The debate over the difference between drugs and medicines has been raging for a while. Contrary to the normal belief that they are synonymous, they are actually quite different. Drugs take away control of your body & mind from you. Medicines reverse this and restore the control back to you.
A drug is a chemical substance that takes control of your body or mind depending on its own inherent nature. For example, when you take a sleeping pill, it puts you to sleep no matter how much you want to be awake! It rules over your body & mind. You can repeat this exercise many times and you will experience the same each time.
It does not stop there! Subsequently, when you want to sleep, it will make your body ask for the pill again. As you start yielding to its demand, it will keep asking progressively for an increased dose for the same amount of sleep while reducing the quality of sleep! You will finally end up in a state that unless you take these pills, you simply cannot sleep. This state is called drug dependence. Your life will not be under your control – but the drug.
Painkillers work in a similar way. They do not resolve the cause of the pain. It temporarily makes you forget the pain (or not feel it). Pain will recur shortly as the cause has not been addressed and remains unresolved – you will again be forced to seek the help of a pain killer. This process will progress slowly and steadily asking for a larger dose every time. Painkillers then become the master and you the slave again!
The story is no different with pills for Hypertension or Diabetes or any other disease. An acute condition becomes chronic and you are the permanent victim. All drugs eventually create a growing market for new drugs to counteract and compensate for their ill effects! Your body will end up becoming the warehouse of different dumped drugs – and they will not simply sit there – but harm you immensely.
Medicine is a substance that helps restore ‘normalcy’ to your body & mind. Normalcy is actually nothing but your volitional control over your own body & mind. Hence its action can be seen to be the exact opposite of the drug. Properties of a good medicine are that you will never compulsively require the medicine and there is no threat of discomfort or danger when not taken on time.
Have you seen the cases of patients with diabetes and hypertension resulting in other terrible complications when the prescription drug is not taken on time every day? This is because the control is with the drugs here. But in the case of medicines – control over your body & mind is normally handed back to you – with a little bit of help from the right medicine.
Medicine on the other hand has very close similarity with food & rest in its basic action. When you are thirsty or dehydrated – you cannot function normally! Then pure water works like medicine. When you are hungry or famished – simple food works like medicine. When you are tired & fatigued – normal sleep works like medicine. Medicines are generally harmless when there is no excess or abuse.
All substances can be made to work in 3 planes; Food, Medicine, or Poison! Common table salt (sodium chloride) is food and a taste enhancer. It is also a lifesaver in cases of dehydration as a part of saline water. Mind you – it can kill too in cases of Hypertension! How come – it is the same substance? Yes! The difference is how it’s taken and how much.
Drugs Vs Medicine
- Drugs can stupefy the mind, unlike medicines.
- Drugs have the potential of addiction while medicines (in the general sense) don’t lead to such.
- The term “drugs” (either for therapeutic or non-therapeutic purposes) is nowadays thought to have a more negative connotation.
- Drugs are substances that can still cure diseases to some extent but can have severe adverse effects if used more than what’s necessary.
- Medicine can be a field of study whose graduates are called physicians or M.D.
Disadvantages Of Both Drugs And Medicines
Along with the benefits of medicines, there are a lot of disadvantages as well. Drugs are commonly taken in a negative way, but even medicines with high amounts of drugs can be dangerous to health. Being addicted to drugs and non-prescribed medicines not only harms and causes serious problems in the human body, but it also creates issues in the social life of the individuals which can turn dangerous later. SEE: Five Qualities Of A Good Water
