LIFE Before Death Chronic Pain

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"Chronic Pain"

Short Film 16 of 50 in the LIFE Before Death documentary series about the global crisis in untreated pain and the dramatic life changing effect palliative care services can deliver to patients and their families around the world.

In this Short Film we discover how widespread and debilitating chronic pain is and that chronic pain is classified as a disease, not a symptom.

"Pain's one thing, most people experience pain in their lifetime - chronic pain though is a whole different animal," reflects cancer patient Don (USA). "So for those of us that have had that, and they get relief from it, it gives us back our ability to really enjoy a lot of life."

"Don had a lot of really severe physical pain," explains Dr Jay Thomas (USA). "The cancer had actually eaten into nerves coming off his spine and caused a really severe form of pain - a lot of burning radiating pain -- and it took a combination of medicines to try and get that pain under control pharmacologically."

"It all encompassing," confesses Don. "It can take your life away from you."

"One in five Australians have chronic pain," states Professor Michael Cousins (Australia). "And I have confidence that the same situation exists in most developed countries. Of those one in five people, one third of them are severely disabled by it."

"Research has shown that chronic pain moves on to insomnia, people's sleep patterns are disrupted, their general quality of life begins to decline if the pain isn't addressed," reports Dr Natalya Dinat (South Africa).

"Debilitating pain for me starts again on that scale at about 8 and with the right medicine you can you can take it down to a 3 or a 4," explains Don.

"When you see a patient coming in with chronic pain you don't realize how severe his pain is," admits Dr Daniela Mosoiu (Romania). "Where with acute pain it's all there in his face, sweating, colors and so on."

"When you move over from acute pain to a chronic pain situation, you are dealing not with a symptom but you're now dealing with a disease," explains Professor Cousins.

"The absence of opioids in a chronic pain situation I think would be unbearable. I think, goodness, I think it would be easier to die," confesses Don. "Absence of pain, at least in my case, that's a dream, but definitely with the right expertise and the right doctors that pain should be more than manageable."

Featuring Dr Jay Thomas (USA), Professor Michael Cousins (Australia), Dr Natalya Dinat (South Africa), Dr Daniela Mosoiu (Romania), Don (USA).

LIFE Before Death comprises 50 short films themed around pain control and end of life issues, releasing one a week for a year from May 2011.

A feature film will be released in early 2012, followed by the release of a television documentary in late 2012.

The project is presented by the Lien Foundation and produced by Moonshine Movies.

It is also supported by The International Association for the Study of Pain, The Mayday Fund, The Union for International Cancer Control and The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice International Programs.

Share Your Story by visiting www.TreatThePain.com

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Life Before Death
• Treat The Pain
• Chronic Pain
• Severe Pain
• Insomnia
• Debilitating Pain
• Acute Pain
• Severe Physical Pain
• Opioids
• Cancer
• Pain Symptoms
• Pain Control
• Pain Management
• Quality of Life
• Disease
• Global Health
• Australia
• USA
• City of Hope
• Dr Jay Thomas
• Professor Michael Cousins
• Dr Natalya Dinat
• Dr Daniela Mosoiu patient
• Cancer death
• AIDS death
• documentary
• palliative care

[lostinperception]

Thanks to Don for your honesty and insight!

[tanukitejon]

Definetly a very strong reason to commit suicide, or let yourself die.

[imreallyjin]

i had an injury 6 months ago which has become chronic pain. I have difficulty breathing, probably due to some complication with my diaphragm from the injury. it is still undiagnosed...

i get suicide ideation whenever pain is severe that all i can do is lie down. I'm grateful when i can sit on my chair... it's that bad.

[realityhammer]

I live in pain because my doctors won't prescribe the one thing that helps me. I haven't slept normally in years because of it.. I am far from the only one in this situation. Something must be done about this. The lawmakers do not care that the cost of hyperregulating painkillers is a rising suicide rate in those forced to live in pain. Something must be done.

Anyone got a petition, or something, anything?