Three Ways Medical Marijuana Can Help Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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July 15, 2020

Imagine a traumatic incident in your life. Some people can brush off upsetting experiences over time, but others have to live with the trauma every day. Imagine someone was skateboarding down the sidewalk, and a car jumps the curb and hits them. They’ve spent time in a hospital and made a full recovery. Just because their bodies have recovered doesn’t mean their minds have. Now imagine every time they see a skateboard, walk down a sidewalk, or see a car. The memory of their near-death experience replays in their head. It triggers their fight-or-flight response when absolutely nothing is happening. They’ll have a panic attack, suffer from depression over not knowing how to handle it, or even lose sleep. It’s called PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and it can significantly affect one’s quality of life. Fortunately, medical marijuana can help alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medical Marijuana Can Lower Depression

PTSD can lead to depression because people don’t have healthy coping mechanisms when experiencing an episode. Marijuana has long been touted as a means for treating depression. It is due to how the cannabinoids bind with the body’s receptors in the brain to calm the mind of racing thoughts during a depressive episode.

Medical Marijuana Can Calm Anxiety

Our endocannabinoid system, the same system that helps calm anxiety, also plays a significant role in regulating anxiety. These receptors in our brain help calm the body’s fight-or-flight response during a PTSD episode. However, the anxiety relief of medical marijuana is often temporary. That’s why it’s important to use medical marijuana to complement therapy and other coping strategies to manage PTSD-induced anxiety.

Medical Marijuana Promotes Sleep

Finally, PTSD is often accompanied by sleep problems. Stress and anxiety give PTSD-sufferers trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. This reduction in sleep quality can lead to a cycle of sleep deprivation and stress. As we know, medical marijuana helps reduce anxiety. Still, it is also shown to be beneficial for reducing the severity of insomnia.