The Headache from Hell

Yesterday, August 8th, I woke up with a dull, achy headache in my left temple. It was annoying right from the start. I took all my meds like normal and went to work, hoping it would ease up. But nope, it just kept getting worse. The pain spread across my forehead and to my right temple. By the time I left work, my pain level was a 3—and for me, that’s pretty bad. I’m not sensitive to pain, so my 3 is probably someone else’s 5 or 6.

On top of that, my light and sound sensitivity was doubled yesterday. That was excruciating since I already have heightened sensitivity to both. Every noise and glare felt like stabbing pain.

To top it all off, my right shoulder was still hurting too. Honestly, the whole day felt like my body was just betraying me.

I really don’t want to go to the ER over it. I hate going there. They don’t treat me very nicely, and the stress of that place just makes everything worse.

So here I am, pushing through it the best I can, taking care of myself, and hoping this nightmare headache eases up soon.

Coping Strategies That Helped

Lowered the lights and wore blue-tinted glasses to reduce glare.
Used noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs to block out sound overload.
Took breaks away from screens and bright lights when possible.
Did gentle neck and shoulder stretches to ease tension.
Used my weighted blanket and stim toy for calming sensory input.
Stayed hydrated and kept up with my meds even though it was hard to focus.

These don’t erase the pain but make it a bit more manageable.

A Note for Neurotypicals

If you don’t have sensory sensitivities or chronic pain, it’s hard to understand how intense even a “level 3” headache feels for me. Lights and sounds that seem normal to you can feel like nails on a chalkboard to me. And my pain threshold? Way different.

Please be patient and gentle if someone says they’re hurting or overwhelmed, even if it doesn’t look like much on the outside. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not real or serious.

Search This Blog