Colchester's Fibromyalgia Support Group relaunches

Lisa Taylor, who lives in Manningtree, was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a condition which causes chronic pain and tiredness, eight years ago.

After struggling to find support Lisa contacted the Fibromyalgia Action UK charity which helped her access information and help she needed on the condition which there is no known cure for.

Relaunch - Lisa Taylor is offering a place for others with her chronic illness to talk

Over the years Ms Taylor developed a better understanding of Fibromyalgia to manage the condition and launched a support group based in Colchester.

Ms Taylor, who works as a counsellor, decided to set up Fibromyalgia Support Group Colchester in 2015 to offer others who have the condition a safe place to talk about living with it.

However, about two years ago Ms Taylor was not well enough to continue running the group and needed time to recuperate.

She said: "My Fibromyalgia, which is a chronic pain and illness condition, had got so bad that I was unable to cope myself and my depression was causing it to be difficult to feel I could manage supporting so many other people as well as myself.

"I took some time out to recover some emotional and physical strength."

But she now feels ready to "jump back in" and relaunch the support group in June.

The 40-year-old said: "Patients with the condition often are left without help because their condition often doesn't show on scans and tests and is a neurological condition that affects the whole nervous system with more than 200 symptoms.

"It changes your whole being, your whole life and we need our 'Fibro' community to help us be strong in the face of adversity."

Ms Taylor will hold the support group sessions at Greenstead Community Centre, in Hawthorn Road, on the first Friday of each month from 1pm until 2.30pm.

She also has a Facebook group called Fibromyalgia Support Group Colchester.