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Understanding Irlen : A Patient’s Perspective Part 1: Patterns and Glare.
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Understanding Irlen: A Patient’s PerspectivePart 1: Patterns and Glare
In a Nutshell: The following pictures were taken as part of my experiment to uncover what was causing my ‘’Nausea and Unease Spikes’’ as I call them.The experiment, which took place over several months, involved re-training myself to walk down staircasesand to cross streets.It should be noted that I am considered to have a ‘’severe’’ form of the disorder.My hope in sharing this information is simply to educate people about the existence of this highly complex and often misunderstood disorder.
I count each step to know where to put my foot because I fear falling down stairs.
Depending on the light and shadows, steps can look like one a giant slide. Wide, beige steps are particularly hard to see.
Patterns, noise and oncoming cars are very distracting when trying to cross the street.
The textured brick, metal siding and vertical window blinds of this building are seen through horizontal window blinds from the office across the street. I feel nauseated and uneasy when I enter this office.
Bold, brightly coloured print looks like 3D images leaping out of the wall. I feel nauseated when we decorate offices like this.
The glare from the sun reflecting off the metal railing hurts my eyes. A lot.
I have no fear of crowds, yet I feel uneasy in this area because of the overhead lighting. The 2012 Montreal Comiccon hosted 32,000 visitors over a 3-day period.
The glare from the lighting fixtures, the patterns on the walls, ceiling and floor, the movement of the oncoming train and the fear of tripping used to be very distracting.
The glare from the overhead light fixtures reflecting off the smooth, shiny steps is very distracting.
1 of 3: I have no fear of crossing this bridge, yet the patterns, lines and textures are distracting.
2 of 3: I have no fear of actually crossing this bridge, yet the patterns, lines and textures are distracting.
3 of 3: If I look OVER the railing and practice calm breathing for a few minutes the nausea subsides. I can then just stand there and admire the scenery.
A Word of Thanks! To myfriends, family, colleagues and to thosewhounderstandthatIrlenis all in the brain (not the head) A bigThankyou! (And, YES, youwere right… I shouldn’tfeelbad about having to wear a hatat a familygathering if the hostessisactuallygoingaroundserving hors d’œuvres wearingher Mickey Mouse Ears…)