Please sign this petition to help raise awareness of the condition known as fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition that's difficult to understand, especially if you don't have a medical degree. Because it involves the brain and nervous system, it can have an impact on virtually every part of the body.

We need the government and the health department to recognise this illness for what it is, a debilitating life-changing illness for which there is no cure. Every day, people who suffer from fibromyalgia endure chronic, widespread pain. It feels like a flu that never goes away. And there is no help on the way.

I have been living with this illness for many years. I often wish that I could have my life back, but there is no cure for this condition. They say that all they can do is try to relieve the pain, to make my life tolerable. I have tried many different medications and none of them have helped.

All I want is to make sure that someday there will be a cure to relieve this constant pain that so many people suffer from.

I have started a campaign, not just for myself, but for the millions of fibromyalgia sufferers out there. We get a really raw deal: the medical world and the government have basically turned their backs on us. We have to fight for every bit of help we get, whether that is medical or financial.

We need to get 100,000 signatures, before this petition will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons. Fibromyalgia research is underfunded. Our aim is to bring this to the attention of the government and demand more funding for a cure. And while we are waiting for a cure to be found, we need more awareness, so that our family and friends can understand what we are going through each day. Doctors need more training, as some know nothing about this condition. And the people that assess us for welfare benefits should be up to date on the information about fibromyalgia, and how it affects our lives, they should know that everyday is a struggle to survive, as we cannot do the everyday things that everyone else takes for granted, such as taking a shower, dressing, making a cup of tea, or even reading a newspaper. Please help us.