About CBS

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) causes people who have lost some sight to see things that aren’t actually there, also known as hallucinating. It is only caused through sight loss and isn’t a sign of mental health problems.

There are two main types of hallucinations:

  1. simple repeated patterns or shapes, such as grids or brickwork patterns.
  2. complex hallucinations of people, objects and landscapes.

The condition can be quite frightening but become less frequent with time, many people who live with cataracts, glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy will develop CBS at a stage when most of their vision is gone. It’s difficult to know how many people have the condition – as many people don’t talk about it or tell their doctors.

There is currently no treatment for CBS, but knowing it slows down over time and that it’s not linked to mental health can help a lot. Talking to others or your GP about your condition could help give you a piece of mind.

Here at Beacon we like to make you feel comfortable and relaxed so if you live with CBS, we can help you with a wide range of services that we offer, from rehabilitation, employment, health & wellbeing, arts & crafts and lot’s more. Email us on: enquiries@beaconvision.org to find out more.