New Delhi: The Ishq Vishk actress Shenaz Treasury said on Tuesday that she has a medical problem that makes it difficult for her to recognise people's faces. This is a neurological ailment called prosopagnosia. Face blindness, also known as prosopagnosia, is a disorder that makes it challenging to recognise the faces of others.
Shahid Kapoor's co-star shared the news through her Instagram story. Shenaz wrote, “I have been diagnosed with prosopagnosia. Now, I understand why I’ve never been able to put faces together. It’s a cognitive disorder. I always felt ashamed that I can’t recognise faces. I recognise voices.”
For the unversed, the condition of ‘Prosopagnosia’ may be brought on by a stroke, a severe brain injury, or even some neurodegenerative disorders. In some people, the condition is congenital, meaning it was already there at birth even if there was no evidence of brain injury.
The symptoms of the disease were also addressed by the actor. As she put it, “Signs and symptoms of face blindness/prosopagnosia. 1. You have failed to recognise a close friend or family member, especially when you weren’t expecting to see them. Yes, that is me. Takes me a minute to register who the person is. Sometimes even a close friend I haven’t seen in a while.”
She further added, “You have difficulty recognising neighbours, friends, coworkers, clients, schoolmates. People you know expect you to recognise them. Failing to recognise someone might make you seem aloof. Many sufferers report losing friends and offending coworkers because they have failed to recognise them. This is me. And I thought I was just dumb.”
She went on to ask her admirers and followers to treat her with kindness and realise that she is not aloof or snobbish despite the disease she suffers from. “I have always felt so ashamed that I mix up people and can’t recognise faces of people — even close friends after a few years. this is a real brain issue. Please be kind and understand,” she said.
Recently, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt said in an interview with GQ that he believes he may be suffering from prosopagnosia but has not been clinically diagnosed.