A former cybersecurity engineer describes electrohypersensitivity, neurological and cardiac symptoms, job…

A former cybersecurity engineer for nearly 20 years, I developed electrohypersensitivity in 2019. As a result, I had to stop working, leave the city where I lived, find a home in a rural area, and live while minimizing my exposure to microwaves and electric fields as much as possible all while incurring significant expenses to install shielding and protective equipment in my home. Since these conditions are not readily recognized in France, I receive no financial assistance and must cover everything out of my own savings: housing, food, healthcare costs, training, travel, and more... As of now, I can no longer live in cities like Paris, where exposure to microwave radiation in the street is way too high for me. The symptoms I have experienced from the very beginning and continue to experience are: - If I am exposed for more than half a day to high-frequency waves such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cell phones, etc.: dizziness, cognitive impairment, short-term memory loss, significant difficulty prioritizing and organizing tasks, disorientation, muscle pain in the neck and trapezius muscles, eye pain, tinnitus, digestive issues, and palpitations - if I’m exposed to 50Hz (home electricity) for more than a day: inflammatory symptoms (rhinitis, sneezing, mucosal irritation, sinus congestion), intense fatigue in the days that follow, requiring a great deal of recovery time. - If I am exposed to “dirty electricity” (such as “Linky” smart meters in France or powerline communication) for a few hours to a day: a sensation of burning from the inside, the onset of flu-like symptoms that progress to bronchitis and rhinitis if exposure continues for too long The most serious symptoms I experienced were extrasystoles and cardiac arrhythmias, which led me to the emergency room. I resolved these specific issues by eliminating electromagnetic interference, grounding myself as often as possible, and undergoing acupuncture. The first few years were very difficult because I was deeply affected; I didn’t understand what was triggering the symptoms. Once I figured it out, I had to spend nearly six months in a 4 square-meter space, the only place in my home where I could recover, while I gradually adapted the rest of my 28-square-meter apartment. I didn’t know which disturbance caused which symptom or how long it took to manifest, or where I could or couldn’t go… No one around me understood me. Most of the time, people think I’m crazy, or they’re annoyed at having to temporarily turn off their devices. Some say they’ll turn them off but don’t, thinking I’m making things up, and after a while, I end up feeling sick and it takes me hours to recover. People have become so addicted to their smartphones that it annoys them when the topic of the harmful effects of electromagnetic waves comes up. I’ve even been told, "Who cares? We don’t feel anything you should just go live in a cave." Or, "If you weren’t an engineer, I would never have believed you.” I’ve come to realize just how much my disability “bothers” people, so I hardly ever talk about it, and I hardly see anyone anymore. I have practically no social life left, aside from my immediate family, a few understanding friends, and other people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity. I can’t stay anywhere for too long because most homes and public places have excessive electromagnetic fields. From time to time, I make the effort to go out and do some activities or go on outings, but I have to plan for the fact that I’ll pay dearly for it the next day and won’t be able to do anything. It is very difficult to find a job where one is not exposed to this pollution, whether from infrastructure or from other employees using connected devices. Since our government’s motto is "zero dead zones" and “don’t live like the Amish,” it is becoming increasingly difficult for advocacy groups representing people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity to find housing even in rural areas that offers low exposure. I trained as an electromagnetic environment consultant to try to turn my condition into something useful and raise awareness, but this topic is regularly discredited by many media outlets and a majority of misinformed people in the healthcare field who classify it as a psychiatric disorder. We’re labeled "conspiracy theorists". Most of my clients are people who are already ill and often in precarious situations, so I’m not yet able to generate enough income to cover all my expenses, and I’m still living partly off my savings. Most devices are becoming increasingly complicated to use in wired mode; you constantly have to go through a lot of steps, buy accessories, and so on. Even cars automatically turn on Bluetooth when you start them, when it’s even possible to turn it off. There are many things that seem trivial but are a nightmare in daily life they’re time-consuming and force you to always be vigilant and on your guard.