Watch Chronic Pain Awareness Month 2023 – How To Use Social Media To Educate or Continue Reading.
September may be Pain Awareness Month, but I am painfully aware of my pain 365 days a year! Sound familiar?
It doesn’t matter if you have one or multiple painful chronic illnesses; raising awareness needs to occur more than one month or day a year. Chronic pain is something chronic illness patients like myself deal with every day of the year.
Chronic illness bloggers like myself work hard to create awareness content all year long. But raising awareness about chronic pain and chronic illness is something that everyone can do. Anyone, no matter how big or small of a social media following, can do to raise awareness all year long!
Here are some easy ways that you can educate friends and family using your social media accounts!
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee-drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied with caffeine. It’s a win for everyone. I am not a medical professional, and nothing stated in this article should be mistaken for medical advice…
Choose a Social Media Platform
Not everybody wants or has time to manage multiple social media platforms. I suggest choosing the platform that receives the most engagement. It takes a long time to build an audience; starting with the one that already has the attention of your friends and family is the perfect start.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when educating friends and family online. The first is to refrain from scolding people. Trust me, I know and understand all too well the temptation to want to let loose and unleash built-up anger. However, our goal is to educate, not alienate.
There are many things that are easy to share on your social media accounts. Some examples are:
- Memes that depict a struggle that your chronic illness and pain have caused.
- Medical reports relating to your illness and pain.
- Blog posts that express how you feel.
- Photos wearing a condition-specific shirt, hat, or mug.
- Use a Facebook profile picture frame to highlight your chronic illness.
- Start a conversation by asking your friends and family to share if they have a chronic illness. You may discover a family history or a new pain pal.
- Share something that makes living with your chronic illness easier.
#ChronicPainAwareness begins with you! Tips for educating family and friends on social media.
Tweet
Advocates like myself post every day, sometimes multiple times a day. However, when raising awareness on a personal profile, daily posts aren’t necessary. Post as much or as little as you are comfortable with.
Personal posts should only be as personal as you are comfortable with. If there is an aspect that you are uncomfortable talking about but still want friends and family to be aware of, consider sharing an article or blog post that expresses the nature of the issue and your feelings. You could caption the post with a few words expressing how the issue is one that you struggle with but are not really comfortable talking about.
Need more support and ideas for educating friends and family? Join a Facebook group for chronic pain and illness. They are great places to share ideas, be encouraged, and meet others who understand what it is like to live with chronic pain.
How to share your fibromyalgia story
How to share your psoriatic arthritis story
Subscribe to The Disabled Diva
We’re obviously on the same wavelength as I also published a post on ideas for spreading awareness this week. Awareness is so important and such media is an excellent platform to try to get our message across.
Great minds think alike!! Ha ha! It is so important and it is so wonderful that we have social media to help!
I’ve just joined your Facebook group. Until I got sick I couldn’t imagine being in pain 365 days a year. I was originally told at the hospital that my recovery would take 8 weeks and that seemed like a lifetime, yet here I am five years on and still no better!
Fantastic suggestions! While social media can have its downsides, there’s no denying how incredible it is as a platform for connecting people & raising awareness. xx