Bad myopia?

When does myopia become just embarrassingly bad? I have -4.00 in one eye and -4.25 in the other, and I can not visit my ophthalmologist just yet, so I do not want that answer please.

You didn't mention your age, but usually myopia stabilizes before the age of 30. As mentioned in one of the above answers you have moderate myopia. High degree myopia is -6.0D and over.

Myopia can become "bad" when people develop pathological degenerative changes at the back of the eye. These changes can reduce the acuity of vision that can never be corrected with glasses, contacts or surgery. This pathologic myopia is rare and prescriptions usually go over -10.0 D.

Know also that even people who suffer from high degree myopia (less than -10.0 D) don't necessarily develop degenerative changes at the back of the eye.

I must also mention that it is common misconception that presbyopia will correct myopia. This won't happen because the cause of presbyopia is inability of lens to accommodate to near vision and the only benefit you might expect out of it that you may never need reading glasses, but it won't affect your distant vision at all. However, it is possible that the eye reduces itself on it's own with age which does result in better distant vision.

Also, myopia is not incurable condition that can only progress as is generally believed. There are eye exercises that can reduce myopia, if practiced every day. I don't know how they work, but I know for a fact that they work. It seems that through these exercises your eye somehow return to normal shape.

I suffered from myopia (-1.0 D) and was able to completely improve my vision with these exercises.

Best regards,

-4.00 is not anything to be embarrassed about.
You must wear contact lenses or glassed, however.

Myopia up to 3.0 dioptres (D) is termed mild degree, 3.0 to 6.0D is moderate degree and high degree is 6.0D and over. A dioptre is a measurement of the focusing power of a lens.

Most commonly, myopia will stabilize when the growth process has been completed and will result in normal sight after correction with glasses, for example.

High degree myopia (sometimes known as pathological myopia or degenerative myopia) is a chronic, degenerative condition which can create problems because of its association with degenerative changes at the back of the eye.

I'm nearsighted but I'm worse than you. I've noticed that since I've gotten into my forties, my prescription has actually gotten stronger. Glasses I got a decade ago are now too weak for me. It actually bothers me because I don't really want to get any worse than I already am. Years ago, I was told by an eye care specialist that the presbyopia commonly associated with older people would actually start to correct my vision. It hasn't happened. I haven't really developed the presbyopia even though most people my age have. Apparently, that's one of the few advantages of being nearsighted. That problem won't really start to develop until I'm in my 70s.

That is nothing. My eyes are both -11 and I am legally blind in the left.

You have only a moderate prescription. It is really nothing out of the ordinary. I see people that are 2-3x your prescription.