Breaking the Silence Around Fibromyalgia: Charles Mattocks Launches a Powerful New Docu-Series to Change the Conversation
By Gloria Lancer A New Movement for Millions Living With Fibromyalgia For millions of women — and men — living with fibromyalgia, the struggle is often invisible. The pain is
By Gloria Lancer
A New Movement for Millions Living With Fibromyalgia
For millions of women — and men — living with fibromyalgia, the struggle is often invisible. The pain is real, the exhaustion is relentless, and the emotional toll can be overwhelming. Yet despite how many lives are impacted by this chronic condition, fibromyalgia remains misunderstood, underrepresented, and too often ignored.
Award-winning film and television producer Charles Mattocks is determined to change that.
Known for creating powerful health-focused programming that sparks global conversations, Charles is now turning his attention toward fibromyalgia with an ambitious new docu-series designed to bring awareness, education, hope, and humanity to a condition that has spent far too long in the shadows.
His inspiration is deeply personal.
Over the years, Charles has formed close friendships with many women living with fibromyalgia. He has witnessed firsthand the physical pain, emotional isolation, and daily challenges they face navigating a system that often leaves them unheard and unsupported. Those experiences became the driving force behind what he believes could become one of the most important projects of his career.
“This is about giving people their voices back,” Charles says. “Too many women are suffering quietly. Too many feel dismissed, forgotten, or misunderstood. We want to create something that finally makes people feel seen.”
A Groundbreaking Fibromyalgia Series in Costa Rica
The upcoming series will bring together five women living with fibromyalgia alongside their loved ones for an immersive four-day experience in Costa Rica.
Unlike traditional health programming, the project is designed to feel raw, real, emotional, and deeply human. Cameras will follow honest conversations about chronic pain, fatigue, relationships, mental health, trauma, exhaustion, resilience, and survival.
The goal is not polished television.
The goal is truth.
Throughout the experience, participants will engage in conversations with leading voices in fibromyalgia research, chronic pain education, and wellness advocacy — creating an environment where science, storytelling, and emotional support intersect in a powerful way.
Among those involved in the project is Anushka Irani, a rheumatologist and associate professor at Mayo Clinic whose research focuses on fibromyalgia and chronic pain, with expertise in neuroimaging, real-world evidence, and clinical implementation.
Also featured is Tami Stackelhouse, an award-winning author, founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, and executive producer of the documentary INVISIBLE. Through her work, Tami has helped countless people living with fibromyalgia reclaim control over their health and quality of life.
Special consultant on the project is Dr Daniel Clauw.
Together, the series hopes to bridge the gap between education and lived experience in a way audiences have rarely seen before.
More Than a Health Show — A Cultural Shift
Charles believes one of the biggest challenges in modern health communication is how far many large campaigns have drifted from the people they’re meant to serve. “We’ve lost some of the human connection in how we reach people,” he says. “A lot of companies invest heavily in advertising, but the message can start to feel corporate instead of personal — and that makes it harder to truly connect with the people who need support the most.” He believes projects like this have the potential to create real impact because they are rooted in authentic stories and lived experiences, rather than traditional marketing formulas.
“Most people living with fibromyalgia are searching for understanding,” he says. “Sometimes information matters. Sometimes support matters even more.”
That philosophy is at the heart of the series.
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms and treatments, the project explores the emotional realities of chronic illness — how fibromyalgia affects marriages, families, careers, confidence, friendships, and identity itself.
The series will also spotlight the role loved ones play in the healing journey, showing what support can look like when compassion replaces judgment.
Continuing a Legacy of Advocacy Through Storytelling
Charles Mattocks has spent years producing impactful programming focused on chronic illness, health disparities, and underserved communities. His own health journey transformed the direction of his career and inspired him to use storytelling as a tool for awareness and empowerment.
After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over a decade ago, Charles shifted from entertainment into health advocacy, eventually creating the groundbreaking diabetes docu-series Reversed, which focused on changing the narrative around chronic disease management and prevention.
That same passion now fuels his work surrounding fibromyalgia.
For Charles, this project represents more than television — it represents a movement toward compassion, visibility, and understanding for millions who feel forgotten.
“We need to stop treating chronic pain like it’s invisible simply because you can’t always see it,” he says. “The people living with this condition deserve to be heard, respected, supported, and understood.”
Changing the Future of Fibromyalgia Awareness
Fibromyalgia affects millions worldwide, yet public awareness remains alarmingly low. Many patients spend years searching for answers, validation, and proper care while facing stigma from society, workplaces, and sometimes even family members.
This new series aims to help change that narrative on a global scale.
By combining emotional storytelling, lived experiences, education, and honest dialogue, Charles hopes the project will reach not only those living with fibromyalgia, but also the people around them — partners, parents, children, friends, employers, and communities.
Because awareness alone is not enough.
Understanding changes lives.
And sometimes, the simple act of finally being heard can become the beginning of healing.
As production moves forward, one thing is already clear: this project is about far more than television ratings or entertainment.
It is about creating a platform for people who have spent too long suffering in silence.
And for many living with fibromyalgia, that conversation is long overdue.
For more information on the series email admin@ravoke.com
