Headspun

exterior magical weariness

Magic has external and internal effects on a person. If someone uses magic too much to affect their own bodies, they can succumb to headspinning and become headspun.
While mild headspinning is fairly common, usually manifesting as a light headache or nausea, severe magical overexertion can result in devastating effects on the body.

Causes

Magic applied to the self, such as to harden one's skin before working with rough materials or to extend tail length for greater mobility, can be an excellent short-term solution to many problems; however, long-term use such as to try and permanently sharpen teeth or trying to achieve significant results such as doubling in size can result in magical injury. Trying to apply too much magical force to the body causes headspinning.
For some, headspinning is the result of trying to combat body dysphoria. Long-term efforts to change the body based on perceived imperfections can end in overexertion.

Symptoms

Symptoms vary by intensity. Mild headspinning can appear exactly as a headache or mild fever, along with reduced magical efficacy, but more severe symptoms include:

• internal bleeding
• passing out
• dark or bloody vomit
• change in vision or hearing
• loss of balance

Depending on the intent of the internal magic, some symptoms can appear as if the magic is working correctly, such as trying to increase night vision resulting in an overall loss of color vision that goes unnoticed.

Treatment

Time and rest are the only ways to recover from being headspun.

Prognosis

In the most severe cases, headspinning can result in permanent changes in one's ability to do magic, potentially even an inability to affect the body with magic at all. Even at its worst, however, people are still able to do magic, especially external magic.

Prevention

In general, limit magical enhancements to the body in strength of magic and length of use.
For those who try to use magic to combat their dysphoria, it is best to seek out a medical professional who can do spells for you rather than trying to do them yourself.

Cultural Reception

Everyone gets headspun at some point in their life, but usually mild cases happen when people are young and still understanding the limits of their own magic.
The cultural perception of body dysphoria varies from culture to culture, but it is at least documented and understood. Being severely headspun as a result of trying to reduce dysphoria is seen as misguided but worthy of compassion.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare