About
The Chronic Warriors Academy is a platform for people with chronic illnesses, created by people with chronic illnesses.
We provide transformational courses, services and products to cultivate resilience, reclaim control and enjoy life!
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Our aim is to become the leading platform for people living with neurological, connective tissue, musculoskeletal or autoimmune chronic illnesses that are not widely supported.
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These include but are not limited to, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (MECFS).
The aforementioned conditions are thought of as rare, but in actual fact the reality is that they are rarely diagnosed or given the attention needed, unlike other more common conditions like arthritis for example. Many go decades with no diagnosis.
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This has resulted in a lack of specialised treatment and support for individuals who live with these conditions. In many cases, these chronic illnesses lead to disability.
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Living with pain and other debilitating symptoms can impact much more than physical health. Overall quality of life can be affected by things such as, but by no means limited to:
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Poor mental and emotional wellbeing
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Unemployment
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Financial burden
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Lack of independence
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Isolation
The Stats
Due to the lack of research and diagnosis, the exact prevalence of these conditions are not currently known, but here are some statistics.
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EDS/ HSD (connective tissue disorders) The medical literature states that the most common out of the 13 types of EDS – hypermobile - affects 1 in 5,000 people however this statistic is based on research that is out-of-date www.ehlers-danlos.org
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FM (musculoskeletal) According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, 3-6% of the world’s population has fibromyalgia syndrome. this estimate would mean that somewhere around 200 million to 400 million people worldwide have fibromyalgia syndrome www.fibromyalgiasyndrome.co.uk
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ME/CFS (neurological) The CDC estimates that as many as 17-24 million people worldwide have ME/CFS.
People with a physical disability are more likely to experience a mental health problem, while people with a mental health problem are more likely to experience a physical health problem.
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More than 15 million people - 30% of the UK population - live with one or more long-term conditions, and more than 4 million of these people will also have a mental health problem.
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People with long-term physical conditions are more likely to have lower wellbeing scores than those without.
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Of people with severe symptoms of mental health problems, 37.6% also have a long-term physical condition. This compares with 25.3% of people with no or few symptoms of a mental health problem.
Source: Mentalhealth.org.uk