Pain Warriors is a documentary that tackles the other side of the opioid crisis ~ that of under-treated pain patients and the slow death of compassion that surrounds them. As pain patients are losing access to opioid treatment there have been an increasing amount of suicides. Legitimate, responsible pain patients are losing access to opioids overnight and are being expected to deal with the consequences with no help from physicians. According to the Pain Warriors mission:
Chronic pain has the potential to become epidemic in proportion in our lifetime. Without timely education, strategies for treatment and financial planning for the millions who currently suffer from this disease, the cost to society has risen to billions annually in both Canada & the USA.
How I felt watching Pain Warriors
Pain Warriors follows the lives of Hunter, Yanekah, Karen, and Sherri who are all four pain patients. I related to each one of their struggles in different ways.
From Hunter, a child who survived cancer only to be left with chronic pain, I felt his frustration about finding answers. When he finally sees a doctor willing and able to help him he can hardly believe the promise of having controlled pain. He’s been in pain for as long as he remembers and he’s not sure it will ever go away.
From Yanekah, a woman left with unanswerable pain and dealing with motherhood at the same time, I felt her struggle to be a good parent and take care of her body. Living in pain and being a parent is one of the most difficult things I’ve had to learn to deal with.
From Karen and her husband Bob, I was struck by their continual love for each other throughout Karen’s struggle with pain. I am thankful that Bob published Karen’s journal after her death so that other people can learn from her struggle.
From Sherri, I was reminded how overwhelming the medical system can be and how important it is to have an advocate with you at all times. Sherri was failed spectacularly by the doctors who were supposed to help her, and yet she made sure her story was told long after her death because she didn’t want anyone else to suffer as she did.
Pain Warriors is hard to watch. To see people’s pain so clearly isn’t easy, but it’s important. Overall I was just incredibly struck by how brave people in pain are. The road we have to walk is full of potholes and barricades placed in our way. Stories of triumph over chronic pain are rare, which is why it’s so important that we share with the world what is happening to us.
The quotes that struck me the most
“To not believe someone who is telling you something is wrong with them is unethical. One has to believe them from the beginning.” Dr Jacobs, Pain Specialist
“The pain patient who is legitimately ill is denied something based on the misuse of something that they need by someone else.” Dr Jacobs, Pain Specialist
“Chronic pain patients are 100 million pariahs in America.” Dr Ibson
How to watch Pain Warriors
You can rent or purchase Pain Warriors the following ways:
Have you seen Pain Warriors? Tell me your feelings about it below.
I haven’t watched Pain Warriors and I’m not sure I could handle watching it. So terribly sad.
I am so very fortunate that all my long term doctors have always helped me and know that I am not an abuser. I know this is not the case for many.
I’ve seen both sides of this issue with friends in pain and others that have become addicts. Both sides can destroy lives and families.
There has to be a middle road here. Praying we find it.
Although this sounds truly heartbreaking it does sound like a really interesting watch. Thank you for sharing it with me – I will keep an eye out for it!
findyourownhope.com
Hello I’m new here been living with fibromyalgia for a year now so thank you for this I will be having a good read hanks again.
This is devastating to read about, I really do feel for everyone in it, perhaps especially Hunter just because of his age and then obviously not knowing what the future holds or whether he’ll know anything other than pain. It’s a fantastic idea to put this into a documentary and so, so important because chronic pain doesn’t get a look in when the focus of the ‘opioid crisis’ is about how opioids are bad and abused and should be taken away. There’s little consideration into just how vital they are for so many people that live the chronic pain life.
Great write-up, thanks for bringing awareness to the documentary as I’d really like to check this out.
I’ve just bought this documentary! I’m not sure that “looking forward ” to watching it is quite the right expression but it is good to know that awareness of something that affects so many of us is being put out there. Thanks for a great review!