Taking medication without medical supervision is widespread in our country. Probably, before self-medicating we were prescribed such medication at some point, and although it is very important not to take medication without medical follow-up, some people decide to skip that step believing they have enough information about the effects of these products and about their state of health.

However, there is a particularly relevant aspect from the point of view of clinical psychology and psychiatry: how does self-medication influence us in the case of psychotropic drugs?

  • Related article: Psychopharmaceuticals: Drugs That Act on the Brain

    Why do we self-medicate?

    It would be difficult to answer that we do not take medication without first being prescribed according to our problem, but this does not mean that we are doing it correctly. Self-medication can pose a significant risk to our health because we may not be taking the right medication to treat our health problem, whether physical or mental.

    Human beings tend to believe that they know their bodies well, that they know better than anyone else what is wrong with them. And it is true, we can get to know each other very well, but there are times when the person must also know his limits and know that he must seek help.On many occasions we must lose our fear of the results that the tests that we have had and have had done can give us.

    True, there is always the uncertainty of whether it will be “something good or something bad. But if we don’t address it, we can’t solve it. And in most cases, the longer we wait to solve our physical and/or psychological problem, the more difficult it will be to solve it effectively.

    Health professionals, and more specifically doctors and psychologists, can clarify the origins of the problem that affects you, address it and improve your situation.

    Why don’t you go to the doctor?

    Surely we have been asked this question before and we have answered that:

    • I don’t have time to go to the doctor.
    • It doesn’t hurt enough to go.
    • I don’t think it’s that bad.
    • This has already happened to me.
    • I still have some medicine left from last time.
    • Something the pharmacist gives me will be enough.

    We may not have time at that very moment, we may not be in pain yet, we may want to play down our problem, we may believe that we are “experts” in our condition, that we “must” spend the medicine we have left, that we will try to cure ourselves with the ones sold to us in the pharmacy, but we could be taking a risk and waiting for “to see if it goes away” unnecessarily.

    It is important to mention the role of the psychologist for some problems that may arise. On many occasions his or her services are dispensed with and drugs are used directly , instead of seeking the correct orientation from the psychology professional, as in cases, for example, of anxiety. We should know that the best treatment option is usually a medical and psychological treatment if required.

    Psychopharmaceuticals and their misuse

    Psychopharmaceuticals are drugs that have a depressant effect on the central nervous system with a sedating action. The depressant effect leads to a decrease in the activation of the brain, i.e. it slows it down.

    The most common depressant medications are: benzodiazepines, barbiturates and opiates . Although we also find alcohol.

    Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs that are sedative-hypnotics. They began to be produced in the 1960s in order to treat problems such as insomnia, anxiety, epileptic seizures, panic attacks and other disorders.Benzodiazepines in conjunction with alcohol consumption will enhance the effects of alcohol.

    Barbiturates were prescribed more frequently than at present because of the dangerous nature of their administration, while codeine, morphine and heroin were among the opiates.

    Psychological and physiological effects and risks

    These are several of the effects that psychotropic drugs can have:

    • Sleep/Sleepiness
    • Anxiety reduction
    • Disinhibition
    • Sedation
    • Can cause dependency

    In cases of overdose or severe intoxication, the level of consciousness decreases and can even lead to death . If abstinence occurs, other symptoms may appear such as insomnia, panic attacks, irritability, tremors .

    Responsible use of these drugs is important to avoid dependency and other problems. Consult your doctor and your psychologist so that they can better guide you.