Self Medication is a Serious Health Risk that cannot Be Ignored

Credit By: ISHFAQ AHMED

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• 06 Apr 2026

A few online searches, some videos, and we feel we know enough to treat ourselves

Self-medication has become one of the most worrying health trends in the Kashmir Valley. From antibiotics bought over the counter without a prescription, to painkillers and sleeping pills taken like daily essentials, we are normalising a culture that puts quick relief above long-term wellbeing. It may appear harmless when we take a tablet for a headache or a cold without visiting a doctor, but the deeper pattern now visible across the Valley is far more serious.

There are several reasons why self-medication has become so common. The first is our fragile healthcare system. In many areas, especially rural belts, a qualified doctor is not easily available. Long queues in government hospitals and the high cost of repeated consultations in private clinics push people towards the so-called “shortcut” of going straight to the chemist.

The local pharmacist often becomes the first point of consultation, asked to diagnose problems and suggest medicines without any proper examination. Over time, this has turned into a habit: why spend time and money visiting a doctor when the chemist can “give something” that brings temporary relief?

The second factor is our own attitude towards illness. We have started believing that every fever needs an antibiotic, every ache needs a strong painkiller, and every night of poor sleep demands a sedative. We rarely pause to ask why the body is giving these signals. Instead of understanding the cause, we rush to suppress the symptom. Many of us proudly share “home-made prescriptions” with friends and relatives.

But this casual approach hides very real dangers. The most alarming is the misuse of antibiotics. Across Kashmir, antibiotics are often taken for viral infections like the common cold and flu, where they offer no benefit at all. They are started without a proper dose, stopped as soon as the patient feels a little better, or mixed randomly with other drugs.

This not only fails to cure the illness, but it also helps create antibiotic resistance,  a situation where common bacteria no longer respond to the medicines that once killed them. The world is already warning of a “post-antibiotic era”, and we in the Valley are unknowingly contributing to it with every unnecessary strip of tablets we consume.

Painkillers are another silent culprit. For many people with chronic back pain, joint problems or frequent headaches, painkillers have become daily companions. They are taken on an empty stomach, combined with other medicines, and used for months or even years without any medical supervision.

The result can be severe: kidney damage, stomach ulcers, bleeding, and a host of other complications that only become visible when it is too late. What began as a simple attempt to manage pain can end in a far more serious disease.

The rise of mental stress in the Valley has also fed into the self-medication problem. Pills for anxiety and sleep, sometimes borrowed from a neighbour or purchased easily from a chemist, are being used without understanding their addictive potential.

Instead of addressing the emotional distress, social pressures, or economic worries that lie at the root of sleeplessness and anxiety, we are increasingly turning to tablets as our first and only solution. This not only masks the real issues but can also create dependence, where the body and mind feel unable to function without the drug.

Social media and the internet have added a new twist. A few online searches, some videos, and we feel we know enough to treat ourselves. Half-understood medical terms are thrown around in everyday conversation, and online advice from unknown sources is treated as gospel.

The line between reliable information and dangerous misinformation has become dangerously thin. In a place where health literacy is still limited, such “Google-based treatment” can easily mislead people into ignoring serious conditions or taking harmful combinations of medicines.

It would be unfair, however, to put all the blame on the public alone. The easy availability of prescription drugs without a prescription is a major part of the problem. Many medical shops are willing to hand over powerful antibiotics, steroids, and sedatives without asking a single question.

Regulatory checks remain weak, and enforcement is often limited to occasional drives rather than a sustained policy. If our system allows people to purchase such medicines as casually as buying groceries, self-medication will naturally continue to flourish.

What is needed now is a collective change — in policy, in practice, and in mindset. Authorities must strictly implement rules that prohibit the sale of certain drugs without a valid prescription. Chemists should be partners in promoting rational use of medicines, not silent participants in misuse.

At the same time, the government has to strengthen primary healthcare, especially in rural and far-flung areas, so that people are not forced to rely on guesswork and chemist-counter consultations when they fall ill.

Equally important is public awareness. Our schools, colleges, mosques, and media platforms can all play a role in spreading simple but powerful messages: that antibiotics are not painkillers; that stopping a medicine midway can be harmful; that long-term use of painkillers and sleeping pills without medical advice is risky; and that sometimes, the most responsible act is to seek a proper diagnosis rather than just demanding a quick-fix tablet.

Ultimately, the issue of self-medication in Kashmir is not just a medical concern; it is a reflection of how we value our own health. We cannot treat our bodies like testing grounds for random drugs. Respecting our health means respecting the expertise of those trained to protect it.

Consulting a doctor may take more time and effort, but it is an investment in our future well-being. If we continue down the current path, the cost will not just be counted in rupees spent at chemist shops, but in lives complicated and sometimes cut short by preventable harm.

It is time for the Valley to choose caution over convenience, and science over shortcuts.

(The Author is the Op-Ed editor of Rising Kashmir and can be reached at: ishu00234@Yahoo.com)