Welcome once again the Medication Monday, the weekly series that examines some of the mental health medications currently available as well as some of the common issues associated with mental health medications. This week, I want to talk about WebMD (or any other online medical website).
I will preface this post by saying that I know I often link to WebMD as a source for these posts. That is because, as I am constantly reminding readers, Medication Monday is not meant as a substitute for medical advice, but rather a brief informative introduction to these medications. And for that purpose, WebMD is absolutely great. It is, similarly, a brief introduction to medications, conditions, and experiences with illness, mental and physical.
It is not, however, a substitute for medical advice. Even with all the research I do for this series specifically and this blog in general, the fact is I would never substitute my opinion for a medical or mental health professional’s. While things like WebMD and this series might help you be more prepared for appointments with psychiatrists, psychopharmacologists, or other health care professionals, including possibly providing you with the ability to ask better questions about a particular treatment plan.
It may seem like, with so much information available at our fingertips, we should be able to be better advocates. But things like this series are not a substitute for medical advice because the fact is that information is not a substitute for experience and the ability to interpret that information.
So I sincerely hope that this series has been helpful for readers. However, I also hope it hasn’t caused anyone to get a little to confident in their ability to self-diagnose and self-prescribe.
Until next time.
The Dark Tales Project 
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