Does anyone else find that they feel faint in supermarkets? Especially ASDA

[Buttybach]

I have always found this. Especially Asda and I have no idea why!!
I do have Adhd and I'm on medication for it. But I still experience this extreme feeling of almost passing out every time I go there.
It's very odd!

Wilko always used to make me feel a tad peculiar - definitely the lighting, I think. Supermarkets in generally ok with although I don’t go in very often - rather do click and collect.

I used to get like this in Woolworths when I was little- it was definitely strip lighting. I still feel a bit grim in certain places if their strip lighting is overly harsh.

My panic attacks were always awful in Asda. Never in Morrisons

Only ever get this upstairs in one particular branch of Waterstones. Love bookshops, love books. Never had it any shop other than this one on multiple occasions over a number of years. Strangest thing!

Look up Flicker Vertigo. It’s a known phenomenon with fluorescent lighting and is made worse by certain light fittings. It can also be triggered by light flickering through trees when you’re driving along and strobe lighting.

It can trigger vestibular migraine in some, faints in others and make lots of people feel off balance and ill.

It affects such a lot of people that you would think stores would look into changing the type of lights/fittings they use if they want to encourage people to stay longer and spend more.

No but I always need a crap in Waterstones!

Yep, it's that bad in Lidl that I've had to abandon my full trolley load of shopping at the checkout before - I have GAD and social phobia so checkouts are always the worst for me, but the weird fuzzy disconnected feeling is usually present from the second I park the car and it lasts for a good while after I leave the shop.

I have a theory that humans haven't evolved fully yet to deal with supermarkets. Large bright shops have only been around for about 60 years. We drive to them in cars, dealing with all the traffic, then have to navigate our way around a supermarket figuring out which deal is the best. It's a wonder people don't frequently faint or implode while shopping.

Not sainsbury but some stores with spot lights, very loud music and mirrors make me feel odd

I used to struggle in Asda- think it was the colour scheme 😁. Had a similar issue in Morrisons but ok in sainsburys 🤷‍♀️

Yes, I feel faint, eyes go funny, feel panicked and then have to run to the loo, sets off my IBS. I think it's something to do with the frequency of the flickering lights. It's very frustrating.

Not supermarkets for whatever reasons but department stores - I think it’s the lightening! I to have ADHD if that correlates at all.

Or even lightning!

Some suopermarkets I find oppresive and I just wnat to go round as quickly as possible

Now this may sound strange but I feel better in supermarkets with the entrance on the left as you enter so you naturally go left to right.

Right handed supermarkets discombobulate me

Yes! I have found my people. Used to happen as a child in Littlewoods when my mum would drag me round. Now, its Tesco that does it. Feel totally disconnected, detached and woozy. It's weird!

I've had this all my life, in my M and S I feel like I'm on a boat and the floor is moving! I was diagnosed autistic this year and put it down to that, but it seems that it affects many people. My best guess is some kind of sensory overload from lights, sounds, smells. I find sunglasses and headphones help.

I hate level 3 of the shopping centre in town. It's got car parking on the same level and constantly vibrates from the traffic!

Morrisons is generally good. Although some years back they did renovations and temporarily had fridges with LEDs in strips up the side which were like strobes as you walked. I was glad when they went! Mind you the multi-light fitting in my hall does that to me when I'm tired.

ImaSababa I get this too! I think it is the slowing down, walking at a funny pace stopping and starting and then concentrating. Makes me suddenly need the loo!! Every time!

Iv always said that the lights in Asda were one of the things that made my pregnancy nausea 10x worse. Dh thought I was bonkers so I'm pleased I'm not the only one!

Especially the lights at the checkouts and by the pizza counter. I couldn't stick around there for long. Dh used to have to leave me in the detergent aisle while he went to get the pizza...

@Buttybach

I actually fainted once in primark when I was pregnant.

I find the dizzy feeling is worse when I'm hormonal. I have endo so hormones are all over the shop.
It's weird that asda is definitely the worst

I was actually just about to say that I'm ok in supermarkets but primark makes me feel like this! It's sensory overload for me in there, too much going on and too jumbled up

Yes, always in my local Lidl and Primark. No one I know seems to feel like it so I thought I was mad!

I'm so pleased that I'm not the only one. I get this a lot but don't have any diagnosis or migraines (well I've had two in my whole life and I'm 45 now).

For me it is definitely to do with the type of lighting. It seems to be always a more yellow light that does it for me. In my work toilets, some supermarkets and restaurants where they have old-fashioned cosy lighting/lamps I feel instantly sick and dizzy. And it takes ages to go away again. If I look out of the window/go outside I can usually cope enough not to faint. Is this what a vestibular migraine is?

I've never met or read about anyone else having this. Thought I was the only weirdo!