Sensitive
Hi everyone,
So today is not a good day. We had a storm last night that is still pretty intense and my migraine was awful. I was alone with my kids this morning to take them to pre school, and there was a big accident ahead of us (no one hurt) on our way there that we had to wait by. All the noice, lights and discussions with officers etc was terrible for my migraine. (I know Im am NOT the one to feel sorry for in this situation.)
I always feel like my brain is so sensitive during migraine, its like its exposed and doesnt have a filter. Everything I hear and see is overwhelming and this in combination with the other symptoms always triggers me even more and gives me anxiety and especially social anxiety because I cant stand being in a store feeling like this, or doing small talk and I just want to lie down in a dark room.
My dr says its ”totally normal” but I would love to hear from you if you experience the same and if you have any advice on how to cope with it. It gives me too much down time not being able to run errands and to do normal stuff.
You certainly are not alone, Meic! Heightened sensitivity, particularly to light and sound is something many in the community also experience. I thought these articles might offer you some support:
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/your-experience-with-heightened-sensitivity/
https://migraine.com/blog/highly-sensitive-people/
I hear how frustrating it feels needing to function when the outside world becomes a trigger for making your symptoms worse. Please know we are always here to listen when you need support or a safe space to vent. Wishing you a gentle day. ~Allyson (Migraine.com team)Thank you for you kind words Allyson!
I Will read those articles right away.
Meic-
I know exactly how you feel during a migraine. My husband will come home after working all day. I will be in the bedroom with pillows over my head to reduce noise. He may start talking at a regular level and I’m like shhhhhh!
He may open a letter, take his shoes off, any of these simple noises make my head want to explode! He could be cooking, opening bags and boxes of ingredients, just those small noises make me cringe 😬
I have earplugs I wear around the house all the time . They reduce the noise but don’t take it away fully. Then if I really need something better, I have noise-canceling headphones. Those are great!
My husband got them on amazon for me.
Great when you expect loud noises. Flying, going by parades in a car, etc.So hard to find quiet time when kids are involved. 😉
Good luck.
You are not alone. I'm fortunate that my photo and phonosensitivity is heightened but not usually *quite* as disabling as you describe. I carry earplugs at all times and use them at most movies and sometimes just around the house. My friends and family have to be mindful of what they say when I'm anywhere nearby because they know they have less privacy than they think! I also carry and use sunglasses extensively--SunShield makes some with a really nice heavy plastic "shelf" around much of the rim that takes them halfway to goggles and blocks a lot of light. I wrote the seed article for the Wikihow on dealing with sensitivity to light, which has some other recommendations too: https://www.wikihow.com/Deal-with-Sensitivity-to-Light
blessings!
These are great tips,
! You've gotta do whatever it takes to stay as comfortable as possible -- glad you've found some things that help you. Take care, Melissa (migraine.com team)
I know what you mean about getting social anxiety! My sensitivity to light gets so bad during my migraines, and my eyes have trouble focusing. It’s like they have to work extra hard, which is super tiring. Just having a one on one convo is exhausting!
