The tragic news that actress
Sophie Nyweide succumbed to what might be a
"possible unintentional overdose" is further exacerbated by the fact that she was self-medicating. Her demise highlights the very real dangers of what's also known as do-it-yourself medicine, where people choose to self-diagnose a medical condition and
select and use medicines and other substances to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms. But misuse of self-medication can increase your risk of medical complications, or even death. So why does someone choose to self-medicate, and what are the risk factors?
Click through the following gallery and learn more about the reliance some people place on unhealthy coping mechanisms.