What happens when lives are dramatically torn apart by chronic pain? The Painful Truth takes us behind the headlines of addiction and beyond the controversies of the war on opioids - and provides an intimate view of patients' frustrations, setbacks, and goals as they deal with chronic pain. We hear patients tell us their stories...and we understand the social barriers and prejudices they face every day. Note to Programmers: The Painful Truth deals with a complex issue at a time when much public attention is focused on our nation's opioid epidemic. This film offers important context on the subject and brings forward the voices of individuals that suffer terribly from chronic pain as well as the stigma of using medication to make their lives tolerable. Additionally, this film tells the story of doctors that are persecuted for simply trying to help their patients in the most professional and responsible way they can. Dr. Lynn Webster, the film's co-producer, has not been immune to these types of accusations. NETA and MontanaPBS have carefully reviewed The Painful Truth, and the credentials of Dr. Webster. We have found Dr. Webster to be one of the country's experts on pain treatment, a past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and an advocate for the safe prescription of opioids. Dr. Webster does not appear in the film. We feel that the voices of both patients and doctors who daily cope with chronic pain need to be heard and that The Painful Truth provides that opportunity.
