I’ve never had a headache that wasn’t agonizing pain. If I don’t take medicine, I get completely dysfunctional, hide in a room with no lights or noise, and stim like crazy until I throw up around ~6 hours into it. About 15 mins after throwing up, the pain subsides, and I get amazing sleep. I have never had a headache that wasn’t like this. The only medicines that work are ibuprofen (so I have that with me literally everywhere I go because these headaches are truly traumatizing) or if they’re really bad and go to the hospital, an injection of an NSAID, benadryl, and diazepam.

Yet, I hear people say they have a headache and are still out about doing things. For example, I specifically remember my middle school bus driver yelling at a student, “Not today, Jiovani! I’ve got a headache!” How in the world was she able to drive a loud school bus in the sun and yell at the same time with a headache??

I’m wondering if this is an autism thing because of the overstimulation and stimming, or if that’s just how I handle the stress of a headache because I’m autistic. Does anyone else have similar experiences or can function with a headache?

  • @JeraxusEnglish
    3•9 months ago

    It’s probably the worst thing about my headaches: I’m still functionning. So I don’t take medicine and wait for the pain to disapear magically. When I notice it didn’t disapear I think again to take medicine but tell myself that it will be the end of the day soon so it’s useless. Then I get home and continue to suffer because I’m home so I don’t need to be fully functionning, so I struggle with my chores cus of the pain.

    So I end up with constant headaches, carrying all painkiller I need with me everywhere but nearly never taking them.