I have Prosopagnosia - Ask Me Anything

Basically I just found out yesterday that I suffer from prosopagnosia, which is basically the inability to recognise people's faces (aka Face Blindness).

Some symptoms include:
* When I meet someone, I am most likely not going to recognise them the following day
* When a good friend gets a haircut I will struggle to identify him afterwards
* I have pretty much never recognised someone who I went to school with a few years back (they've always had to tell me who they were)

Ask Me Anything

Reply 1

Adeel Ali

Do you remember you mother after she's had a haircut?

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by Adeel Ali

Do you remember you mother after she's had a haircut?

Is that supposed to be funny?

Reply 3

ummm

Original post by muffingg

I've read that some people with prosopagnosia emotionally respond to familiar people even if they don't consciously recognise them. Does this happen to you?

Reply 4

xoxAngel_Kxox

How old are you, and how is it that you're only being diagnosed now? Surely not recognising people is something you would find a problem before?

Reply 5

inachigeek21

Your interests?
Dreams & aspirations?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Would you want to be someone different?
If so, why?
Greatest desire to pursue and why?
Currently studying?

Reply 6

muffingg

Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox

How old are you, and how is it that you're only being diagnosed now? Surely not recognising people is something you would find a problem before?

I'm 23 now but I always thought it is just something I'm not good at. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and I thought this is just one of my weaknesses. Similar to how so many people say they can't remember people's names or don't have a good long term memory etc. I thought this was just one of those things until I randomly just searched about it whether there are any tips on how to improve this and found out it is an actual thing called Prosopagnosia.

Reply 7

muffingg

Original post by ummm

I've read that some people with prosopagnosia emotionally respond to familiar people even if they don't consciously recognise them. Does this happen to you?

Sorry, I'm not completely sure on what you mean by emotionally responding to familiar people?

Reply 8

muffingg

Original post by Adeel Ali

Do you remember you mother after she's had a haircut?

My mother doesn't usually have haircuts that change her appearance massively. If it is my dad, brother, close friend or so, however, I do often struggle to recognise them.

Reply 9

muffingg

Original post by inachigeek21

Your interests?
Dreams & aspirations?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Would you want to be someone different?
If so, why?
Greatest desire to pursue and why?
Currently studying?

* Build a happy family, be able to live on my own, buy a house
* Working in my field at a reputed company or in a senior role with additional responsibilities
* Not on a whole level because I think I have strengths that most people don't have. When it comes to certain aspects of life, however, I do sometimes wish to be a particular friend of mine who's better in that aspect than I.
* See above
* Create / Do something that I will be proud of
* Not currently studying

Reply 10

Mrs House

Do you plan to have children?

How will your future gf or wife tolerate it?

Is it curable or at least treatable?

Reply 11

muffingg

Original post by Mrs House

Do you plan to have children?

How will your future gf or wife tolerate it?

Is it curable or at least treatable?

Yes I do plan to have children

Well, everyone has weaknesses. That's like asking how will someone's gf tolerate that he can't use a computer or doesn't drink etc etc. Besides, it isn't that bad with people I know and if they don't change their appearances regularly. Once I do know someone well, I'm less likely to forget their faces assuming there is no drastic change in their appearance (like hairstyle etc)

As of now there isn't a cure or treatment for this available but research is still in the prrocess.

Reply 12

catsis

Who diagnosed you with it and how did they do it? Is it acquired or congenital? If it is acquired, how did you do it?

As an aspiring neuroscientist I so want to test your brain to see what's up!! :eek:

Reply 13

muffingg

Original post by catsis

I first went to the GP to express my concerns and they refered me to a neuropsychologist at a hospital. There I was shown some faces of celebrities without their hair and I had to first tell if I could recognise them or not and if not, I needed to say if I even knew the person. If I couldn't recognise the face, but knew the person, that was a sign of prosopognosia. Also I was shown some faces and was told to recognise them afterwards (again without their hair)

I then received a letter a week later that I did indeed have Prosopognosia. They have given me an appointment next week to go back and find out more about it etc.

Reply 14

bettythegeordie

Have you ever been irritated with yourself because you couldn't recognise someone? Has it bothered you?
Also, did you ever at one point think you have eyesight troubles? Just a random question because I'm short sighted (I mean extremely short sighted) and often can't tell who people are at certain distances.
I have to pull a funny face and pick out a colour or something strange

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Reply 15

muffingg

Original post by bettythegeordie

I have indeed been irritated to some extend at times because it is really frustrating not being able to recognise people. Often when I go to the local grocery shop or so, I can't really know if the same person is serving me as the other day etc. It has therefore really been bothering me at times. But I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with my sight.

Reply 16

bettythegeordie

Well I hope it improves for you 😊 I personally hate not knowing things but yes

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Reply 17

muffingg

Original post by bettythegeordie

Well I hope it improves for you I personally hate not knowing things but yes

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I highly doubt it'll improve. It hasn't in the past 20 years, why would it now. Don't get me wrong, I have great memory, have memorised pi to 100 digits, all capitals of the world etc etc but it is simply faces that I can't recognise.

But thanks for the kind words.