Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety condition caused by a traumatic event. It currently affects 24.4 million Americans. Common forms of treatment for PTSD include pharmaceutical pills, such as serotonergic antidepressants (SSRIs). This type of treatment includes a multitude of drawbacks that often don’t resolve the underlying issues.
PTSD Patients are beginning to turn toward medical cannabis to help subside symptoms. This alternative is showing to help bring fulfillment to patients experiencing the debilitating symptoms of PTSD.
Understanding PTSD
PTSD can be caused by virtually any trauma, defined by an event that is life-threatening or that severely compromises the physical/emotional well-being of an individual, inducing intense learned fear. It has been shown that PTSD is higher amongst females, children, adolescent, minorities, and people with disabilities.
PTSD can have serious consequences if left untreated. It can affect the sufferers’ emotional, societal, medical, and vocational functionality. The longer it goes untreated, the more significant negative effects can have on social and emotional development, as well as the ability to learn.
How Cannabis Can Be An Effective Alternative
Numerous studies are pointing to cannabis to be an effective alternative to treat PTSD. The primary causality of PTSD is learned fear. The more learned fear, the more hypervigillance exists. Studies have shown that CBD can reduce learned fear. Anytime a patient reduces learned fear, it’s getting to the root of the problem, making cannabis so effective.
The psychoactive component of THC has benefits toward PTSD, as well. Research is showing many PTSD patients are as much as 50 percent deficient in anandamide. Anandamide is known as “the bliss molecule,” one of the endocannabinoids released during exercise. Cannabis contains similar properties as endocannabinoids, and the body reacts to it as such. What cannabis is really doing, is correcting a deficiency for PTSD patients. This shows the extent of which cannabis helps patients with PTSD.
What PTSD Patients Are Saying
Thanks to recent decriminalization laws, PTSD patients are turning toward medical cannabis more every year to help treat PTSD. The American Legion recently held a press conference announcing their support for medical cannabis after coming to terms with the heartbreaking reality that soldiers experience an extremely high rate of PTSD. The group took a scientific stance, backed up by personal anecdotal evidence that medical cannabis is working for our veterans. Louis Celli, National Director of Veteran Affairs and Rehabilitation for the American Legion, iterated the importance of medical cannabis for symptoms like PTSD.
Eventually, I was able to see that there was enough evidence that warranted at least looking into medical cannabis. I challenged my staff to review all the available information on cannabis from around the world. That’s about 22 thousand published articles. In fact, as we researched, we came across veterans who said the only reason they are alive today, and did not commit suicide, was because of their use of medical cannabis.
Veterans aren’t the only ones expressing the help they receive from medical cannabis treatment. Patient Ben Nichols explains how cannabis has helped him work through his trauma.
It helps with daily tasks like school, work, and relationships. My mind races and cannabis helps me slow down and think through the trauma rather than hide from it. I can tell it’s helping me because my sleeping patterns are normal and I don’t have anxiety attacks.
How To Get Access
Access to medical cannabis requires a recommendation from a licensed physician. PrestoDoctor offers medical marijuana card recommendations online. This means you do not have to leave the house in order to get access. Appointments can be made today or scheduled for another day at prestodoctor.com.
