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
Because alcohol is a depressant, many people use it as a way to self-medicate and temporarily manage mania.
—Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Peter’s perspectives, for example, are choppy and frantic, punctuated by anxious thought spirals as he self-medicates, pontificates and twists with self-loathing.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
Unable to dance, she self-medicates with pills bought from a local busker and develops an addiction to painkillers.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Sep. 2024
Addiction often results from attempts to self-medicate the symptoms—which is why treating the underlying trauma can be essential to a cure.
—Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-medicate 
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Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Peter’s perspectives, for example, are choppy and frantic, punctuated by anxious thought spirals as he self-medicates, pontificates and twists with self-loathing.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
Unable to dance, she self-medicates with pills bought from a local busker and develops an addiction to painkillers.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Sep. 2024
Addiction often results from attempts to self-medicate the symptoms—which is why treating the underlying trauma can be essential to a cure.
—Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-medicate
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 22 Nov. 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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