Light Sensitivity.

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I do not think I get light sensitivity much though there are times when they fill rooms with lots of those long striplights that it is too much and can cause headaches or the sun can make me squint, but I always thought this was normal? I am usually ok with striplights unless they flicker.
Now if I was extremely light sensitive, I would really notice, but how can one tell if one is normal or slightly light sensitive? Mind you, it does not really matter. I am just curious as if light sensitivity could be a shutdown trigger for me or if it was overthinking, as I remember a time when I went into a shutdown and the ONLY possible causes for that mystery shutdown was either overthinking, or light sensitivity as it was a bright sunny day and I was cycling downhill through trees so the sun was giving quite a flickering effect.
It effects me less in a car... I mean.. Well. I don't like it but I put the sunvisor down.

I noticed for several weeks after and during the last burnout I wore sunglasses in the car when I was in a mentally "Fragile" stage, even though we were going into winter. It helped calm me so I could concentrate on driving. Somehow the sunglasses reduced stress?

Tell you what I once had was when I was at my dentist. Once (And they don't remember this when I once enquired) they put on these orange shades over my eyes to protect them, and I was so interested in this interesting new colour that I did not notice my teeth. I normally am half way on the floor with shutdowns at the dentist and that is before I go in! I want a pair of the eye protectors! The problem is they did not remember the occasion and they do not normally have them, but what is it about colours that have such an effect like this? Interesting, as somehow the colour makes one be in a different world to reality, so ones anxiety and stress are subdued. Anyone else notice this?

Sure.
If I walk in places my eyes don't have enough threshold over, I'd end up looking down the whole time.

While spending that entire time tolerating in an overwhelming like fog, navigating, participating...

It went a bit easier since I had my glasses tinted. No need to end up looking down.



And tolerating past one's usual thresholds is very draining in general.

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Firstly I am not 100% sure that I am fully in touch with my senses as I have noticed things which now are coming to light that I never knew about myself before since I have found out what the shutdowns are and what cause them. I know for sure now that certain smells can, or rather do cause me shutdowns if I can't remove myself from the enviroment in time, so I am still finding these things out as it takes a slow process of sifting through memories and comparing mental notes with what happens today in order to find out the triggers, and while I can't avoid partial shutdowns if I come across a trigger, I am more successful now in avoiding full out shutdowns, as in the past I was getting them because I did not know what was going on!

The problem is in finding what senses I may not be in touch with, as most senses I am in touch with (I believe), but some I find I don't feel until they hit me full on and I then I can be likely to shut down because I had not realized? I am going through theory here as at the moment some of what I am saying requires deep thought.

Anyway. You can tell I am still working it out. Shane my brain has no diagnostic tool. I could remap my brain for greater performance! (I am joking of course!)

outdoors most of the time in daylight, i MUST wear sunglasses. indoors at the produce section of the store [glaringly brightly lit] i must also wear sunglasses. i can no longer watch fireworks as they give me overstimulation and headaches. strobing lights cause something akin of a subtle seizure, i get "fuzzy."

Smells are triggers. Stress and unexpectedly being asked to do something that requires change etc.
Overthinking can cause me to shutdown I believe. If not then I am puzzled.

overthinking does other things to me, like give me blinding headaches, sore neck and back, a general feeling of sickness. i need much sleep to recover from such.

My eyes are very sensitive to light. I prefer a cloudy day to a very sunny one because of that! I'd rather live my life in the dark if I could. hah

I am predominantly highly sensitive to light but it is one sensitivity I do not mind having due too phyco-motor reasons. It also depends on how well I have slept, I have had impaired/distorted sleep patterns since a child, the less I have slept the more sensitive to light. The more I have slept, which is rarely, the less sensitive I am too light. Also depends on how much I have eaten. Carbohydrates, meat and overthinking seem have a direct effect on sensory processing, that is why I am vegetarian, it keeps my mind clear.

Can it be possible to have a sensitivity but not notice it or rather, not sense it? I mean... Uhmm. Only have the shutdown effect trough the trigger, but not neccessarily realizing what has been happening until later?

(I believe that it was overthinking at the time rather then light sensitivity. I am trying to fathom out a past situation).

My eyes are very sensitive to light.

Yes, lights can flicker and that can cause problems.

Sometimes what a good idea is is to check with someone you know doesn't have light sensitivity (which doesn't include all NTs, my mum has light sensitivity and is NT). Ask them if they see the light flickering or not.

Cos often they don't notice unless it's really obvious.

When my light sensitivity is bad, it feels like someone stabbed me in the eye from inside the eye. I've had both my mother and father describe it in equally graphic terms. My dad's feels like it's burning him and my mum says it's a sewing needle poking at it.

Idk if my dad's on the spectrum but we always speculated he was. He's schizophrenic. My mum's NT but has migraines, probably due to a long term disease (I don't name it cos it's rare).

I have no feeling as far as I am aware. I am squinting a little more then others on occasions but I assumed this was normal?

I prefer darker lighting than most people do but I'm not super sensitive to light either. It's a mild nuisance at worst.