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?
most people’s headaches are not usually that bad. i used to get migraines like that when i was younger (though thankfully not for a long time), but i can also get a regular headache which is unpleasant and painful, but not debilitatingly so, if i get dehydrated, or congested, or hypoglycemic, or an excess of muscle tension in my neck and back.