How To Tell If You're Self-medicating

Know the signs and how to address them

- Diana Duong

IT CAN START innocently. Have a headache? Take a Tylenol. Had a rough day? Grab some ice cream. Self-medication is, essentially, giving your body whatever you believe it needs to feel better, without having to drag yourself to the doctor.

While actively managing your health is a crucial part of maintaining well-being, self-medication can develop into overuse if you’re not careful. Here are some common forms, and how to curb them.

PHARMACEUTICALS

There’s nothing wrong with taking a painkiller regularly to manage your arthritis, but popping four pills at once is a red flag, says Philip Emberley, director of practice advancement and research at the Canadian Pharmacists Association. “Many think that if one pill works well, multiple pills will work better,” says Emberley. But overuse is hard on the liver and can cause irreversible damage. In order to avoid developing harmful habits, Emberley suggests sticking to the recommended dosage on the bottle or talking to your doctor or a clinical pharmacist if that dose isn’t doing the trick.