LifeSearch: Nearly half of Brits 'self-medicating' mental ill-health

A study by LifeSearch has found that 45% of over 16s in the UK are ‘self-medicating' their mental health issues, while six in 10 (60%) said they have done so in the past. One in five (21%) are using alcohol as well as over-the-counter and illegal drugs to cope; others use gambling (7%), sex (14%), food (22%) or spending and shopping (17%) to alleviate chronic mental health symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia or even depression. According to the study of 2005 adults carried as part of LifeSearch's ‘Let's Start Talking' campaign, overeating is the most common form of ‘self-medication' fo...