Visual Migraines And Ptsd?

[Hope4Now]

Today, I had my first visual migraine. I thought something awful was happening...like I was going blind or having some neurological episode. But so many odd physical things have happened to me in the past 6 months that then I realized this was probably just one more. I found something online that described my experience almost exactly. I did not get much of a headache after, just the vivid moving colors and spiky geometric shapes. It went away after about 40 minutes. (Once I stopped being afraid of it, it was actually an amazing visual experience!)

Has anyone else had this experience? Something else I read online says migraines can be related to alexithymia. The descriptions of that don't sound like me, although I definitely have a lot of repressed emotion.

Is this yet another of my body's defenses against blocked memories and emotions? Chronic pain, involuntary body movements, pins and needles, shaking, cold, vomiting, weight loss, now this? What's next? And how in H do I get out of this cycle? I'd welcome any advice or support or anything, really. Thanks.

 

[Echo]

Hi @Hope4Now - I have migraines relatively regularly, but I only once experienced this weird zig-zagging thing. It is certainly a freaky phenomenon. I don't know why it occurs in that way. I always associate migraines (for me) with a false sense of guilt. Once I have found out what I am feeling guilty about and told myself off (and forgiven myself), I find they disappear.

I am currently reading (rather slowly) Belleruth Naparstek's book, Invisible Heroes. Survivors of trauma and how they heal, Piatkus, 2006. I'm finding her explanation of the physiological effects of trauma very helpful. We are swimming with biochemicals that cause all these toxic build-ups and the resultant muscle pain, etc., etc. Highly recommended.

 

[franciemarnie]

I uses to get psychedelic visuals before migraines. Groovy day glow!!

My brother would get a "migraine equivalent" where he would see a dark arc obstructing his vision, but he had no pain and it would go away.

Maybe your relaxing into the amazing part of it dissipated a possible migraine. Some say resistance causes pain.

But I sure understand being a little overwhelmed with that on top of everything else @Hope4Now. Hugs.

I love Invisible Heroes @Echo!

 

[Hope4Now]

@Echo and @franciemarnie, I guess I'll be getting Invisible Heroes to read. Thanks for the recommendation.

This migraine thing has left me feeling very worried. It came on, luckily, while I was waiting for my son to come out of a neuropsych eval he had today. He was very late, so I sat in the car for almost an hour. Not sure what I will do if this happens when I am not someplace where I can just wait it out. I'm also really concerned that I seem to keep getting MORE physical symptoms than fewer. And my therapist says I am doing really good work in therapy. So, now I get emotional chaos as well as physical chaos. Ugh Ugh Ugh.

@Echo, I'm looking at the self stuff (real self/false self) you recommended. It is fascinating. Thank you again.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I have visual migraines. When I get them, I tend to have an episode of them - that is I will get the visual disturbance come everyday for a week. It is bad enough that I can't see and certainly couldn't drive whilst having an episode. So it becomes a worry going out, until I've gone a few days without one again. After that I might not get them again for 12 months.

The only solution I've found it to shut my eyes and rest until it goes and try not to do anything that uses my eyes much (like reading).

 

[Hope4Now]

Thanks for the advice @Meadowsweet sorry you get these too!