WHEREAS,  fibromyalgia is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially; and

WHEREAS,  fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress that can be extremely debilitating and can interfere with basic daily activities and social interaction; and

WHEREAS,  fibromyalgia is a very serious and chronic illness and is known as a syndrome, which is a collection of signs, symptoms and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause and for which there is no known cure; and

WHEREAS,  this condition affects an estimated 7 to 10 million people in the United States and many more millions of people worldwide and is more likely to affect women, occurring 9 times out of 10 in women; and

WHEREAS,  people living with this condition live with difficulty in performing everyday activities, such as climbing stairs, lifting weight and performing other actions involving physical strain, and with widespread pain in muscles, joints and ligaments; and

WHEREAS,  people with fibromyalgia face discrimination in the workplace and from family and friends because so few people are aware of or understand what fibromyalgia is and what its symptoms are; and

WHEREAS,  diagnosis of fibromyalgia is difficult and takes an average of 5 years because many of the symptoms mimic those of other disorders, resulting in the average person's spending thousands of dollars in medical bills just to receive a diagnosis; and

WHEREAS,  public education is important in order for patients to receive proper diagnosis and treatment; public awareness will help to eliminate the myths about fibromyalgia, improve patient support and encourage research; and

WHEREAS,  the National Fibromyalgia Association's community awareness campaign involves an annual National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, and this year's awareness theme is "Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone" to emphasize the far-reaching effects of this disorder, from broken lives to the economic costs to patients and society; now, therefore, be it