September is a Great Month for Awareness

It is estimated that more than 30 million people suffer daily from chronic pain, and and even more from chronic invisible illnesses. Fibromyalgia patients make up a good portion of those suffering, and we should be as interactive as possible with the many activities scheduled this month designed to improve chronic pain and bring awareness to invisible illness.

From The American Pain Foundation:

September provides a unique opportunity to highlight the work organizations and individuals do all year to improve pain treatment, raise awareness, dispel tragic myths and spark much needed change in order for people to get the pain care they deserve.

The first ever National Day of Action for Pain Awareness will be held on Saturday, September 26th, 2009.   On this day, we hope you and your community will join together, share your stories, take pictures, and show the country that together we can make a difference.

This charge is being led by APF’s Power Over Pain Action Network (POPAN). Please visit www.popactionnetwork.org to learn more about the network, the leaders in your state, and visit the Events page to get involved in or post activities happening near you!

Get involved. Sign the petition. Become an advocate for the elimination of the undertreatment of pain. Click on the events page and browse the 40 events scheduled across the country or check out their Action Toolkit and schedule your own event.

If getting involved with the American Pain Foundation is not right for you, how about participating in the Virtual Conference over at Invisible Illness Week? National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is September 14 – September 18.

From Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries and creator behind National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week:

Regardless of where one’s spiritual ties are, there is an fundamental human desire to feel understood, to feel like those you love have some idea about what you are going through. One of the most difficult adjustments to illness is that you feel life is passing you by and no one around you even realizes it. We hope through our conference we can provide a place where people find the true source of being validated in their pain, how to live joyfully despite their illness, and of course, we want to increase awareness about how many suffer silently. Like our theme says, ‘A Little Help Gives a Lot of Hope.’ It really does.

In her continuing effort to make a difference Lisa has scheduled four speakers per day giving special presentations and taking calls from you on the phone for an interactive, encouraging, and educational forum that will leave you feeling refreshed and hopeful that chronic illness doesn’t have to define who you are!

But wait, there’s more…

My 30 Things About Me post was another way I am participating in all of the activities Lisa organized and promoted for Invisible Illness Awareness week. And on Monday September 14, my blog post will also be dedicated to increasing awareness of invisible illness. Do you have a blog? Would you like to participate? Sign up at Bloggers Unite and commit yourself to the cause.

Isn’t it encouraging to learn about these efforts to improve our chronic pain and our shine a light on our invisible illness? Even if you are not capable of getting personally involved, take comfort in knowing there is a movement toward progress and change.