AN ASCOT banker was forced to give up her career over chronic and painful arthritis - and now supports a campaign seeking to bring chronic pain to the big screen.

Sinead, a 43-year-old Ascot resident, has suffered with rheumatoid arthritis for 17 years, claiming "I lost my 30s to arthritis. It's like a black hole in my life."

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Sinead said: “The pain is a deep throb happening all the time. I had to give up my career as an investment banker and for about 10 years I suffered badly from depression.

"I developed many phobias: A fear of not getting enough sleep, of putting myself out there, of letting people down, of not being able to perform at work.

"Looking back on it, I lost my 30s to arthritis. It’s like a black hole in my life.

Sinead, 43, from Ascot. Pic: Versusarthritis.org

Sinead, 43, from Ascot. Pic: Versusarthritis.org

"I personally am out of it – nearly – so mine is a story of conquering, but most people don’t conquer."

Because of her lifelong struggle, she now wants to see changes to the TV and film industry by making portrayals of chronic pain sufferers more accurate.

Today, May 5, the charity Versus Arthritis has released guidance for the industries, named 'The Painful Truth: A Guide to Depicting Chronic Pain On Screen.'

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She added: “Long-term pain is not something that can be imagined. There is absolutely a place for it on screen if dealt with sensitively and responsibly.

"There are so many of us living with it. It would go a long way to making people realise it’s a problem, rather than ignoring it.”   

To support the charity, visit www.versusarthritis.org/.