We request that the Federal Government of Australia to recognise that Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a REAL chronic pain disorder lasting a lifetime and has NO CURE.

For some people, waking up every day means the start of persistent pain that affects their mood, thinking and relationships. This experience is more difficult when the pain doesn’t seem to have a cause; at least not a visible one. If you could see this condition we would look like we had been physically assaulted from head to toe.

I have personally been battling this condition daily for years only being diagnosed in February 2017. I constantly struggle to understand why it still goes unrecognised as a Permanent Disability.

Fibromyalgia (FM), also known as Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a condition with symptoms that include widespread, pervasive and chronic pain and tenderness in the body, and muscle stiffness, often accompanied by fatigue, cognitive disturbance/difficulties and emotional distress. 

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia can vary from mild to severe, impacting on all aspects of everyday life.

Fibromyalgia affects between 2 and 10% of the population. It affects mostly women although men and adolescents do acquire it.

The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

Pain in many different muscles and bones
Tenderness or stiffness in the muscles or bones, lasting for at least 3 months in most cases a lot longer.

Lethargy

Insomnia (lasting days)

Problems with concentration and memory.

Anxiety, depression, emotional distress

Suicidal Thoughts 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome 

Headaches

Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs.

There are over 200 symptoms to Fibromyalgia.

Sufferers with Fibromyalgia struggle with the condition on a daily basis, they often do not receive the medical help or support that could be provided.

America takes the lead with Fibromyalgia research and treatment. Australia is a long way behind.  Doctors still find it hard to diagnose and it is not widely recognised. 

We Fibromyalgia sufferers are unable to find jobs due to our illness and NO we are NOT faking it and (I know personally) cannot find employment as we don't know how well we are going to be to get to work every day whether part time or full time...  But at the same time are unable to claim any disability or proper health care and medication.

We are made to look for work and by being honest with employers then are immediately rejected from jobs we have to apply or enquire about due to the fact we don't know from one day to the next if or when we will be able to get to work and whether we can even do the job on a regular basis.

I believe it is time that we join together and fight to get this debilitating and extremely painful condition recognised in parliament as a permanent disability at last so that sufferers are able to get the Disability Support Pension and the help, treatment and support needed so we can have some quality of life.

Fibromyalgia is a very REAL, DEBILITATING, INTENSELY PAINFUL lifelong condition and  recognition of the severity of this condition needs to be acknowledged.

We need your support of this condition and we need research to find a cure.