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Mental Health Awareness Week is just around the corner – running from 12th to 18th May 2025 – and this year’s theme is one that sits right at the heart of everything we do at Burning Nights CRPS Support: Community.
Living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) can be incredibly isolating – not just for our warriors, but also for the unsung heroes who support them through it all. That’s why this year, we’re taking a moment to recognise the incredible role carers play in our community – and to celebrate the power of surrounding yourself with people who truly get what you're going through.
Whether you’re a parent, partner, sibling, friend or young person providing care – we see you. And this Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to say it clearly: you’re not alone.
Mental Health Awareness Week is the UK’s biggest campaign focused on mental health – a moment to come together, raise awareness, and talk openly about the things that help keep us well.
Run by the Mental Health Foundation, the week has been going for over 20 years and now reaches millions across the country. Each May brings a new theme, and in 2025, the focus is one we care deeply about: Community.
It’s a theme that feels especially close to home for carers, families, and anyone living with a long-term condition like CRPS. Because sometimes it’s the smallest things – a shared story, a quiet moment of support, a message that reminds you you’re not alone – that make the biggest difference.
At its core, Mental Health Awareness Week is about breaking stigma, offering support, and reminding everyone that mental health is something we all need to look after. And here at Burning Nights, we’re proud to stand alongside the Mental Health Foundation – and so many others – in making that message heard.
When we talk about the impact of CRPS, our first thoughts often go to the person living with it – our warriors. But behind many of them stands an unsung hero: a carer, quietly carrying the emotional, physical and practical weight of helping someone they love.
Caring can be deeply meaningful – but it can also be exhausting. Juggling appointments, managing pain flare-ups, chasing referrals, advocating for proper treatment... all while trying to hold on to a sense of ‘normal life’. It’s a lot. And when you’re constantly putting someone else first, it’s easy to lose sight of how much you’re carrying.
At Burning Nights CRPS Support, we’ve spoken to so many carers who’ve felt stretched thin – emotionally drained, burnt out, and unsure where to turn. Still, they keep going. Out of love, loyalty, and that deep inner strength so many carers seem to share.
But here’s what we want to say, clearly and often: your mental health matters too. You deserve support. You deserve recognition. And you deserve time and space to talk about how you’re doing.
If you’re a young person supporting someone with CRPS – whether that’s a parent, sibling, or someone else close to you – you are a young carer. And while your role might feel like just part of everyday life, it’s important to recognise just how incredible you are.
Caring at a young age comes with challenges not everyone sees. You might be helping with daily routines, offering emotional support, managing medications – all while keeping up with school, friendships and your own mental wellbeing. It’s a lot to handle. And sometimes, it might feel like no one quite understands.
But you are not alone.
There are support services made just for young carers – places where you can talk to people who get it, take time for yourself, and even just have a bit of fun – because you deserve that, too.
Here are a few great places to start:
At Burning Nights, we see you. We know how much strength it takes to care for someone else – and how important it is that you feel supported, listened to, and looked after too
When you’re caring for someone with CRPS, it’s easy to feel like the world gets a little smaller. Plans change, priorities shift, and your own needs can quietly fall to the bottom of the list. But connection – real, meaningful connection – can make all the difference.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme, Community, is a powerful reminder that we’re not meant to do life alone. For carers, that community might look like a support group, a friendly voice at the end of a phone, or even just someone who says, “I get it.”
Community is what helps us feel seen. It gives us strength on the tough days and reminds us that asking for help is not a weakness – it’s a step towards resilience.
At Burning Nights, we’ve seen the incredible impact that peer support, shared experiences, and simply being part of something bigger can have. You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to carry it all alone. We are stronger together.
At Burning Nights CRPS Support, our focus has always been on more than just the condition – it’s about the people living with it, and the people who stand beside them every single day. Our carers. Our unsung heroes.
We know that supporting someone with CRPS can feel relentless. It’s emotional, unpredictable, and sometimes isolating – but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Whether you’re looking for someone to talk to, a space to connect with others who understand, or just a little breathing room when things feel too much, we’re here to help.
Here’s how we support carers in the CRPS community:
Every carer’s experience is different – but no one should ever feel invisible. If you’re caring for someone with CRPS, we want you to know: you matter too. And we’re here to walk alongside you
While we’re proud to stand beside you as part of the CRPS community, we know that caring for someone with a long-term condition can affect every part of your life – from your health and wellbeing, to work, finances, and education. That’s why we also want to highlight a few trusted organisations offering extra support, guidance, and practical help for carers across the UK.
These services are free to access, and many of them offer tailored resources whether you’re a carer, a young carer, or someone just starting to realise that what you do every day is care.
Wherever you are in your caring journey, there’s support out there – and you don’t have to face things alone.
When you’re caring for someone else, it’s easy for your own needs to quietly slip to the bottom of the list. But having the right people around you – people who listen, check in, or just make things feel a little lighter – really does matter. For your mental health. For your energy. For those days when it all feels like too much.
You don’t need a big crowd. Sometimes, it’s just one or two people who get it – and that can be enough to make a difference.
Here are a few gentle ways to reconnect or build your support network:
You deserve a support system that works for you. One that reminds you – quietly, consistently – that you’re not just doing enough. You’re doing something extraordinary.
Mental Health Awareness Week is more than just a campaign – it’s a reminder of what truly matters: community, compassion, and connection.
For the carers in our CRPS community – and for the warriors you support – this week is a chance to pause, reach out, and feel seen. It’s a moment to remember that looking after your own mental health isn’t selfish – it’s necessary.
So whether you’re sharing a link, checking in on another carer, joining a support group or simply taking a well-earned breather – you are part of something bigger. A growing community that believes in showing up for one another.
At Burning Nights CRPS Support, we’ll continue to be here for you – not just during Mental Health Awareness Week, but every single day. Because no carer should ever feel like they’re in this alone.
We truly are stronger together.
At Burning Nights CRPS Support, we’re here to offer a safe space to share, connect, and be heard. Whether you’re having a tough day, feeling the weight of your caring role, or just need to talk to someone who truly understands, our team are here to support you.
Here’s how you can reach out:
Sometimes, just knowing someone else gets it can make all the difference. So don’t keep it all in – we’re here, we’re listening, and you are absolutely not alone.
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