Actor Brad Pitt revealed in a recent interview that he suffers from prosopagnosia, a rare neurological disorder also known as “facial blindness.”
Dani Blum describes the disorder’s signs, causes, and remedies in an article for the New York Times.
Borna Bonakdarpour, a behavioral neurologist at Northwestern Medicine, claims that face blindness—not color blindness or general vision impairment—is the main symptom of prosopagnosia.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that there is no connection between the illness and memory loss, vision problems, or learning impairments.
Blum continues, “It is not the same as forgetting or occasionally having trouble finding the correct word.
The severity of prosopagnosia will differ from person to person.
For instance, some people might have problems identifying a familiar face, such as that of a close friend or relative, while others might have trouble identifying their own reflection.
Additionally, some people might not be able to distinguish between faces and objects.
Notably, some data indicates that individuals with prosopagnosia may have chronic anxiety or depression due to the loneliness and fear that are frequently associated with the illness.
Blum notes that some people avoid contact with family members and other loved ones out of concern that they won’t be able to properly recognize or acknowledge them.
“Navigating basic social relationships with prosopagnosia can become difficult,” she says.
Pitt admitted that he has trouble recognizing people’s faces for years in a recent interview with GQ, despite never having gotten a formal prosopagnosia diagnosis.
In fact, Pitt claimed in a 2013 interview with Esquire that his difficulty recognizing people’s appearances was so great that it frequently made him want to isolate himself.
He explained, “That’s why I stay at home.
What is the condition’s cause?
People who are diagnosed with prosopagnosia often fall into one of two categories: either they are born with it or they acquire it.
However, estimations reveal that as many as one in every 50 people may struggle with some lifetime form of the disorder, and experts hypothesize that it may run in families.
According to Blum, research “suggests that congenital, or lifelong, prosopagnosia is less prevalent.”
According to Andrey Stojic, director of general neurology at the Cleveland Clinic, children born with the illness “don’t seem to have any visible structural abnormality” in the brain.
Notably, doctors don’t fully understand what causes congenital prosopagnosia because there aren’t any obvious brain lesions in persons who have it.
In contrast, people who develop prosopagnosia later in life may have brain abnormalities brought on by a trauma or head injury.
According to Bonakdarpour, individuals can also develop prosopagnosia while dealing with Alzheimer’s illness or following a stroke.
What therapies are available for prosopagnosia?
Prosopagnosia is now untreatable, according to Bonakdarpour. The problem can be treated, though.
People who have the syndrome frequently attempt to distinguish between people by focusing on physical characteristics like hair color, gait, or voice.
My Stepmother Wore My Late Mom’s Necklace at Her Wedding without My Permission – I Was Enraged & Taught Her a Lesson
When my stepmother stole my late Mom’s necklace and wore it at her wedding without my consent, I was shattered. Furious, I did something that left everyone gasping.
I’m Olive, 23. This isn’t a sob story, but it’s about a necklace. My late Mom’s necklace, the only thing left of her. I lost her to cancer when I was 19. She was my rock, my confidante, my everything.
Dad introduced his new fiancée, Magdalene, who immediately coveted Mom’s necklace. “Olive, honey,” Dad started, “Magdalene really admires your mother’s necklace. She says it would look perfect with her wedding dress.” I was furious. “Dad, that necklace is everything to me. It’s Mom’s.” But he insisted, and I had to hide it.
On their wedding day, I stayed home and checked on the necklace, only to find it gone. I knew who had taken it. I called Magdalene. “You took it,” I accused her. “How dare you take my Mom’s necklace without my permission?” She brushed me off, saying she’d return it after the honeymoon.
I called the cops. At the wedding, they retrieved the necklace from Magdalene, causing chaos. Dad and Magdalene were furious. “You ruined our wedding!” she screamed. Dad added, “That was petty and crazy, Olive. You humiliated us!”
Heartbroken but resolute, I moved out, taking Mom’s memories and her necklace with me. Though the pain lingered, I emerged stronger, holding on to the love and memories of my Mom.
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