Visual overstimulation

[Jumpinbare]

Many cheap LED lights use only halfwave rectification, causing them to flicker at the frequency of the AC lines (50 or 60 Hz, depending on country). Also, dimmable LED devices tend to use Pulse Width Modulation, which can also appear to flicker, depending on the PWM base frequency.

 

[Roisin]

My most worrying visual overstimulation while driving is the effect of rain combined with window wipers and oncoming (increasingly brighter) headlights in the dark, it uses up a lot of my reserves.

For most of my 20s and 30s I was doing regular long distance drives in the dark. I believe the impact of visual overstimulation underpinned by the stress I was feeling at this stage led to shutdowns. Pre diagnosis I pushed through and had a meltdown at some point later, post diagnosis I recognised I had to pull over a few times to just allow the shutdown to happen.

For the effect of oncoming lights I use anti-glare glasses and they help reduce the sharp pain my more sensitive left eye experiences.

My 5 year goal is to work from home, and slowly Im coming to accept that I'll need to live in an urban area with public transport as a long term solution.