'self-medication' originates from the combination of 'self' and 'medication', where 'self' refers to one's own person and 'medication' refers to the act of treating with medicine.

'self-medication' evolved from the practice of individuals treating themselves without professional guidance, a concept that has been present in various cultures for centuries.

Initially, it meant 'treating oneself with available remedies', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.