Living with NLD and Chronic Migraines
I want to start this chapter with honesty: I’m not doing great right now. But I’ve learned that part of living authentically—and part of sharing my journey with NLD—is being willing to be vulnerable. So here it goes.
As many of you know, I live with Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD) and chronic migraines. By the time I write this, I’ve been living with migraines for nearly nine years. The frustrating part is that my doctors still don’t know what causes them. They know about my NLD, but there’s almost no research connecting migraines and NLD—at least not yet. That leaves me in a space of uncertainty, trying to piece together my understanding.
The Endless Search for Relief
Over the years, I’ve tried at least forty or fifty different medications and treatments—both natural and medical. Most of them help for a few months, maybe three to five, and then stop working. My body adapts, and the effectiveness disappears. My doctors explain this to me, but each time it happens, I feel like I’m starting all over again.
It isn’t just the cost of medications that weighs on me—it’s the emotional toll. Each new prescription brings questions: Is this one worth trying? Will it make me feel worse? Will it be another dead end? The process makes me feel like a lab rat.
When the migraines are at their worst, it feels like a sledgehammer is crashing into my head. Sometimes the nausea is so bad I can barely eat, though I try to force myself because I know I need the strength. It’s exhausting, physically and emotionally. I feel sick, invisible, and often frustrated to the point of wanting to give up.
How Pain Affects Daily Life
Migraines don’t just bring pain—they affect every part of my life. They impact my ability to focus, to write, to work, and even to maintain relationships. Recently, I’ve been making more mistakes at work than usual, and I’ve had to apologize to my parents for errors I normally wouldn’t make. That feels discouraging, because I know I’m capable of more.
Stress is a major trigger for me, as are unresolved memories from my past. I try to manage both, but it isn’t easy. One incident reminded me of how migraines, NLD, and daily life can collide. While driving, I thought I had hit another car. My heart sank. With NLD, visual–spatial skills are already a challenge, and migraines only make driving harder. Between the pain, the multitasking, and the constant need to stay vigilant, driving is one of the most stressful things I do.
Thankfully, in that moment, I hadn’t hit the other car. But the fear and self-doubt lingered. My car is already full of dents from past accidents, so when I checked for damage, I couldn’t even tell on my own. My dad had to reassure me. These experiences remind me how fragile my confidence can feel, and how migraines only magnify the challenges of living with NLD.
Finding Strength in Small Reminders
Even in the middle of all this, I hold onto words that remind me to keep going. One quote that stays with me is from Lana Rafael:
“I think it’s brave that you get up in the morning even if your soul is weary and your bones ache for a rest. I think it’s brave that you keep on living even if you don’t know how to anymore. I think it’s brave that you push away the waves rolling in every day, and you decide to fight again. I know there are days when you feel like giving up. I think it’s brave that you never do.”
That quote speaks directly to where I am. Some days, just getting up and trying again is an act of bravery.
Closing Thoughts
I know this chapter is shorter than some of the others, but that’s because I’m writing in the middle of a rough patch. Migraines and NLD make it harder to do long stretches of work sometimes. Still, I didn’t want to skip sharing this part of my journey, because the hard moments matter too.
If you live with NLD, migraines, or another invisible condition, I want you to remember that you’re not alone. Vulnerability doesn’t make us weak—it makes us human. And sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is admit that we’re struggling and still choose to keep going.
📌 Reflection for You:
Take a few minutes to journal about the challenges you face that others may not see. What small acts of bravery do you show each day? How can you remind yourself that even on the hardest days, you are still moving forward?
