The dangers of self-diagnosis

We live in an information age, and easy access to internet and various search engines makes accessing information convenient, affordable and fast.

Although this has many obvious advantages, easy access to information comes with some concerns. One of these concerns has been an increase in medical and psychological self-diagnosis.

When faced by concerning symptoms, more and more people turn to the internet to better understand their symptoms and make decisions about their treatment. This is problematic for many reasons.

Firstly, information on the internet is not monitored or regulated, and can therefore be misleading or inaccurate information. As the public, we pay very little attention to the sources of this information (believing it to be ‘true’), which can result in inaccurate ‘diagnosis’.

Secondly, the process of diagnosis needs to be informed, scientific and objective. By nature we are subjective, and trying to diagnosis our own symptoms is problematic.

Finally, by over-accessing information and making self-diagnosis, many people inflict unnecessary psychological stress and trauma on themselves.

It is therefore advisable if you are experiencing concerning symptoms, to seek the help of relevant health professionals.