In this Sunflower Story, Paul Pengelly discusses how fibromyalgia impacts his physical and mental health.
It took almost three years for Paul to be diagnosed and his acceptance of his condition has been key to making adjustments, from pacing his life to using a scooter as well as making useful changes to his home environment.
We talk about how fibromyalgia is intrinsically linked to his mental health and that this has progressed in line with his condition. In Paul’s own words “I’m either off or on … there’s no in-between.”
Paul is a Sunflower Champion and has been a Sunflower wearer and advocate for the last few years. He an admin of the Sunflower lanyard advocacy group on Facebook, one the Sunflower Support groups that highlights the use of the sunflower lanyard for non-visible disabilities.
The NHS advises that if you think you have fibromyalgia to visit your GP.
To find out more about fibromyalgia, check out Fibromyalgia Action UK, a charity that offers information and support to people with fibromyalgia - http://fmauk.org. You can also call the charity's helpline on 0300 999 3333.
Hosted by Paul Shriever and Chantal Boyle, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.