Understanding Irlen: A Patient’s Perspective

Part 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 staircases and 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.

It’s All in the Brain…

Parallel lines are distracting.

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.

The glare in these glass steps is very disorienting.

These patterns, lines and curves are very distracting.

Patterns, noise and oncoming cars are very distracting when trying to cross the street.

These parallel lines and gravel are very distracting.

The shadows cast by the fence make me feel nauseated.

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.

All of the above combined in one staircase is overwhelming.

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 my friends, family, colleagues andto those who understand that Irlen is

all in the brain(not the head)

A big Thank you!

(And, YES, you were right… I shouldn’t feel bad about having to wear a hat at a family gathering if the hostess is actually going around serving hors d’œuvres wearing her Mickey Mouse Ears…)