Dundee Fibromyalgia comic praised in Parliament

Press Release

‘Fibromyalgia and us’ a comic published by academics in Dundee has been recognised in Parliament in the form of an Early Day Motion tabled by Stewart Hosie.

The comic, which is part of a series of Public Information (Health Education) Comics and was published in December 2017 by University of Dundee and UniVerse, seeks to spread awareness of the symptoms and difficulties that those living with Fibromyalgia face.

Since its publication in December 2017 the comic has been downloaded nearly 11,000 times in over 75 countries and recently received support from NHS Tayside who ensured that all GP Surgeries in the region received paper copies.

Estimates suggest as many as 1 in 20 people may be affected by Fibromyalgia to some degree but despite this not much is known about the causes or how to effectively treat it.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia include increased sensitivity to pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping, problems with memory and concentration headaches and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Mr Hosie tabled the EDM after meeting with Professor Divya Jindal-Snape and Professor Chris Murray, 2 of the comics creators, on Friday 1st March.

Pictured: Professor Chris Murray, Stewart Hosie MP and Professor Divya Jindal-Snape

‘Living and Working with Fibromyalgia’, the first story in the collection, was written by Divya, her husband Jonathan and her children Nik and Anj and focuses on her personal experiences with the condition.

Early Day Motion – Fibromyalgia and Us

That this house welcomes the creation of Fibromyalgia and us, a comic published in Dundee designed to spread awareness of the symptoms, the difficulties and what works through the lived experiences of those living with Fibromyalgia, and their families; recognises the success of the comic since its launch in December 2017, having been downloaded nearly 11,000 times in over 75 countries; welcomes the support offered by NHS Tayside in ensuring all GP Surgeries in the region received paper copies; and wishes them the best of luck with their fundraising efforts so they can publish translated versions of the comic.

Commenting Mr Hosie said:

“It was my pleasure to meet with Divya and Chris last week to discuss their comic. Despite nearly 1 in 20 people being affected by Fibromyalgia in some form not much is known about the condition or the difficulties those who live with it face in their daily lives. That’s why it’s great to see that, in true Dundee fashion, a comic book has been created to raise awareness and educate.”

“It’s fantastic to see that support from NHS Tayside and Dundee University has resulted in paper copies being distributed to GP Surgeries across the area and I wish them all the best in their fundraising efforts, so they can publish translated issues.”

“The team have done a fantastic job of explaining, in an inclusive and simple way, how difficult living with Fibromyalgia can be.”

Professor Divya Jindal-Snape said:

“This comic has been designed with the purpose of raising awareness of fibromyalgia amongst professionals, families, and communities. It effectively illustrates visually the ongoing life transitions of those who have fibromyalgia as well as its impact on significant others. A strong support network is so crucial to enable people to adapt to the multiple transitions triggered by fibromyalgia and flourish despite its substantial challenging consequences.”

Artists and contributors involved in the project were: Jindal-Snape, Divya; Keiller, Andrew ; Kelly, Lynn; Langlands-Scott, Judith; Murray, Christopher; Snape, Anj ; Snape, Jonathan B.; Snape, Nik ; Warden , Freddie ; Whittingham, Bryan ; Balson, Elliot (Artist); Dominak, Zu (Artist); Herd, Damon (Artist); Horner, Rebecca (Artist); Larkin, Ashling (Artist); Millar, Norrie (Artist); Robinson, Helen (Artist); Wilson, Letty (Artist)

ENDS