01-06-2017, 10:37 AM
Cannabis as a Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) January 4, 2017
As long as people have gone to war, the warriors and victims have suffered horrors to their bodies and minds. Their bodies have often proven more resilient than their psyches.
War has not monopoly on trauma. The loss of loved ones, the loss of property in a natural disaster, the affliction with pain and suffering all leave brutally deep pain.
Cannabis is proving a successful option for people seeking relief from this post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD in simple terms
The staff at the <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/CON-20022540">Mayo Clinic</a> defines PTSD as follows: a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
In terms of everyday life, people who experience traumatic events often have trouble adjusting for a while. But, continued suffering marks PTSD for months and years.
PTSD Symptoms
PTSD symptoms occur in different people to different degrees. But, per the <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp">National Center for PTSD</a> at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, symptomatic behaviors include:
PTSD Treatment
The National Institute of Mental Health cites value in psychotherapy and medications.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps sufferers to identify triggers and management skills. It might include Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) that slowly exposes the victim to the trauma from a safe position. It fosters coping and fear management,
It may also include Cognitive Restructuring or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to help victims to make sense of what happened. Therapist and patient look at the event from a more realistic perspective to relieve guilt and shame.
Medications emphasize Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). They work on the neurotransmitters that are linked to fear and anxiety, and the pharmaceutical industry is competing for solutions. This brain circuitry us the same area targeted by cannabis.
The Reality of the Cannabis Option
As long as people have suffered such continuing pain, they have sought ways to self-medicate. If they do not seek professional help, they may turn to alcohol, violence, addictive drugs, and other options to escape the stress.
Without justifying or recommending those options, some relief mechanism is at work in these negative behaviors. The same inference can be made from when considering how marijuana has become the go-to treatment for many military veterans.......
<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.allbud.com/learn/story/cannabis-treatment-ptsd">https://www.allbud.com/learn/story/cannabis-treatment-ptsd</a>
As long as people have gone to war, the warriors and victims have suffered horrors to their bodies and minds. Their bodies have often proven more resilient than their psyches.
War has not monopoly on trauma. The loss of loved ones, the loss of property in a natural disaster, the affliction with pain and suffering all leave brutally deep pain.
Cannabis is proving a successful option for people seeking relief from this post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD in simple terms
The staff at the <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/CON-20022540">Mayo Clinic</a> defines PTSD as follows: a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
In terms of everyday life, people who experience traumatic events often have trouble adjusting for a while. But, continued suffering marks PTSD for months and years.
PTSD Symptoms
PTSD symptoms occur in different people to different degrees. But, per the <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp">National Center for PTSD</a> at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, symptomatic behaviors include:
- Reliving the event in nightmares or flashbacks.
- Avoiding situations or people that remind of the event.
- Feeling generally negative, guilty, or shameful about things.
- Losing trust and faith in people and circumstances.
- Experiencing hyperarousal, a sharp anxiety, jitteriness, and anger.
PTSD Treatment
The National Institute of Mental Health cites value in psychotherapy and medications.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps sufferers to identify triggers and management skills. It might include Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) that slowly exposes the victim to the trauma from a safe position. It fosters coping and fear management,
It may also include Cognitive Restructuring or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to help victims to make sense of what happened. Therapist and patient look at the event from a more realistic perspective to relieve guilt and shame.
Medications emphasize Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). They work on the neurotransmitters that are linked to fear and anxiety, and the pharmaceutical industry is competing for solutions. This brain circuitry us the same area targeted by cannabis.
The Reality of the Cannabis Option
As long as people have suffered such continuing pain, they have sought ways to self-medicate. If they do not seek professional help, they may turn to alcohol, violence, addictive drugs, and other options to escape the stress.
Without justifying or recommending those options, some relief mechanism is at work in these negative behaviors. The same inference can be made from when considering how marijuana has become the go-to treatment for many military veterans.......
<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.allbud.com/learn/story/cannabis-treatment-ptsd">https://www.allbud.com/learn/story/cannabis-treatment-ptsd</a>