self-medication: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal/Medical/Socio-political
Quick answer
What does “self-medication” mean?
The act of using medicines or drugs (like over-the-counter drugs or leftover prescriptions) to treat one's own physical or mental symptoms without professional medical advice.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act of using medicines or drugs (like over-the-counter drugs or leftover prescriptions) to treat one's own physical or mental symptoms without professional medical advice.
A broader coping strategy for dealing with problems (e.g., emotional distress, pain, anxiety) through the unprescribed use of substances (including alcohol, recreational drugs, or even excessive use of supplements). It often implies a lack of professional diagnosis and potential risks.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical difference. The concept and usage are identical. Spelling: 'medication' is consistent.
Connotations
Slightly stronger negative public health and addiction connotations in AmE due to the opioid crisis discourse. In both varieties, it is a standard term in medical and public health literature.
Frequency
Similar frequency in professional/medical contexts. Slightly more common in AmE general news due to frequent discussion of prescription drug abuse.
Grammar
How to Use “self-medication” in a Sentence
(Subject) + engage in + self-medicationself-medication + with + (drug/substance)self-medication + for + (symptom/condition)the + (rise/prevalence) + of self-medicationVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “self-medication” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He tends to self-medicate with paracetamol for every minor ache.
- Patients should not self-medicate for prolonged depression.
American English
- She self-medicated her anxiety with alcohol for years.
- It's dangerous to self-medicate with someone else's prescription drugs.
adverb
British English
- He lived, self-medicated and isolated, for a decade. (Rare, highly contextual)
- The article warned against acting self-medicatedly. (Extremely rare/non-standard)
American English
- (Adverbial use is highly non-standard and awkward. 'He treated himself self-medicatedly' is incorrect. Use verbal form instead.)
adjective
British English
- The self-medication behaviour was noted in the patient's history.
- A self-medication culture has grown around certain online pharmacies.
American English
- Her self-medication habits became a serious health concern.
- The study focused on self-medication practices among college students.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in HR or occupational health contexts regarding employee wellbeing.
Academic
Common in medical, psychological, sociological, and public health research on drug misuse, coping mechanisms, and healthcare accessibility.
Everyday
Used in discussions about health, news stories on drug abuse, or advice columns warning against treating serious symptoms without a doctor.
Technical
Standard term in clinical medicine, pharmacology, and addiction studies to describe a specific patient behaviour.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “self-medication”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “self-medication”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “self-medication”
- Incorrect hyphenation: 'self medication' (should be hyphenated as a noun).
- Confusing it with 'self-care', which is positive and holistic. Self-medication is a specific, often risky subset.
- Using it as a verb incorrectly: 'He self-medications' instead of 'He self-medicates'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. For minor, self-limiting conditions (like a common cold or occasional headache), informed use of over-the-counter medicines is a normal form of self-medication. The term becomes negative when used for serious, undiagnosed, or chronic conditions, or with prescription drugs, alcohol, or illicit substances.
'Self-care' is a broad, positive concept encompassing healthy habits like exercise, good nutrition, and mindfulness. 'Self-medication' is a specific, often risky behaviour focused on using substances to treat symptoms. Self-medication can be a misapplied or harmful form of self-care.
Yes, the verb is 'to self-medicate' (hyphenated). Example: 'He self-medicates for stress.' The noun form 'self-medication' is more common.
Because inappropriate use (wrong drug, wrong dose, incomplete course) directly contributes to antibiotic resistance, making bacterial infections harder to treat globally. It also risks side effects and masks underlying illnesses.
The act of using medicines or drugs (like over-the-counter drugs or leftover prescriptions) to treat one's own physical or mental symptoms without professional medical advice.
Self-medication is usually formal/medical/socio-political in register.
Self-medication: in British English it is pronounced /ˌself medɪˈkeɪʃn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌself ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Playing doctor with oneself”
- “A dose of one's own making”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SELFie with MEDICine: taking a picture of yourself with medicine represents deciding your own treatment.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEALTH IS A DIY PROJECT (with potential for faulty construction). / COPING IS A SELF-SERVICE.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'self-medication' MOST appropriately used?