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You’re on the metro and notice a young girl sitting in a seat marked for disabled people. She gets up on her stop, walks out without any help, and you might think “Well, she doesn’t look sick.”

But maybe she has a condition that you can’t see such as a migraine, a hormonal disorder, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, or even a mental illness that makes her feel weak.

There are medical issues that quietly affect someone’s daily life and it’s hard to imagine what they go through unless you’re in the same boat.

But perhaps, you can empathize a bit after reading some of these stories that people have shared online — the terrible medical issues they suffer from, and the ones that are often overlooked.

And if you, like so many of them, have similar symptoms, maybe it’ll make you feel a little less alone, and a little more understood.

#1

Chronic migraine headaches. No, it isn’t “just a headache”.

platypus_monster:

People have no idea. Had one few days ago. It affects my right eye. At some point I wanted to take a spoon to take my eye out and stop the pain. I’m so damn lucky that meds help, but takes hours for pain to subside to manageable level and then few days to get back to normal.

#2

Endometriosis/very heavy, frequent cycle. The only thing that helped me was a total hysterectomy.

santc:

Endometriosis for sure. It gets overlooked by everyone bc all people think it is, is women having “bad periods” but it’s very serious. If guys got this autoimmune disease it would get so much more attention.

#3

Lower back pain.

People don’t realize how it affects every move you make.

Every stand, sit, and lift is diceroll for how much worse it’s going to get.

“`
Every breath you take and every move you make
Every disc you break, every step you take
I’ll be hurting you
Every single day and every way you lay
Every seat you take, every lift you make
I’ll be hurting you

Oh, can’t you see, between L4 and 3?
How your low back aches with every step you take
Every move you make and every job you take
Every smile you fake, every bend you make
I’ll be hurting you

Since I’ve slipped, you’ve been hurt without a break
You roll in bed, you can never sleep in peace
You go to sneeze, and you have to grab the sink
You feel so sore, and you long to sit up straight
You keep crying, lumbar support, please!

Mm, mm, mm, mm
Mm, mm

Every move you make, every step you take
I’ll be hurting you

I’ll be hurting you
(every breath you take, every move you make)
(Every bend you make, every step you take)
I’ll be hurting you
(Every single day, every way you lay)
(Every seat you take, every lift you make)
I’ll be hurting you
(Every move you make, every disc you break)
(Every smile you fake, every job you take)
I’ll be hurting you
(every single day, every way you lay)
(Every seat you take, every bend you make)
I’ll be hurting you
(Every breath you take, every move you make)
(Every disc you break, every step you take)
I’ll be hurting you
(every single day, every way you lay)
I’ll be hurting you
(Every move you make, every disc you break)
(Every smile you fake, every job you take)
I’ll be hurting you
(every single day, every way you lay)
(Every seat you take, every bend you make)

I’ll be hurting you.
“`

Invisible illnesses affect around 10% of the 61 million Americans who deal with a physical or mental ailment that limits their movements or senses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the US alone, about 1 in 5 adults live with chronic pain, which is actually one of the biggest causes of invisible disability.

Physical issues like endometriosis, autoimmune disorders and long COVID or mental health conditions like anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can all take a toll.

The UK saw a 400% increase in adults seeking an ADHD diagnosis between 2020 and 2023.

Many people with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) also have anxiety, depression, or autism, that can make life unpredictable and exhausting.

Around 10% of women worldwide have endometriosis — a highly painful and invisible condition.

#4

Anything with your teeth.

Madcap_Manzarek:

Tooth pain is another level of pain, next to any kind of pelvic pain. Two types of pain that you just cannot ignore that will seep into your every move. Absolutely agonizing.

Anonymous:

I had a MRSA infection caused by a c-section. They had to cut open my stitches and pack my wound with gauze. The gauze needed to be replaced/the wound cleaned twice a day. It was torture. Hospital stay was a month long, and it took me 3.5ish months to fully heal. I was diagnosed with PTSD after.
Tooth pain is worse.

#5

Sleep apnea.

No, it’s not just something that makes you snore.

Your airway collapses and you *stop breathing* repeatedly throughout the night. Your body gets less oxygen and you get little to no REM sleep every night.

This has a snow ball effect on all aspects of your health and everyday life; far more than the most obvious symptom of a total and debilitating lack of energy (because you don’t get any REM sleep).

Sleep is SO important. If you think you may have sleep apnea, talk with your doctor. Sleep tests are very easy: they’re done at your own home and just involve a finger tip sensor.

#6

Anxiety.

_Cosmoss__:

Feeling absolutely terrified for absolutely no reason all day, every day. Not fun.

These kinds of medical issues often lead to job barriers, social isolation, and unmet needs.

A lot of people choose to hide their conditions from employers because it might hurt their career prospects or how colleagues treat them.

Research shows that most people hide them so they don’t come across as a liability or a complainer.

They might end up taking on extra work, pushing through symptoms, and pretending to be healthy.

#7

OCD is joked about a lot but it’s absolutely debilitating if you actually have it.

alittlepixie:

OCD. My OCD is debilitating and takes over every avenue of my life. People think of it as perfectionism/tidiness while I’m fighting with myself to not get out of the shower to make sure my door is locked for the third time.

#8

Rheumatoid arthritis.

Its not the same as osteoarthritis, it’s an autoimmune disease, people always seem like it’s a minor cause I’m 27 and look fine, but I’m not.

Have had so many people say, “wait till your my age then you’ll know actual pain.”

TroublesomeFox:

Chronic pain has left me with a massive resentment towards older people who do this. Like yeah carol I’m sure your knees do hurt at 93 but my pelvis is fused together by scar tissue and I can assure you that HURTS.

#9

ADHD – it gets downplayed way too much. It affects pretty much every aspect of my life in non-trivial ways.

As if these medical issues were not brutal enough, people with serious problems are also facing another obstacle — terms like anxiety or OCD are often used casually now.

People say they’re anxious or have OCD when they’re just stressed or particular about cleanliness, which can make it harder for someone who’s actually struggling to be taken seriously.

“The actual meaning of the term gets diluted and gets associated with simpler and more fleeting experiences. It normalizes illness,” says Dr Zsofia Demjen, a linguist who studies the intersections of language, mind and health.

And when people who are actually suffering hear these terms thrown around for everyday feelings, it can make it harder for them to explain the much deeper struggles their condition actually brings.

#10

Depression.

Junebug35:

Mental illness, including depression and bipolar for sure. It really knocks you down for days, weeks, months, or years at a time. “It’s all in your head.” Uh, no, it’s not. You feel it in your body and lifestyle. Exhaustion, suicidal thoughts, loss of enjoyment. If you feel any of these, please seek out professional help. I found an amazing therapist and psychiatrist and they changed my life.

#11

Type 1 diabetes. You need to do your pancreas’ job 24/7. That in itself is exhausting. Then you have debilitating lows, irritating highs and long time complications. The new tech helps but only to a point. And the cure is only five years away since at least 1980.

#12

IBS.

Standard_Summer_180:

Exactly this. People think you get gassy and have a bit of tummy upset. They dont realise people can confuse a burst appendix with IBS cramps, that the pain can be excruciating enough that childbirth can be tolerated weirdly well… the physical damage that comes from “toileting” issues requiring surgery. The bloat isnt just oh dear, I’ve eaten too much – it is literally your intestines swelling as a systemic reaction to the food. It’s debilitating.

Sometimes, even doctors can dismiss serious conditions when a patient’s symptoms don’t follow a tidy textbook narrative.

“Patients are more likely to hear coded phrases like ‘it’s just anxiety,’ ‘your tests are normal,’ or ‘you’re focusing on it too much.’ Over time, these messages land the same way: you can’t trust your own body,” Sarah Fraser, a general practitioner in Nova Scotia, Canada, tells Bored Panda.

“I see this pattern repeatedly in general practice, particularly among patients with chronic, complex, or invisible conditions. Some that come to mind are fibromyalgia, concussions, long COVID or endometriosis,” she adds.

#13

Food allergy.

ChironXII:

Gluten…
Double edged, because while the trend a while back increased options significantly, it also made people not take it seriously as an actual allergy that will destroy your life if you aren’t careful.

disdainfulboomer:

Literally had a friend who had to drive herself to the hospital in full anaphylactic shock because a local “safe” restaurant changed to peanut oil without stating so.

Setsuna17:

It’s scary to travel, and eat anything not labeled or at other people’s houses. People treat you like an inconvenience though it’s literally not a choice, or take your allergy very unseriously. Sometimes people will even “test” you. I have a peanut allergy and so many foods ate off limits to me now. And it’s even harder when it’s adult onset so you are missing food you ate before.

And an epipen does not always stop anaphylaxis. It feels like playing roulette.

#14

Tinnitus. Tinnitus. Tinnitus.

If you have to ask why, you’re probably one of the blessed ones.

whoathere67:

Tinnitus is brutal. That constant ringing makes you want to go insane and nobody takes it seriously.

Initial-Bedroom-350:

It’s been probably 4 or 5 years since I really started noticing mine. I can’t be in silent rooms anymore and I have to sleep with a noise machine. It’s horrible. I wish I could go back in time and undo the damage.

#15

Fibromyalgia. Many practitioners have told me it’s a “trash can diagnosis” for when nobody knows exactly what’s wrong. And I agree. But whatever is going on, it is devastating as far as day-to-day functionality.

Geanois:

This isn‘t „just pain“. It‘s your body going completely haywire, usually coming with lots of comorbidities and flare ups which come and go as they please. You never know how long the flare will last. My current one started after a severe erisypelas in July 2025 and is still going on, hitting the pain scale at 8 to 10+.

Not speaking up or feeling dismissed can delay treatment and make your health worse.

“Dismissal doesn’t just delay diagnosis — it reshapes how patients see themselves. Many begin to second-guess their pain, apologise for taking up space, or stop seeking care altogether,” says Dr Fraser.

“I’ve had patients tell me the most damaging part wasn’t the illness itself, but being made to feel dramatic, difficult, or delusional for asking for help. It also makes patients not want to even access the healthcare system anymore due to repeated trauma from medical gaslighting.”

#16

PCOS. It’s not just hormonal; it impacts the endocrine system as well and so much more.

#17

Epilepsy. Even if seizures are controlled by medication, most of those medications have heavy side effects.

#18

Anything with the word “chronic” attached to it.

It’s hard to empathize when you can’t see someone’s pain or anxiety.

One of the best ways to help someone with a medical condition is simply to listen and offer support without being judgmental.

For patients who feel that their symptoms are dismissed by doctors, being prepared before your appointment can help.

Dr Fraser says: “Writing symptoms down, explaining how they affect daily life, and asking clear, direct questions can shift the dynamic. If something doesn’t sit right, trust that instinct. Good medicine is collaborative, and seeking a second opinion isn’t a failure — it’s an act of self-respect.”

#19

Acid reflux. I didn’t get help soon enough and it developed into severe GERD.

Neophile_b:

Yep, I absolutely destroyed my esophagus because of GERD caused by a hiatal hernia.

#20

Hypothyroidism. Very common, causes tiredness and weight gain. In general, everyone thinks you are lazy but it is your thyroid that cannot cope. Unfortunately, many people are misdiagnosed (eg. depression) or are diagnosed very late.

#21

CPTSD.

I’ve had people tell me to “get over it, life goes on, that happened so long ago”.

Unless you have it, you can’t begin to grasp it.

Dealing with an invisible illness can make you feel exhausted and isolated, but talking to others who are going through the same thing can make things a bit easier.

That’s where online forums and in-person communities can help in a major way.

#22

Keratoconus.

It’s the thinning of the cornea which causes the eye to become slightly pointed, sounds very minor.

Vision slowly degrades over time and nothing can fix it. it’s basically astigmatism on steroids. It’s soo bad that reading a computer screen becomes hard as letters can overlap. And glasses can’t help it.

I had an operation done called Corneal Cross linking. And as my university had never heard of it and as I didn’t have to stay in hospital overnight. They just assumed it was minor. I was in intense pain and couldn’t look at my computer yet still had to make a presentation.

It’s got to the point now that if I want to see anything outside with no pain. I have to use eye drops (dry eyes are a side effect of the condition) and sunglasses so the light of the sun doesn’t make my vision blurry white.

#23

Not as bad as many here but Psoriasis. I only have flare ups rarely when really sick. But boy do they tend to cover my entire body, I feel tired, and I get all anxious about if I’m getting it under control and just looking like a leper in front of people. It’s an anxious/paranoid couple months of recovery when out in public that eats away at my patience and self image.

Ironically it has helped me identify the really kind folks in my life that will check in and make sure I’m okay.

#24

Chronic fatigue syndrome which no medical professional seems to take seriously.

HoundBerry:

Came here to say this. I wanna slap whoever decided to call it “chronic fatigue syndrome”. It makes it sound like it’s just being tired all the time, and absolutely nobody takes it seriously as a result.

Nevermind the fact that exertion as minor as sitting upright for 30 minutes or having a short phone call can trigger debilitating neurological and flu-like symptoms including a fever, migraine, vomiting, full body aches and other hellish misery that lasts for days.

#25

Autoimmune diseases. Chrons and Ulcerative Colitis. It’s not just what the ads mention. Theres so much more it affects, like your joints, the extreme fatigue, the vitamin deficiencies…it goes on and on. The constant scopes and biopsies and medications and side effects, ER visits and hospitalizations. Your entire body is affected, and you can’t eat normally. Even thinking about eating at a restaurant is a massive accomplishment at this point.

#26

Anemia and iron deficiency. Freezing cold, exhausted, fainting, light-headed, depersonalization, cold-sweats, etc.

#27

Plantar fasciitis. Makes you walk like you’re in your 80s. I want one of those walker things from a nursing home when mine flares up, sometimes I get it on both sides. I can hit the gym, run on a treadmill, lift weights, and am generally strong, but plantar fasciitis just turns me into an 85-year-old hobbling around when it flares up, and it’s been flaring on me a few months now…

#28

Insomnia hell.

#29

Celiac disease “just don’t eat gluten”.

#30

I hate to complain but rosacea can be so annoying. It can be painful and embarrassing. It’s hard to be outgoing when my face can get red at a moments notice. And then the comments- “why is your face so red?” So it gets redder.

#31

Menopause/having any low estrogen symptoms. Absolute hell, and not just because of the hot flashes.

#32

OMG! This one is finally for me.

Being urinary incontinent and having to wear diapers 24/7 as an adult. Over the years, Ive gotten used to it. But still impacts my daily life.

#33

Hyperhidrosis; imagine if sweating consumed 99% of your time and thoughts….

#34

I never really truly understood how bad true panic attacks were until I had one for the first time. I’ve always had general anxiety which has been manageable into my 30s. I thought I understood the depths of it. But I had a medical issue and the meds and the medical situation caused severe anxiety and panic attacks.

You might as well be bleeding out, having a heart attack, a stroke, a brain bleed and going blind all at the same time because that’s what your brain is telling you is happening. Not like “this might be happening” more like “this is HAPPENING”.

Because of my experience I was having almost daily panic attacks for months, and it completely fried my nervous system and took me 2 years to feel 60% back to normal. It’s been 6 years and I’m still not back to normal and I don’t think I ever will be. I am fundamentally changed because of the experience.

#35

Also pregnancy and childbirth. Sure, billions of women have done it, but that still doesn’t mean it isn’t life-threatening and often absolute misery.

#36

Perimenopause. So many symptoms all compounded at once and set to last for years. There’s days I’m bed ridden from joint pain. Exhaustion leaves you only barely mentally functioning. And I’m only 39 and have 3 young kids, 2 are disabled, and I somehow have to survive through this while helping them thrive.

#37

Vertigo. I fell down two flights of stairs, and as a person who did public speaking for a living, had more than one instance of gripping a podium for dear life and hoping no one noticed that to me, it felt like the room was spinning while the floor was buckling.

#38

Narcolepsy. “Well maybe if you got a good night’s sleep you wouldn’t fall asleep all the time” or “is that like where you’ll fall asleep in your soup?” Or my personal favorite, “why do you go sleep in your car at lunch?” “Because if I don’t choose when I sleep, my body will and it often picks a REALLY bad time to do so…”.

#39

Eczema.

A lot of people actually develop it eczema some point in their lives, but it’s usually very minor and will go away in time.

I’ve grown up with eczema and still struggle with it today. Some periods of my life were great when I can manage my eczema. But sometimes, something will randomly trigger your eczema and it will flare up really badly.

Since eczema can affect your physical appearance, it can also affects your mental health as well.

#40

Ear pain and gastritis.

#41

Metatarsalgia.

Doctor tells my that’s what’s causing my foot pain. Good to know – how do we fix it?

“You don’t. Welcome to foot pain being your new normal. I recommend against activies that load the forefoot. Things like standing, and walking.”.

#42

WMD. Wet Macular Degeneration.
No cure, you will go blind, but very painful injections into your eyeballs can delay it a bit. Hereditary.

#43

I have long covid. I dont think people understand or take this seriously. It is far worse than my covid was and has altered my life and future in very negative ways. I don’t tell people though because they dismiss it.

#44

Hypermobility. I’m so TIRED.

SenseiKrystal:

Omg, same. People think being double-jointed is a fun party trick, but like… everything hurts. And there’s so many other things that go along with being hypermobile.

#45

Gastroparesis.

eat-the-cookiez:

And when it’s coupled with slow colonic motility as well.
Cries in liquid diet. People heating up food at work is so painful. Declining any meet ups that involve food.

#46

Frozen shoulder.

timewilltell2347:

Yes another lovely gift of menopause that no one talks about

#47

**Anything that messes with sleep** _mild sleep apnea, chronic pain, allergies, reflux.
On paper it sounds “manageable.” In real life it slowly wrecks your energy, memory, patience, productivity, and mental health. You don’t notice it all at once… until you’re burned out and don’t know why.

#48

Nerve pain…sciatica nerve pain is horrible.

#49

Hidradenitis suppurativa. Oh it’s just a skin condition! No. It causes massive interconnected wounds that form and tunnel UNDER the skin. A spot will form and it will get bigger and fuller and more painful every day for days and weeks until the wound tunnel finally opens to the surface of the skin, and erupts pus and fluid out everywhere. It usually forms in the armpits, under the breasts, and in the groin. It causes severe and extensive scarring and also obviously creates a huge risk for infections. Its excruciating, embarrassing, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it except get really good at wound care. People also like to blame someone for having it thinking it’s a hygiene issue, they think showering more or using [things] like witch hazel will help. Nothing helps. There is no cure. There is no known cause. It can be mild and behave for a while and then flare up horribly for no known or observable reason.

#50

High-functioning, high masking autism; what used to be called Asperger’s. Behind the masking and the functioning, a lot of very difficult stuff is happening behind the scenes and in private.

#51

Asthma.

#52

Dry eye 🙁 Having your eyes be burning or watering or too dry or with stabbing pains every day is actually so awful.

#53

SHINGLES. I had no idea until it happened to me.

bad_goblin:

Worst pain of my life!!!

#54

Chronic sinusitus.

#55

Irritable bowel syndrome. It’s the worst and there’s no fix.

#56

I’ve mentioned it before but Trigeminal Neuralgia. It’s brutal and not as understood as it should be.

#57

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

Everyone thinks it’s just having this feeling to move your legs. But mine PAINFUL. I’m talking feels like my leg muscles are on fire or being stabbed unless they’re moving. Oh, and the name is misleading because you can get RLS in your arms and back as well.

RLS can hinder sleep as well. I’ve had chronic insomnia since I was a toddler. Took my sleep specialist about 30 seconds to notice I was constantly moving in his office so he started asking me questions in severity. After a few minutes if questions he asked if I’d ever been tested for ADHD. I said yes, he said that made sense. He thinks I’ve had RLS most of my life but my ADHD symptoms are really just exhaustion and adrenaline.

The main test is for ferretin which is an extension of iron tests. The problem with RLS is you can have technically good ferretin levels but it’s far too low and exacerbating your symptoms.

I also have Upper Airway Restrictive Syndrome (UARS) which basically means my narrow airway narrows more when I’m sleeping so my brain thinks I’m [passing away] so it wakes me up. I also never feel as though my lungs are filled sufficiently. No meds to fix that, just an incredibly invasive, painful surgery most insurance polices exclude because it involves a maxillofacial surgeon manually moving your lower jaw forward to widen your airway. A lot if policies exclude jaw procedures which is stupid. I was given a CPap instead because insurance is willing to pay for me to have this machine shoot air up my nose in perpetuity until I die then to pay for a surgery which will fix the issue.

#58

Vestibular disorders, constantly being dizzy, constantly nauseous, walking is a battle, reading or watching tv is very tiring and some days it’s impossible, and there’s no cure just exercises and strategies for learning to live with it.

#59

Was just recently diagnosed with cervical spondylosis (Arthritis in my neck). People think I slept wrong and have a crick in my neck. It’s debilitating and has significantly impacted my life more than anything I’ve dealt with before because I’m ALWAYS in pain.

#60

“Bad knees.” I’m in my late 30s with osteoarthritis. I had two knee replacements in three months last year. Before my first knee replacement, I had to rely on my husband’s help just to step down from curbs. I look fine but have had to give up so many things, much much sooner than I ever thought. Eventually I’ll be able to walk, swim, and bike without much pain, but right now physical therapy is hard and I feel like I’m 85 years old every time I get out of bed or need help standing up from a chair. I don’t have it that bad and I am extremely fortunate to have a great surgeon and a wonderful physical therapist, but it just weighs on me a lot.

#61

Bell’s palsy( paralysis of one side of the face)

It’s mostly a temporary thing and a lot of people get it. I’ve had a couple of people around me get diagnosed with it and it was very tough for them until it resolved.

The little things like being able to keep and swallow your saliva, being able to munch onto food on that side, being able to simply close your eyes when you sleep, being able to talk well and to smile. It’s all hard. It turns out to be a funny condition and a lot of people make jokes about it but it truly is just annoying and very disabling for the moment that it is there.

#62

An ingrown toenail.

#63

Anything system-nervous related, it always cascades.

#64

Bladder issues.

#65

Intestinal problems, becoming gassy after eating certain ultra-processed products.

#66

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

#67

Sleeping too much. Known as hypersomnia.

#68

ARFID. We’re not “just picky eaters”. It’s a full eating disorder that happens to not be body-image based. There’s a lot of subtypes. Mine is sensory. I ate broccoli tonight and it was a huge win for me, as I really don’t eat most vegetables.

My brain usually goes in overdrive, convinced that the food I’m averse to is somehow going to hurt me. It sucked growing up like this.

#69

Broken finger bone through the joint. Sounds like the tiniest possible injury. But the truth is you feel it every time you use your hands (which is always) every day for the rest of your life.

#70

Essential Tremors. Not life threatening but they can really damage your quality of life.

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