Self-medication involves finding your own ways to overcome health problems instead of seeking out help from a health professional. Health problems that people commonly try to self-medicate include mental illnesses like depression and anxiety or health problems partially caused by a poor lifestyle such as obesity or repetitive strain injuries.
There are many ways in which people try to self-medicate. Many of these are not healthy and could even make health problems worse. However, there are some forms of self-medication that can be effective. This post explores the good, the bad, and the ugly side of self-medicating.
What are some unhealthy ways to self-medicate?
Heavy drinking/substance abuse
Alcohol and drugs are commonly used to relieve anxiety and depression. Some people even use them for pain relief. While these substances can be effective, they are not a healthy long-term solution. Alcohol and illegal substances carry many serious health risks ranging from liver failure to heart disease. They can also interfere with brain chemical production and often make mental health problems like depression and anxiety worse once the effects have worn off due to causing a deficiency in serotonin or even distorting perceptions of reality.
There are some substances that have medical use and few health risks if taken responsibly. For example, there is a lot of evidence to show that marijuana can help with pain relief. However, excessively smoking weed is going to have more drawbacks than benefits in the long run, so you need to be sensible.
Comfort eating
Many people use food as a coping mechanism for depression or anxiety. While the occasional snack can be an effective pick-me-up, eating huge amounts of food will only lead to weight gain and health problems like diabetes. This is particularly the case if you are eating lots of calorific junk food and not exercising.
Do not rely on excessive snacking to beat health problems. It will just cause more health problems in the long run.
Self-harm
Self-harm can be a ‘cry for help’ tactic for some depressed people. However, in many cases, it can also be a form of self-medication. Cutting or burning oneself can be a way of punishing oneself or creating new pain as a distraction from other pain in our life. It can make us feel in control of our pain and offer a strange release. But of course, it is not healthy. Self-harm leads to scars which cause reduced self-esteem or may lead to complications like infections. And in some cases, self-harm can escalate until it becomes life-threatening.
Self-harm can also take the form of people performing treatment on themselves to get rid of physical health problems such as popping cysts or even removing teeth. These, of course, also carry health risks if you don’t know what you’re doing. All in all, you should not try to inflict any harm on yourself as a form of treatment, as it will usually just make things worse.
Non-scientifically-backed holistic remedies
Some holistic remedies, like consuming turmeric to reduce joint pain, do have some scientific backing and can help towards their goal. But you should be careful of relying too much on holistic remedies as a sole form of treatment. You should be particularly careful of treatments that have no scientific backing and are wholly based on tradition or rumors. Some may even carry more proven health dangers than proven health benefits, such as using yohimbe for impotence or consuming aveloz to beat cancer.
Always do your research before trying holistic remedies. If there is no scientific proof of benefits (or greater scientific proof of health risks), you are better off avoiding that remedy.
What are some healthy ways to self-medicate?
Scientifically backed over-the-counter medicine
There are many forms of medicine that you can obtain without seeing a medical professional that can be effective at treating health problems. For example, you can relieve allergy symptoms with antihistamine pills and treat constipation with over-the-counter laxatives. Some herbal medications that have scientific evidence to support them may even be worth exploring.
You cannot treat a broken bone or get rid of cancer with over-the-counter medicine. However, when treating minor ailments, over-the-counter medication is recommended over trying to seek out professional treatment. Just make sure you buy the right medication and take the right dose.
Reducing stress
Reducing daily stress can help to beat all kinds of health problems. On top of easing depression and anxiety, it can help reduce many physical health problems that may flare up as a result of stress, such as migraines, acne, joint pain, IBS, and tinnitus. It could also help treat issues like insomnia.
There are many ways to reduce stress – the most obvious being to take a break from high-stress activities like work or looking after young kids. Activities like taking a hot bath, exercising, listening to music, meditating, laughing, and spending time outdoors can also all help reduce stress. When it comes to long-term stress reduction, think about lifestyle changes you can make, such as decluttering and redecorating your home or introducing new routines to avoid stress triggers (like running late to work).
Rest/Exercise
The right combination of rest and exercise can help people to recover from all kinds of problems. Some health problems solely require rest, such as recovering from a fever or recovering from burnout. Others may require more exercise than rest, such as weight loss. And then there are some health problems that can be overcome using a combination of both, including depression, insomnia, back pain, and even treating a cold.
Rest and exercise alone won’t treat all health problems, but there are many health problems that can be effective remedies if you get the right balance.
A healthy detox diet
Cutting out unhealthy foods and replacing them with healthy options can also help to beat many health problems. By giving your body all the nutrients it needs to function at its best and by eliminating unhealthy ingredients, you can more easily overcome a cold or lose weight or reduce blood pressure. A healthy diet could even reduce inflammation caused by chronic diseases like arthritis and help fight mental health problems like depression by pumping your brain full of the nutrients it needs.
When using a detox diet to overcome health problems, try to replace processed foods with natural foods as much as you can. Cut down on excess sugar and salt, and take a break from alcohol. Try to also limit your calories to a healthy amount suitable for your size and lifestyle. You could find that you feel so much better in a week. Just don’t expect a diet to cure all health problems.
Are there still issues with healthy self-medication?
Not all problems can be cured through self-medicating. Some health problems can really only be treated through prescription medicine, medical procedures, or therapy. There are those that may argue that you can still beat diseases like cancer through self-medication – however, there is no scientific evidence to support such claims. Some forms of self-medication may indeed help with recovery, but you can’t always rely on them alone.
Healthy forms of self-medication also require a lot of self-motivation, which can make them unsuitable for many people. While you can tackle depression by exercising and eating healthily, you may find such habits hard to keep up if you’re not used to such a lifestyle. Many people end up turning to unhealthy forms of self-medication like drinking alcohol because they’re more convenient and provide more instant relief. A form of treatment like rehab for depression may be better in these instances as it can force you to get away from the temptation of substances while also allowing you to spend time with mental health professionals who can help motivate you to beat your depression.
It’s also worth noting that you can have too much of a good thing. Some healthy forms of medication can end up becoming unhealthy if you indulge in them too often. For example, you can help reduce joint pain by exercising regularly. However, you can also make your joints worse by overdoing it. Similarly, there are certain healthy foods that can become toxic if you consume too much. For example, you can reduce arthritic pain through an omega-3-rich diet, but if you eat too much omega-3, you can experience blood-thinning and vitamin A toxicity. All in all, make sure to know your limits when self-medicating.
Conclusion
There are healthy ways to self-medicate, but you need to take caution when exploring these methods of medication. Do your research online to make sure that you’re self-medicating correctly, and do not try to use self-medication as a way of avoiding necessary treatment via a professional.
