What is self-medication?

Indications and Procedures

Every day, millions of people take medicinal drugs. Usually this is because they are experiencing symptoms, want to experience a particular feeling, or want to prevent a problem from developing and have information leading them to believe that the drug is the answer. For some, this occurs under the direction of a physician through the use of prescription medications. For others, this occurs through self-medication as a form of treatment. Most popularly, there are those who, through advertisements or personal experience, have learned that certain over-the-counter medications
or popular legal drugs (such as cigarettes or alcohol) can be used to alleviate symptoms, provide palliative care, or cause certain symptoms or feelings. Others, via self-knowledge or guidance from alternative medicine specialists, will use teas, herbal remedies, and vitamins to achieve these same goals. Similarly, others may use illicit drugs to self-medicate in order to adjust their
mood, physical feelings, or other abilities. For these individuals, it may be that they have didactic knowledge about drug properties or have learned about drug effects through their experience with drugs. Relatedly, even those receiving prescribed drugs may abuse those drugs by using them in ways unapproved by their doctor. This may be due to judgments that they need more or less of the drug or need to mix it with something else to get the desired effect(s). Together, access to drugs, knowledge of dosages and drug effects, and having a culture that encourages use of medicinal remedies and drugs all contribute to self-medication.

Uses and Complications

Drug interactions can be a danger of self-medication. When individuals mix different medicines, legal drugs, or illegal drugs, there is a risk that they may cause themselves harm. Some drug interactions can cause medicinal drugs to be less effective for treating the condition needing attention. Others can lead to substantial discomfort or more serious conditions such as seizures or death. Similar problems can come from mixing certain medicinal substances and herbal remedies with each other or with certain foods. As such, anyone using self-medication as a treatment strategy should learn as much as possible about the drug(s) they are taking. Persons who self-medicate in addition to taking prescription drugs should inform their physicians of the nonprescription drugs they are taking.

Another problem of self-medication as a style of treatment is that unsupervised medical problems can often worsen without proper care. Using alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana to alleviate conditions such as anxiety or depression may provide relief in the short term, but in the long term such use may worsen the mood problems and lead to substance abuse or dependence. Similarly, taking an antacid or laxative can be helpful for minor gastrointestinal problems, but prolonged use of such drugs can result in dangerous physical conditions not getting much-needed medical attention. Therefore, the limits of self-medication as a strategy must be known.

Perspective and Prospects

More than 30 percent of individuals living in the United States use an over-the-counter drug in any two-day period. It is estimated that 54 percent of three-year-olds receive over-the-counter drugs in any thirty-day period. Elderly adults use 25 percent of all over-the-counter drugs. Research also shows that 70 to 95 percent of all illnesses are managed without physician assistance. Additionally, over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, legal drugs, and illicit drugs constitute multibillion-dollar industries. Given these trends, self-medication as a treatment strategy is likely to continue. Increases can be expected as well because it is becoming easier to gain knowledge about how to use drugs safely. Furthermore, the practice of self-medication has the potential to decrease health care costs substantially by reducing the need for health care services, conserving valuable physician time.

The presence of self-medication as a positive force, however, must be balanced against problems such as a lack of compliance with medication regimens and the use of illicit and legal drugs to manage untreated mental and physical illnesses. When people do not take medicines as directed or fail to get proper medical treatment, problems can worsen. Work in the health care field therefore will need to address the longer-term problems that can develop as a result of these types of practices. Such investments may require increased time from service providers for purposes such as assessment and diagnosis, so as to uncover the hidden illnesses causing individuals to look for medicinal help in the first place. Additionally, barriers to treatment will have to be brought down so as to allow individuals who need medical and other health care to get the help they deserve.

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