September is Pain Awareness Month, and Chronic Pain Ireland has adopted the theme ‘Beyond the Surface’ this year, focusing on the hidden struggles of chronic pain and the stigma that surrounds it.
Chronic pain — defined as pain lasting longer than three months — can arise from injury, illness or unknown causes. It can affect anyone, at any age, and has wide-reaching impacts on mental health, mobility, work, relationships and quality of life.
It is one of the most prevalent health issues in Ireland, yet it continues to receive limited recognition, understanding and visibility. Many people living with chronic pain report not being believed — even by healthcare professionals, employers and family members.
Throughout September, Chronic Pain Ireland is hosting free workshops and events to mark Pain Awareness Month. People are invited to join the global campaign using the hashtag #PainAwarenessMonth and to learn how small acts of empathy can make a big difference.
Chronic pain is not only a personal burden — it's a major public health issue. It is a leading reason people reduce or leave work, withdraw from daily activities and experience long-term disability. According to the Irish Pain Society, chronic pain costs the Irish economy over €4.7 billion annually.
Despite the cost, chronic pain remains under-recognised and underfunded in Ireland and across Europe. Chronic Pain Ireland and the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP ) Ireland are calling for urgent investment in prevention and early intervention, including public health campaigns to raise awareness and improve health literacy; structured education and exercise programmes in healthcare and workplace settings; timely access to biopsychosocial rehabilitation for people at risk of long-term pain; inclusive employment policies that support job retention and return to work; and stronger primary care pathways to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.
“Chronic pain is a heavy burden as often pain is invisible," said Christina Donnelly, executive director of Chronic Pain Ireland. "Stigma adds more weight to that burden, wearing you down, impacting on mental health and wellbeing. This campaign aims to bring that pain to the surface — to challenge and end pain stigma, to help promote understanding, and to call for a system that believes and supports people from the start.”
Chronic Pain Ireland member Elizabeth Mansfield, who lives with chronic pain, said: “My pain is real, but invisible. When people can’t see it, they doubt it, question it, lose patience with you by thinking you are making it all up. That doubt slowly wears you down physically and mentally. This campaign matters because it gives us a voice — and helps others see what we live with every day.”
University of Galway Professor of Clinical Psychology and representative for SIP Ireland, Brian McGuire, added: “We have the tools to prevent chronic pain from becoming a lifelong disability, but people are still falling through the cracks. We need a coordinated, compassionate response — one that sees pain not just as a symptom, but as a priority in its own right.”
To find out how you can support the campaign or to learn more about chronic pain, visit www.chronicpain.ie and join the conversation on social media using the tag #PainAwarenessMonth.
