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

Examples of self-medicate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The facility believed his past behavior stemmed from his attempts to self-medicate his troubles. —Alex Heigl, People.com, 16 May 2025

Chimpanzees aren’t the only apes that self-medicate. —Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025

Wild chimpanzees have been observed self-medicating their wounds with plants, providing medical aid to other chimps and even removing others from snares left by human hunters, new research suggests. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 May 2025

Parker Posey has been winning raves playing his self-medicating wife, Victoria Ratliff, who seems to be oblivious to what her husband is going through. —Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for self-medicate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Medical Definition

self-medicate

verb

self-med·​i·​cate -ˈmed-ə-ˌkāt 

self-medicated; self-medicating

transitive verb

: to treat by self-medication

the patient had attempted to self-medicate depression

intransitive verb

: to treat oneself by self-medication

patients with dental pain often self-medicate with analgesics