Group highlights painful illness

David Neilson struggles to make it over his road to look out to sea

Campaigners across part of the South East are trying to help sufferers of the painful and debilitating condition, fibromyalgia.

The illness saps people's energy and leaves them with intense aches and pains in their muscles, ligaments and tendons. The cause is unknown.

The Fibromyalgia Support Group for Surrey and Sussex represents around 300 sufferers across the counties.

A spokeswoman said they were aiming to raise more awareness.

"For these people's sakes, the quicker they're diagnosed, the quicker they can get some treatment," said Jo Fisher, who runs the group from her home in Horsham, West Sussex.

Ms Fisher said she "went through hell" before finally being diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Monthly meetings in Worthing and Crawley are supported by a helpline

She said it was difficult to find an explanation for her pain and for why she could often not control the movement of her head, arms and legs.

After finally being told of her condition, she set up the support group in June 2003.

One of the people who has been helped is fellow sufferer David Neilson, of Peacehaven in East Sussex.

He said: "Over the summer I have not had one social day out. Every trip I've made has been shopping or something I've had to do.

"I've not had one social evening out either, you just don't seem to have the strength to do any of these things at all."