self-medicate
verb
self-med·i·cate
ˌself-ˈme-di-ˌkāt 
self-medicated; self-medicating; self-medicates
1
transitive
: to treat (something) by self-medication
people who attempt to self-medicate depression
2
intransitive
: to treat oneself by self-medication
self-medicated with analgesics to control arthritic pain
These courts are a lifeline for veterans, many of whom struggle with post-traumatic stress and brain injury when they return home after serving, often using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.—
Claire Handscombe
Claire HandscombeExamples of self-medicate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Health Humans are not the only animals that self-medicate
Research shows that sparrows and other animals use plants to heal themselves.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Observers have long suspected that chimpanzees use plants to self-medicate.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
But that same year, Yale psychiatrist R. Andrew Sewell also published a paper that reviewed 53 cluster headache patients who’d self-medicated with either psilocybin or LSD.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 15 May 2024
Despite the pain in her life, she never self-medicated.
—Lisa Depaulo, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2024
North Korea spends less on health care than any other country in the world (under $1 per person per year), and many citizens resort to self-medicating.
—Sue Mi Terry, Foreign Affairs, 3 Mar. 2020
Orangutans can self-medicate—and even rub themselves down with soothing balms
By Rachel Feltman
Back in 2022, researchers were observing primates in Indonesia.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 5 June 2024
In an interview, Boyd said her mother’s experience drove her to self-medicate with drugs.
—Bracey Harris, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
Many former patients self-medicated with drugs and alcohol and wound up on the street.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Big Think, 24 June 2024
Observers have long suspected that chimpanzees use plants to self-medicate.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
But that same year, Yale psychiatrist R. Andrew Sewell also published a paper that reviewed 53 cluster headache patients who’d self-medicated with either psilocybin or LSD.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 15 May 2024
Despite the pain in her life, she never self-medicated.
—Lisa Depaulo, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2024
North Korea spends less on health care than any other country in the world (under $1 per person per year), and many citizens resort to self-medicating.
—Sue Mi Terry, Foreign Affairs, 3 Mar. 2020
Orangutans can self-medicate—and even rub themselves down with soothing balms
By Rachel Feltman
Back in 2022, researchers were observing primates in Indonesia.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 5 June 2024
In an interview, Boyd said her mother’s experience drove her to self-medicate with drugs.
—Bracey Harris, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
Many former patients self-medicated with drugs and alcohol and wound up on the street.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-medicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-medicate
Cite this Entry
“Self-medicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-medicate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
self-medicate
verb
self-med·i·cate
-ˈmed-ə-ˌkāt
self-medicated; self-medicating
: to treat by self-medication
the patient had attempted to self-medicate depression
: to treat oneself by self-medication
patients with dental pain often self-medicate with analgesics
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