at my friend whos sitting besides me. Im thinking to myself why doesnt my idiot friend just get up and spit it out, so i turn to look at my friend and realise her mouth isnt moving. ops


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## MushroomGeek (Apr 14, 2012)

One of my mates has a lazy eye, and i always look at the lazy one and then i get paranoid he knows im looking at it:/


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## j a m (Jan 26, 2012)

Hahaha. Sometimes I accidentally stare at breasts or "packages" in an effort to avoid eye contact. It doesn't occur to me that I'm doing this until it's too late... does anyone else almost stop seeing or hearing when really anxious? I feel deaf, blind and dumb (old fashioned definition) sometimes and it' really frustrating.

Ah, haha. People have thought that I'm hitting on them or am pervy because of the conditionally blind staring prob.


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## TryingMara (Mar 25, 2012)

I have strabismus and have undergone several surgeries to realign my eyes. Unlike some of the previous posters, I find no humor in this. It's humiliating and has substantially contributed to my SA. It's diffiicult enough to make eye contact when you're overly anxious around people, but it's another thing altogether when full on looking into someone's eyes is a physical impossibility. It has always made me feel even worse knowing I made others uncomfortable.

And yes of course people will notice what eye you're focusing on or whether your gaze shifts from eye to eye. At least from my experience, it was all I could focus on.


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## sourpatch (May 11, 2012)

Haha omg my assistant manager's right eye is off angle and i have the same problem. Generally I try to look away when I talk to him/steal quick overall glances to his face/avoid talking to him when possible.ah geez


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## Ramon (May 24, 2011)

I giggled a little too when I read the title

But I don't think I ever met anyone with a "lazy eye"


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## Midnight Laces (May 5, 2012)

Sometimes, I get a lazy eye.

And that is one of many reasons why I wear sunglasses.


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## macaw (Sep 6, 2010)

I tend to look people in between the eyes, whether they have a lazy eye or not.

And then at the floor, or a window, or their desk...


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## KILOBRAVO (Sep 17, 2011)

I laughed a bit when I read the opening post.(sorry)

I remember once when I was school , went at lunchtime to the meat counter at a supermarket to buy some cold meat for putting in a sandwich.

One of the ladies had a lazy eye, and when she asked what i wanted at the counter, I didnt realize she was talking to me, i thought she was looking at someone behind me.

I turned round , saw no-one there, and had to say 'sorry, I thought you were talking to someone else.' just because it didnt look like she was looking at me.....i felt bad for a while that day.......


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## Grimsey (Apr 21, 2012)

I don't think there's anything funny about it, but for some reason I always focus on the "bad" eye. My train of thought goes something like "I think your eyes are just fine and there's nothing unusual about it" so I guess I try and overcompensate.. if that makes sense. (Sigh) I'm an idiot.


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## Ali477 (May 7, 2012)

Midnight Laces said:


> Sometimes, I get a lazy eye.
> 
> And that is one of many reasons why I wear sunglasses.


Go to an eye specialist before it gets worse!! its easily treated you know.


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## arnie (Jan 24, 2012)

Look at the nose.


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## TryingMara (Mar 25, 2012)

arnie said:


> sorry but this is hilarious :haha
> 
> and to the OP. Look at the nose.


Except for when you're the one with a lazy eye.


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## cogent (May 28, 2012)

TryingMara said:


> Except for when you're the one with a lazy eye.


Wasting your time, TryingMara, it's how people are. Unless they have the issue, they don't give a damn or care about making others feel like crap. It's a recurrent theme on this forum, I've noticed. Yet when anyone dare make fun of SA, may they burn in hell.
Ignore the fools who think others issues are fun. Not worth your time or effort.
No I don't have offset eyes or a lazy eye, I just notice the heartlessness and thoughtlessness that comes with being a 'sufferer' of SA, apparently.


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## Osito (Apr 25, 2012)

I have an outer lazy eye. The only two people I've known with one, theirs both went inward. I didn't have any trouble looking at them. There are times when I have trouble with eye contact. In that case I just look at their forehead until I can look them in the eye.


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## InsideHurt (May 20, 2012)

my aunts fiance had a lazy eye and it was just as easy to talk to him as any1 else for me... But since i've had s.a i haven't really talked to anyone . turning into a mime kinda


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## prabhat thakuri (Apr 25, 2013)

lazy eye is damn irritating in life,i know it coz i am suffering from it.**** i wana overcome it any way,my mind is not losing for the worsen things.


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## RobAlister (Apr 4, 2010)

There are two different Walmarts that I go to and both have workers that have strabismus. I have learned to just look them in their eye (not their pupils) like anyone else. 

On another note, it seems like one of my eyes is starting to move off point or whatever you call it. It upset me at first but it's the least of my problems.


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