Some use the ADHD drug Ritalin as a stimulant when they need an after-work boost before a night on the town; others give tranquilizers like Ativan to friends based on a distinctly nonprofessional diagnosis of "anxiety disorder."

New York resident Katherine K., who did not want her full name used, says she gave Ativan to a friend after trading some Vicodin to her boyfriend for the pills. "I acquire quite a few medications and then dispense them to my friends as needed; I usually know what I'm talking about," she said.

Such self-medication is becoming common practice among many people in their 20s and 30s, who see the value in antidepressants and other medications but are skeptical of doctors' exclusive right to prescribe the drugs. Many find the drugs on the Internet; others lie to doctors to get the drugs they want.

In many cases, experts say, such abuse of prescription drugs differs from use of substances like marijuana or cocaine in that users are often looking to feel better, not get high. Users are often very familiar with the drugs they take, having been prescribed medications for ADHD, depression, or other problems from their teenage years forward.

But health experts worry that such users may not be aware of problems caused by drug interaction, dosage limitations, and other risks.

"There's this increasingly widespread attitude that 'we are our own best pharmacists,'" said Bessie Oster, director of Facts on Tap, a prevention program for college students. "You'll take something, and if it's not quite right, you'll take a little more or a little less, and there's no notion that you need a doctor to do that."

Many self-medicators say they feel empowered by their choices and deny that their behavior is abusive or unethical. "It's not like we're passing out Oxycontin, crushing it up and snorting it," said Katherine. "I don't think it's unethical when I have the medication that someone clearly needs to make them feel better to give them a pill or two."

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