can anyone expain what self medicating is?

Question

is there good self medicating and bad and why do some peaple have to do it

Answer 1

Everyone self medicates. It's just a matter of HOW that is the issue. Healthy self medication may include a long walk, reading, dancing, or pursing any activity where there is a outcome of relaxation, without destructive behavior such as drinking alcohol, taking drugs, overeating, or something that endangers that person and others..

Answer 2

It means you decide to take medicine based on what you believe will be best given the symptoms you have. If you have a headache and you are old enough taking a tylenol would be an example of appropriate self medicating. If you have symptoms you can't explain, don't know what they represent and you take some kind of medication you could be risking very serious adverse events because the medication you take could make things a lot worse. I'm not sure anyone HAS to do it, self-medicate that is.

Answer 3

Generally, self-medicating is a negative term. For example - someone who is is a lot of emotional pain might "self medicate" themselves with alcochol. Someone who has insomnia might "self medicate" themselves with over-the-counter sleeping pills. Basically, "self medicating" means someone takes a condition into their own hands and tries to treat the problem rather than going to a professional.

There are many reasons why someone might do this: No health insurance is usually the #1 reason. The next reason would be one of the examples I listed above: "emotional pain". If someone is in emotional pain, sometimes the person is too embaressed to reach out to a professional because they are afraid to ask for help. They think it makes them appear "too weak" to handle their own problems by themselves.

If you could be more specific as to the "self medication" I could be more helpful, but based on the way you asked the question - I'm trying to answer the best I can. Hope that helps you out.

P.S. If you do know someone who is "Self Medicating", it can be very dangerous - especially if it involved drugs and/or alcohol. If you confront that person, even in a nice, loving way - they will become defensive. Especially if they are under the influence. In my experience, the best way to encourage a person like that to get professional help is to casually start talking about your own experience and in your story, try to relate how your situation was similar to what the person is doing and how "self medicating" didn't work for you. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Self medicating isn't safe especially when anitbiotics and narcotics are involved. These should be given under the supervision of a doctor. As taking random antibiotics for virus induced flu like symptoms can cause a super virus.

Answer 5

It's when you take medication without a dr prescribing it to you... the bad thing here is that not all medications are the same, and not all work the same way in different persons... and if you don't follow treatment and doses correctly, you could make the illness worse.... some people do it, but it's not that they have to do it.

Answer 6

Self medicating is the use of drugs (mostly over the counter or illegal) not perscribed or suggested by a doctor (your doctor not someone who says they are online!)
It is NOT good to self medicate because you may have a reverse reaction to a drug. Your families history, your diet, exercise, ect. can play a HUGE role. It is at your own risk.Vitamins, supplements, ect are also self medicating and you must ALWAYS tell your doctor of these supplements as drugs perscribed TO YOU may interferre...it happens with chemo patients that are using chemo and helisitc healing, it can be a leathal result...again AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Answer 7

For some the term "self-medicating" is referring to drinking, usually to excess, alcoholic beverages. I suppose it could just as well taking OTC or RX meds without the advice of a doctor.

Answer 8

Self-medicating is as simple as taking Tylenol. It's just curing yourself instead of going to the doctor. It's bad when you abuse pills or take them in any way other than for what they're intended.

Answer 9

"Self-medication is the use of drugs, sometimes illicit, to treat a perceived or real malady, often of a psychological nature."