Pain Awareness Month 2025

Beyond the Surface: The untold story of chronic pain, it’s time to #EndPainStigma

“You can’t always see chronic pain — but for up to 1 in 3 people in Ireland, it’s part of everyday life. This September, let’s go Beyond the Surface to end the stigma, open conversations, and call for improved policy and services.’’

The campaign calls for policy and system change (see press release below) and aims to raise awareness by shining a light on four pillars of stigma experienced by people living with pain – Personal, Relationships, Employment, Healthcare stigma. Follow these stories and more on our social media pages. Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Time to change the conversation, so people are believed, supported and understood.

📅 Lots of supports and events taking place 🔎 ➜ Read more here.

€5 Donate Now

For as little as €5 – the price of your favourite coffee – you can help someone living with chronic pain access support, resources, and connection.

💜 Donate today to fuel the fight against pain stigma and isolation.
Donate Now ➜ https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/EndPainStigma

Become a Member

Living with pain? Your membership gives CPI a stronger voice when we advocate at national level — and connects you with resources, events, and a community that understands.

👥 Join today for just €22/year.
Become a Member ➜ https://chronicpain.ie/become-a-member/

Fundraise or Volunteer

Run a coffee morning, organise an event — big or small, your efforts make a real difference.

📚 Learn more via ➜ https://chronicpain.ie/fundraising/

🙌 Want to help on the ground?
Join our volunteer team! ➜ https://chronicpain.ie/volunteer/

Chronic Pain Partner / Sponsor

Are you a business, foundation, or community group? Let’s work together to create a meaningful, lasting impact. We believe that collaboration is key to driving real change — and we’re actively seeking partnerships with organisations that share our values and vision.

Whether you’re a company looking to expand your social responsibility goals, a foundation seeking to invest in high-impact initiatives, or a community group wanting to support a worthy cause, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re currently looking for:

• Sponsors to help fund our programmes, events, and outreach efforts. Your support not only enables our work — it also showcases your commitment to the community.
• Pro bono partners who can offer expertise, services, funding or resources to amplify our message, strengthen our operations, or help us reach new audiences.

Together, we can achieve more, reach further, and create a better future for those who need it most.

🤝 Let’s start the conversation — your partnership could help change lives.

💬 Contact us ➜ info@chronicpain.ie

Press Release:
What we are calling for

This year’s campaign, Beyond the Surface, focuses on the hidden struggles of chronic pain and the damaging effects of stigma. Chronic Pain Ireland, together with the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Ireland, we are calling for urgent investment in:

• Public health campaigns to raise awareness and improve health literacy
• Structured education and exercise programmes in healthcare and workplaces
• Timely access to biopsychosocial rehabilitation
• Inclusive employment policies supporting job retention and return to work
• Stronger primary care pathways for early diagnosis and treatment

Despite the personal and societal cost, chronic pain remains under-recognised and underfunded.
📣 Read the full press release ➜ here

Follow us on social media

Throughout September, we’ll share stories from our Pain Ambassadors.
Please share, comment, or post your own pain story and tag us on social using the hashtags: #EndPainStigma #PainAwarenessMonth #BeyondTheSurface

What is Pain Awareness Month & Why it Matters?

Chronic pain is one of the most common – and most misunderstood – health conditions in Ireland.

• Chronic Pain affects 150M people throughout Europe, and in Ireland, it can be as many as 1 in 3 people. Chronic Pain is a major health care problem in Ireland and throughout the world.

• It impacts mental health, work, relationships, mobility, and quality of life.

• Many people are disbelieved, dismissed, and experience stigma by healthcare professionals, employers, within their community, with friends, and family.

• The economic cost in Ireland is estimated to be over €4.7 billion every year.

“When people can’t see my pain, they doubt it. That doubt slowly wears you down.” – CPI Member

Each year this international campaign aims to draw attention to the need for better understanding of what a person with pain deals with on a daily basis, the challenges they face and society’s lack of understanding about chronic pain. This is an international effort to ensure that there is improved access to care and for greater education among the healthcare community and society.

Did you know,

that at present, there are 150 million people experiencing pain in Europe, approximately equal to the population of France and Germany combined?