Extrasensory issues and College

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For the past two weeks, I have had awful extrasensory issues. Alongside, I have had migraines and gastrointestinal issues. This happens once in a great while but the college structure makes it even worse.

I have watched my A grade (that I had earned for the past four weeks) in my computer class drop to a C in a single week because my extrasensory were so bad I could not stay in any lecture without having a meltdown. When I had to come to lecture fifteen minutes late one day, due to dizziness, extrasensory issues, and a migraine, we had a lecture quiz.

Before we took the quiz, the professor then said at loud to the class, "Well, because someone came late they will not be able to do half of this quiz."

I felt like I was about to die right on the spot. I forced myself to go to class when I was sick, and that is the way I am treated.

Gastrointestinal issues have come up at the worst of times. Every morning, I go to the bathroom at the exact same time. Unfortunately, that same time is when I take my quiz in physics. I have to force myself to sit through the quiz as my stomach hurts so bad. (After, I rush to the bathroom for the next ten minutes to relieve myself).

For my math midterm, I had the same problem. Because it was at the same time as my gastrointestinal issues. I struggled to do the whole midterm while clutching my stomach in a frenzy of pain.

Worse than anything, when I went to go get help for these issues from doctors, people thought I was lying or insane.

College, to me, is now inhumane. I feel like I am being treated like an animal. What is the point of having accomodations for autism if they do not even work? Autism is more than just a learning disability. It can be a sensory issue and gastrointestinal issue as well.

I am losing hope, and I am wondering what the point is anymore in life. How am I supposed to think I can hold a job successfully if I cannot even stay in class?

In addition to that, my roommate is being very inconsiderate and would not even turn off the light at 12:30 at night even when I was in intense pain from a migraine headache and trying to go to sleep. She told me, "This is college, you should expect not to get any sleep." I screamed and yelled at her so now my only sanctuary, my room, feels hostile even though I apologized for my outburst. When I ask her something like if I can open the window, she will ignore me.

It is not like I am a bad student. I have a 3.34 GPA in computer science at the moment. I just have so much stacked on top of me in expectations of normalcy that I feel like I am being suffocated. And I feel their is no compromise to be reached.

I feel like my only option is crash and burn. ='(

I had this when I was younger before I became ill.

Maybe you should talk to the guidance counselor about support with your sensory problems.

Geez, that sounds really horrible. I am sorry that you are going through that. I have always had frequent stomach aches and migraines, but I have noticed on days that I have class...it is MUCH worse. I always assumed that it was due to my panic disorder. I wish that I could offer some advice...but I am actually dealing with very similar circumstances. I have also been embarrassed for coming into class late (which is a VERY difficult thing for me to do in general because of my anxiety) either being told off by the teacher or kicked out. It inhales quite deeply. I have just been trying to "grin and bear it" because that is all I can do. In college...no one really cares about what goes on in your personal life. And they aren't really supposed to. That sound harsh...and it does not apply to ALL professors. Just...the vast majority of them will tell you outright that they are not interested in what's going on with you. I was told that at the beginning of the semester by all of my professors in some form. I mean, I have massive panic attacks just from coming in a few minutes late...and I'll get, like, this crippling fear of walking in. My first teacher knows that. He also knows that I ride the bus and the buses tend to come late. He still expects me to arrive on time. He does not care about the circumstances. That isn't his job.

I have AS, medical problems, and right now I'm in the process of taking a medical leave from college, so I feel your pain.

As for seeing doctors about your issues; it's hard to find a good doctor, and it will take some time. I don't know what kind of doctors you have seen, but try to see a specialist. It's worth traveling to see someone who's known to be a really good doc. I usually take someone along with me (like my mom) that is better at summarizing and explaining than I am. Some doctors just do better speaking to an adult than someone our age (19/20 year olds). You may have to see some doctors in your area so they can recommend someone elsewhere.

Does your stomach start hurting at that same time every day, or do you have test anxiety? It might be worth asking if for one of your accommodations you could do testing privately. That's a common accommodation...taking tests sometime after class in a room by yourself where it's quieter, etc. If it's just at the same time, have you tried taking a preventative medication?

As for your roommate, that's just unacceptable. First thing you can do is explain that incident to your RA. If you still have problems, you can go to residence life and request a new roommate/to be moved somewhere else. If I were in your position, I would probably bypass the RA and go to res life (I have a lot of headaches and I would have no tolerance for a roommate like that). If you get out of school in May/sometime soon, it might not be worth changing rooms, but I would still talk to someone and see if you can resolve the problem.

Yeah, testing accomodations came to me as wonderful gift from heaven. I think they've been a difference between a C or D and A or high B for me. I get twice the amount of time for all my tests, which I take in a private room with a window with natural light from outside.
If I didn't have accomodations I think i'd end up doing things like just not taking finals (diverting my walking path on the way to the building and getting on a train to some random place far from campus), and it would be really hard to stay in school at all.
Which gives me the thought that I ought to write my disability resource a nice thankful letter at some point.