A recent article from Bronwyn Thompson in newatlas.com is a perfect example of how the internet has become the primary source for people to choose how to self-medicate and how dangerous it can be. The article discusses how seemingly harmless herbal supplements put people in the hospital. The primary fallacy here is there is no harmless supplement or pharmaceutical drug. Anything and everything can be harmful.
This behavior isn't new; it has simply evolved with the times. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I fell into the same trap, relying on over-the-counter remedies without truly understanding their effects on my body. It was a costly lesson that led me to a profound realization: "You think you know what's best for you, but you really don't."
One of the many reasons I left an engineering career to study Chinese medicine is because of my own experience with this very scenario. Western herbal medicine and Chinese medicine are different. Remedies are chosen in the West based on the reported symptoms or conditions they treat. This is a very crude way to use herbal medicine and, rarely is effective. Why? We're all different and we don't all respond the same to a particular substance, herb, supplement, or drug.
Chinese herbal medicine is based on a person's constitution and current pathology. Chinese medical diagnosis is unique and does a much better job of defining the underlying patterns of disharmony responsible for a person's symptoms. Understanding the underlying cause of dis-ease is more important than trying to match a symptom to a supplement.
The trend of self-medication through easily accessible online resources is alarming and indicative of a broader issue—our society's overconfidence in personal health knowledge. With its abundance of information, the internet can create a false sense of expertise. When everyone considers themselves knowledgeable enough to self-diagnose and self-treat, it leads to a dangerous cycle of misinformation, where people are not only spending money on ineffective supplements but also potentially putting their health at risk.
As more people turn to the internet for health advice, it's essential to emphasize the importance of professional guidance. The allure of quick fixes and self-prescribed remedies can be strong, but without a deep understanding of the body's needs and the complexities of herbal medicine, these choices can do more harm than good. The time to shift the narrative from self-medication to informed, professional care is now.
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Meridian Harmonics Acupuncture and Herbal Compounding Pharmacy
