self-medication

noun

self-med·​i·​ca·​tion ˌself-ˌme-di-ˈkā-shən 

plural self-medications

: the act or process of medicating oneself especially without the advice of a physician : self-treatment

For chronic coughs, self-medication with cough remedies is usually inappropriate, and most doctors discourage their use.

—Consumer Reports

Hazard has a long tradition of self-medicating. Moonshine and marijuana, grown in its fertile soil, have long helped to blot out depression, boredom, even physical pain.

—Debra Rosenberg

also : a substance used for self-medication

Over half (57 per cent) of these medical centre patients reported using one or more over-the-counter medications in the previous month, with analgesics, cold and allergy products, and antacid products being the most common self-medications.

—Antonia C. Lyons and Kerry Chamberlain

Examples of self-medication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, alcohol makes the highs and lows of many mood disorders worse and self-medication only works for so long. —Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

His new methodology for his patients is also a new form of self-medication. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2024

That may be a useful song for many listeners, but just as striking is how much Jelly Roll invites the men in his audience to deal with a sense of self-loathing — and why that might require something deeper than self-medication. —Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2024

Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and living in the heart of Austin, Texas’ boisterous Sixth Street bar district, the 36-year-old former college golfer had become reliant on a dangerous form of self-medication. —Max Blau, NPR, 22 Sep. 2024

Like Ela was talking about, there’s an inclination with self-medication. —Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 19 June 2024

One of my favorite examples of self-medication is also in orangutans. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 5 June 2024

Animal self-medication has become a rapidly growing scientific discipline. —Adrienne Mayor, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2024

The incident could shed light on the origins of self-medication for wounds, which was mentioned by humans in a medical manuscript dating to 2200 B.C.E., the Guardian writes. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

self-medication

noun

self-med·​i·​ca·​tion -ˌmed-ə-ˈkā-shən 

: medication of oneself especially without the advice of a physician : self-treatment

self-medication with nonprescription drugs