International May 12th Awareness Day, also known as International ME/CFS Awareness Day is held every year to raise awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS),

fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hyp ...

, multiple chemical sensitivity, Gulf War syndrome and other chronic immunological and neurological diseases (CIND). International May 12th Awareness Day aims to: * Increase

public awareness In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

of the importance of ME/CFS,

, multiple chemical sensitivity, Gulf War syndrome and other chronic immunological and neurological diseases (CIND) * Educate about the symptoms and impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other CINDs * Advocate for increased research funding, particularly for ME/CFS and fibromyalgia * Many fundraising events take place on May 12

Illnesses

The main illnesses involved in International May 12th Awareness Day are ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Gulf War syndrome. Other Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases also recognized by the event include Addison's,

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As t ...

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

, celiac, chronic myofascial pain,

Crohn's Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension, ...

, epilepsy, irritable bowel disease (IBD), Lou Gehrig's (ALS),

lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Comm ...

, Lyme disease, mold/biotoxin illness,

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

(MS), orthostatic intolerance (OI),

Parkinson's Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS),

reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is any of several painful conditions that are characterized by a continuing (spontaneous and/or evoked) regional pain that is seemingly disproportionate in time or degree to the usual course of any known trau ...

(RSD), and ulcerative colitis.

Events

International May 12th Awareness Day is observed by dying hair blue or dressing up in blue. Since 2016, the #MillionsMissing protests for ME/CFS have taken place every May, with the main event held on May 12. Film screenings are usually held for films about ME/CFS, including ''Voices from the Shadows'', ''Forgotten Plague'', or ''Unrest''. Public landmarks are lit up in color for International May 12th Awareness Day, typically using blue for ME and purple for

History

In 2006 a British charity created Severe ME Awareness Day on August 8 as a day of remembrance and understanding for those who died from or with ME. August 8 was chosen because it is the birthday of

Sophia Mirza Sophia Mirza (1973–25 November 2005) was a woman in the United Kingdom who had chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as CFS, myalgic encephalomyelitis, ME, and ME/CFS) listed as a contributing to her death. The inquest recorded the cause of ...

, who was believed to be the first British person to have chronic fatigue syndrome listed as a cause of death.

Related observances

* 5/1 – 5/31: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Awareness Month * 5/1 – 5/31: Fibromyalgia Awareness Month * 5/1 - 5/31: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Awareness Month * Week of May 12: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Awareness Week * 8/8: Severe ME Awareness Day

References

{{Reflist

External links

ME/CFS Awareness Day - CDC

25 Facts for Fibromyalgia Awareness - Huffington Post
May observances Awareness days Observances in the United States Observances in the United Kingdom Observances in Canada Health awareness days Gulf War syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome