Pills Don't Always Cure The Pain

Advil, Tylenol, Exedrine, Aleve. I know from that last I use to take one of those pain relievers every instance I had any kind of ache. Prescriptions on the other hand, well I took them as directed and never got addicted. For one woman, pills took a priority in her life.

One Newsvine story featured a Pennsylvannia law student and her addiction to prescription pain pills. I can't take my eyes off the photo; it's very enticing. Laurie Besden's expression has a look that can't be described in perfect words. The ones that come to mind: numb, regret, pain and embarrassment. Besden relied on prescription pills to pass her bar exam and then she couldn't live without them. 

The writer, Karen Asp, set-up the story in a great and organized matter. She separated it into categories and expanded on each with quotes and information. This makes it much easier for readers to be able to actually go deep into the article and read each part. 

This kind of piece needs lots of facts to back up the truth of the matter. Asp did that wonderfully. I can't believe 7.5 million adult women abuse prescription medicines. That's a huge number. That awe factor I'm feeling is exactly what Asp wanted.

Photo Courtesy of Newsvine.com 

Besden would get heart palpitations if she didn't take her pills after a while. That's a scary thought. This is the kind of quote you need to include in a health story. 

There's a bright side to this story and I think that's what gets people reading. If anyone reading has a pill problem or knows someone that does, he/she can look to Besden for hope. I enjoy stories that feature people in depth like this one. It's much easier to read about a topic if there's someone to relate to. Of course every story needs to be humanized, but I feel like more featured stories like these have a greater appeal.

I'd love to improve my writing to reflect that kind of work.