PTSD and severe depression

I grew up in a war cannabis helps a lot for PTSD and Depression.


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I have severe PTSD and am relatively new to smoking. I've been doing it nightly for about a year now and though I didn't get into it for medicinal benefits I'm finding that it does help a lot. My PTSD triggers are mostly at night but now that I smoke nightly I don't have any of the issues I used to have with going to bed or going to sleep.

For depression, however, I found I still need my anti-depressants. Cannabis helps that but doesn't cure it for me. It might if I was able to be high 24/7, since I'm certainly not depressed while high, but I have to work and don't have the opportunity to get high until I'm home for the night.


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if you cry a whole lot you need to soak in epsom salt baths. it increases the electrolytes you loose when crying. For PTSD try and get a clear head/heart to understand what is driving your emotions. sometimes just getting a handle on them can be the force needed to change your emotions- thoughts usually lead to an emotion. meditation can help more than anything to get clear in your life. Good luck

 

You are not alone. I am a medical retired vet with severe manic depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain to go along with other things. I can't describe to u the deep sadness and frustration that comes with trying to explain how u can go from macho soldier to sissy cry baby without the thoughts of everyone thinks I'm just lazy and don't want to work, or why can't I suck it up and deal with it, etc etc. I have found a coping mechanism that works for me and that is growing and consuming cannabis. It literally saved my life from several attempted suicide try's. I go to therapy bi-weekly, attend the occasional group meetings, and most importantly I only surround myself with people I trust and understand what is going on with me. Staying true and honest with your self and your loved ones is the only way I have found to manage my illnesses, not cure but manage. Shoot me a message anytime u need someone to talk to, or just vent, that understands where ur coming from. Best of luck.


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Good luck to you, Sam, and to the others who have shared your experiences with PTSD. Can you share which strains have been most helpful for you?


Also, greentmeds, I've always thought that just admitting you are struggling with emotional problems and facing them takes a great deal of strength, much more so than most people who think you should always be macho likely possess themselves. Sounds like you have figured out what is working for you.

 

I have PTSD, depression, chronic pain from fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis in my spine, ADD, hypothyroidism, PCOS, and now I'm in menopause (yippee).

The depression, ADD, fibromyalgia, and menopause all wreck havoc on my memory now, which makes me feel and sound like an idiot sometimes. I used to pride myself on being articulate and intelligent and people used to say that about me all the time. Now I can be in the middle of talking and the word I'm about to say will vanish completely from my consciousness before it can pass my lips. No matter what I do, I cannot bring it back to mind. It's so frustrating. It's been going on for years now and it drives me crazy!

My sex drive went to hell when menopause began and to be perfectly honest, I'm actually okay with that...I was hurt by too many men anyway, so not wanting to be with one anymore seems like a gift. I always hated feeling lonely and "needy." I'm really enjoying my solitude.

The one thing I could really stand to be rid of is the persistent self-hatred that comes from a lifetime of bullying and abuse. I get why people did that to me and that it's really not my fault. I get that they were insecure and self-loathing, especially my mother and my aunt. I also understand that the way I feel about myself does attract abusers to me to some extent. All that awareness comes from decades of therapy.

The trouble is that I just can't seem to get to the point where I can heal the pain and the damage from all of it to where my self talk is no longer toxic and almost as harmful as the abuse. I just can't seem to be kind to myself. I still talk to myself like my abusers. It's a knee jerk thing.

Before I can "thought stop," I've already said something really unkind to myself in my head when something goes wrong like, "Well, what do expect, you're such a loser!"

Consciously, I know the things I say to myself aren't true and I'm not being fair to myself, but I can't stop doing it. It seems that 49 years of toxic people doing that to you from the age of two is very hard to purge from your tormented psyche.

As for strains, lately I'm more into ones that are high CBD. I can't say being high is really important for me unless I'm really having a hard time getting to sleep. Well, my sleep cycle got messed up in 2011, thanks to my psychiatrist getting me addicted to sleeping pills (zopiclone) for six years, so I find it very hard to sleep at night. Nothing seems to make me sleepy at night.

The best thing that's calmed me down and helped me sleep is Sensi Star. Trainwreck and Sour Diesel have helped me with my ADD after hours (I won't take my stimulant med after 5 pm, but I like to be somewhat alert and focused for a while after that so I can get things done, like dinner).

Chemo is another nice, calming one, but too much can be sedating. Ace of Spades was really good for relaxing too. I think it's a hybrid. Others include Blue Hash, Romulan, Sour Kush, and Cannatonic #2 (10% THC/10% CBD).

By far the best thing I discovered for pain relief was ACDC. It's now my favourite because I get completely clear-headed pain relief. It's very relaxing. There's no "high" with it, but I find the pain relief with it to be very comforting and calming.

 

Here are some case studies on the anti-anxiety properties of CBD (one cannabinoid that is likely more accessible than others, due to it's non-psychoactive properties) - science for the win!


Studies

 

Daydream Sam I have both severe depression and because of a motorcycle wreck I was recently in my panic disorder which was already debilitating seems to have gotten worse I don't do things other 19 year olds do because of my handicaps I use medical cannabis to deal with the said anxiety and depression and believed it helps to a degree both things but am asking a fellow struggling blade any tips to deal with this horrible syndrome


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Hi DaydreamSam, thank you for sharing and for your support of fellow travelers. I'm happy you have found relief and empowerment with this wonderful herb. I also have severe PTSD and depression as well as crying spells, and ever since I started using cannabis a year ago, I've finally been able to get a handle on my symptoms and their underlying issues. It even gave me the courage and perspective to find a therapist, start DBT therapy (check it out!), and get through the day-to-day when I started having tons of flashbacks and panic attacks (which is really fun when you're a teacher, and there's a room full of teenagers starting back at you). Like many PTSD sufferers, I was very isolated and scared when I started recovery, and cannabis absolutely helped me survive emotionally despite the fact that I was dealing with my issues alone. All my life, I lived with a lot of toxic beliefs about my self-worth and used to feel powerless to change anything, find peace, or even just develop a healthy sense of self. Within seven or eight months of daily cannabis use, it was like I started pulling myself out of the Matrix I feel like a totally different person these days (because I actually FEEL like a person these days), and while I don't think medicine alone can cure emotional distress without positive intention and effort, cannabis definitely gave me the relief I needed to take charge of my life.

 

I am someone who has had an affinity for weed ever since I tried it. I am someone who definitely identifies as having had PTSD as a result mainly of losing both grandparents (who lived a block away, and i was very close with) and a great aunt (who lived 20 min away) over the course of a year between 15 and 16 years old. Also, 5+ years of depression. That combined with bullying due to my obesity, I definitely had PTSD symptoms for at least a couple.


For me, it definitely helps depression, but can contribute to anxiety. Over the years I have learned to control my anxiety with things like diaphragmatic breathing, chanting, meditation, PMR (progressive muscle relaxation), etc. So knowing I have social anxiety, I will still vape two bowls before class (usually just smoke one each session), but if I'm too high, I can take a few deep breaths, close my eyes, repeat a mantra for a minute, and be in a much better place. There are plenty of natural ways to treat most mental illness symptoms (eg nicotine prevents schizophrenia symptoms, diaphragmatic breathing excites the parasympathetic nervous system which tricks your brain into thinking you're relaxed, and meditation has a wide range of stress lowering results).


You just need to do some research, contact a psychologist (before a psychiatrist, which mainly prescribes medications), practice stress/anxiety/depression relieving activities, and try to live a life less affected by your PTSD.

 

If my wife is in menopause and I need ganja for it, does that still count?


Jokes aside, I to am a disabled vet and suffer from psychiatric issues that ganja seems to help immensely with. More so then the chemicals they are always prescribing me. Every 2 or 3 months they prescribe something new. I don't take the chemicals medications anymore. They fuck with my head more then they ever helped in any way.

I would offer the following advice....talk with someone often. At least once a month but I have found the more I talk about my issues and the fucked up shit going through my mind, the better I feel. Like the act of talking about it all somehow breaks it loose and allows me to process it better then before.

And while ganja can make you feel better it can make you feel worse. That's another reason you need to keep talking with people. They will be the first line of defense if your medication is not working, working improperly. After lol, it's about feeling as safe and co for table as one can in their own head and In their own skin.

 

I probably have some form of PTSD myself. I've never been properly diagnosed with it but I'm pretty sure I have it. Cannabis and CBD oil combined seems to help relieve many of the severe symptoms. I need a very high dosage to get proper relief though, small amounts do nothing for my PTSD symptoms.

 

I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, and combat related PTSD about a year and a half ago, and honestly marijuana is one of the only things that can kind of help me out of that 'funk'. It's taken a lot over the past year or so to try and maintain a sense of normalcy, and I definitely have a new respect for how severe mental health disorders can be, and the damage they can cause in someones life. Thankfully I have been able to set up a fairly solid support system with my fiance and some of my therapists, but it's definitely an uphill battle kind of feeling. Hang in there, and things WILL get better. If anybody ever wants to just shoot the shit, feel free to shoot me a PM, otherwise good vibes to all.

 

I think my disorder is probably Complex PTSD (CPTSD for short) caused by a number of events during my life, such as a traumatic and abusive childhood, losing people close to me to death in the past and more recently, and choices that I made during my adolescence and adulthood which just ended traumatizing myself even further. It all adds up to my CPTSD and it's a big factor in my use of medical marijuana.

I find that indica dominant hybrids give me the most relief from the symptoms while I'm awake during the day and night but the one thing it doesn't help with is the intrusive memories and flashbacks I experience late at night when I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep. No matter how much medicine I have in my system at that point, I still get the flashbacks and nightmares regularly which makes going to bed the worst part of my day overall. But for being active during my waking hours, medical marijuana helps me manage myself much better.

 

I can relate to the trouble you have with intrusive memories and flashbacks when trying to sleep. I find that cannabis only helps me sleep when I'm already tired. Otherwise, I will lie awake and ruminate over things, especially my abusive childhood and what a mess its affects have made of my life.

Abusive people have been attracted to me all my life like moths to a flame and they always seemed so kind and charming initially. I couldn't help being fooled and make bad decisions about letting these people in my life. I wanted so badly to be loved and accepted because I never felt that from my mother as a child and my father chose never to be part of my life. Now I have so many regrets. I wish I could learn to just let them go for once and for all. After all, I can't change the past.

That is the problem, isn't it? There's no going back and we can't do anything about what's in the past anymore. Why are our minds perpetually disturbed by it?

So if there's nothing to be accomplished by mulling over it so often, why can't we find a way to escape those painful thoughts?



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personally talking with people while im sad or having a "fucked up day" talking with people just makes me fell even more alone and anxious.

guess it depends alot more on what kind of person you are, and if you are a introvert or extrovert.
will also say stay away from chemicals medications, unless you Cannot! control yourself and need something for other people sake so they dont get hurt.

 

i personaly use medical to be able to be around people and sleep on, that said nightmares and flashback are still a thing tho.

but normaly i hate talking with people in the daytime fell worse there"#

i study atm
micro dosing heard of it havent seen into it tho, is it cbd drops u are talking about with microdosing or cbd bud sorry to come of as dumb