By Orkney Fibromyalgia Sufferer

On the 12th of May, 2023, join the millions of people around the world who will be participating on this day by holding various events to raise awareness for fibromyalgia, an invisible and life altering chronic condition.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects approximately 2-5 percent of the world’s populations, and is most common in young to middle aged women. There is a myriad of symptoms, ranging from muscle and bone soreness, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, stiffness in joints and muscles, headaches and numbness and tingling in the arms or legs. You don’t know how you are going to feel each day when you wake up. Which make it extremely difficult to have a career and maintain friendships. The condition is heavily stigmatised and poorly understood by those who don’t suffer. It’s impossible for healthy people to imagine how we feel.

What can you do to help?

There are many things that you can to help raise awareness for FM, these include; wearing purple, whether that’s a t-shirt a hat or even a bracelet to use to initiate a conversation about fibromyalgia. You could create a Facebook page, make posters or host a bake sale to raise funds to go towards research for FM. Or if you happen to suffer from fibromyalgia, you could share you story with others, so they can understand the issues from someone who is experiencing it firsthand.

1. Share your story: You can email or post it on social media to show those you want to help understand what your life is like because of fibromyalgia. Share the symptoms and the struggles. Let them know that you are posting to create awareness.

2. Think purple: If you have an outside light, change the bulb to a purple one. Wear a purple fibromyalgia shirt, bracelet, hat, etc., not to draw attention to yourself, but to spark a conversation about what FM is.

3. Create a Facebook page: You can post articles, graphics, links to your favorite FM groups or blogs, anything you can think of to help raise awareness. Post them on all your social media accounts.

4. Join some organisations such as:

More Than Fibro SCIO

Fibromyalgia Action UK

5. Join our More than Fibro, Tinto walk in Midlothian. Get sponsorship from your friends, family and work colleagues. Email fundraising.support@morethanfibro.org for more information. I will be in Glasgow that day and plan to head out to Tinto to meet everyone before they set off.

6. Have your own awareness stall in your local health centre, supermarket or town hall where you can hand out leaflets, stickers and pin badges. Making sure to have a collection tin for donations.

7. Hold a jumble sale or coffee morning to raise funds which you can to donate to Fibromyalgia charities. Use the opportunity to hand out leaflets to raise awareness

Whatever you decide to do in order to make your impact for those suffering from fibromyalgia, every little bit helps get the word out there and helps those who suffer from this horrendous chronic condition.

Please check out my links if you are looking for support, information or wish to join my community.

https://linktr.ee/orkney_fibromyalgia_sufferer

We are still looking for volunteers to get More than Fibro SCIO’s Orkney branch up and running. Please email orkney@morethanfibro for more information.