Ptsd Advantages And Disadvantages Essay

This forces vets who don’t live in states where medicinal marijuana is legalized to get their cannabis from the black market. She also states that many vets who become severely addicted to the opioids they are prescribed microdose cannabis to deal with the withdrawal from these drugs. However, patients doing so in states where medicinal cannabis hasn’t yet been legalized are ultimately taking a huge risk due to the substance violating various pain medications’ terms of agreement. O’Connell mentions another example of a veteran who uses cannabis due to a difficulty of access to other treatment named Michiko. Michiko began suffering from PTSD when she was raped by her commander in a military hospital. She is highly dependent on fentanyl and gets triggered whenever she enters a hospital setting. This makes it extremely difficult for her to access conventional treatment. Veterans Affairs strongly advised Michiko to visit rehab as a part of her treatment, however she knows that its hospital-like setting would trigger her. She ultimately uses cannabis as an effective way to treat her withdrawals. The article concludes with Sisley urging for more research to be done on cannabis’s healing abilities for veterans suffering from PTSD since she claims that most studies related to cannabis focus solely on its safety as a substance. She

b. Joe Messerli of Balancedpolitics.org, states, “There are a number of medical benefits of marijuana, most notably in the treatment of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Others believe it helps in the treatment of depression unlike alcohol.”

The initial reaction of PTSD is fear, nausea, dizziness, depression and sleep disturbances. Marijuana has been proved effective even for treatment resistant patients. While the side effects of smoking medical marijuana to help with PTSD can be a win/lose challenge depending on the way the patient’s body and how it reacts with different strains of marijuana it can either greatly lighten the symptoms while it may increase the symptoms including paranoia. The pills that a doctor would give a PTSD patient would have the same effect either it would work or make the symptoms worse. A patient who has PTSD can not control when they would have a episode, with the use of medical marijuana you can lower the chance of a episode happening when you smoke marijuana. Picking the right strain and find the right amount to smoke could be big variables in controlling episodes, mixing up up or changing the set usage it could cause the episodes to get worse and be more unexpected. Many veterans come back from serving time over seas fighting for our country that we love so much with depression problems, traumatic experiences, and bad sleeping habits. The men and women who come back to the US with PTSD find themselves at the bottom of a bottle or smoking marijuana I would rather see my loved one smoking marijuana than drinking themselves to death. People with PTSD have a hard time controlling their episodes and often even with over the counter medication their depression and flashbacks happen uncontrollably. With patients using medical marijuana to cope with PTSD have a stronger confidence in going out and not worrying about having to deal with depression or flashbacks. People with PTSD find it hard to enjoy everyday things in fear it could spark a flashback or send them straight into depression. The calming agents in marijuana helps the PTSD patient fight depression and the

1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Soon after returning home, family members start noticing a change in the soldiers. Most are in denial about having PTSD. What they need to know is that the earlier that they can get help, the better off they’ll be. With so many suffering, where are all the treatments? Even though some soldiers would abuse the treatment provided for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, American Veterans need to be provided with the proper treatment for it.

Aside from all of the benefits to people who want to use marijuana recreationally, there are benefits to using it medically, too. It can help people who suffer from insomnia, as it can relax them and aid them in sleeping. It helps people who suffer with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), which is the most common example of medical marijuana use in the research. Also, people argue over whether or not it helps people with anxiety and depression. Though some consider marijuana a "gateway drug" (a light drug that tends to lead people to use harder drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, though continued use), it is entirely dependent on the person being recommended to use it whether or not they want to use it.

Among those who served in the Vietnam War, 84.8% of those diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder still show moderate impairment of symptoms, even 30 plus years after the war (Glover 2014). As of today, the Unites States has 2.8 million veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, of those it is estimated that 11 to 20% currently suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As of 2013, a total of 12,632 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are currently diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Glover 2014). Of course it is to be taken into account that these numbers are based on those who admit to experiencing symptoms and seek treatment.

Marijuana is also much less harmful than addictive drugs, such as cocaine and heroin (“Office of National” 4). Some skeptics may say that this is an instance of replacing one drug with another. However, marijuana has been proven to be non-addictive and to alleviate many symptoms for people suffering from mental and emotional disorders (Musto 1-9). Researchers note that cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana, may effectively treat a number of different physical and mental ailments, including post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and depression (“Office of National” 3). Research shows the benefits of using marijuana to help in successfully treating mental illnesses.

Recent years have brought about a rapid shift in the approach that many states take towards the utilization of medical marijuana. Currently, thirty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have legalized some form of medical marijuana. Despite this progress, federal policies continue to inhibit United States veterans from obtaining the relief that such laws provide to other citizens. There are many sobering statistics regarding the abnormally high rate of drug addiction and suicide among veterans. Currently, too many veterans suffering from lingering pain or post-traumatic

Maine and New Hampshire have allowed use of medical marijuana for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. According to a study in May 2013, PTSD sufferers exhibit anandamide levels lower than those of a healthy person. Anandamide is an endocannabinoid that can be linked to fear and anxiety (Rivas 130). Taking that into account, PTSD could worsen because of fewer cannabinoid receptors being triggered (Rivas 130-131). “In theory, using marijuana would boost concentrations of these beneficial cannabinoids, reducing symptoms of PTSD.” Dr. Alexander Neumeister of the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology at New York University comments, “We know very well that people with PTSD who use marijuana often experience more relief from their symptoms than they do from antidepressants and other psychiatric medications” (Rivas 131). Medical marijuana can help reduce nightmares and increase quality of sleep as well as help depression and anxiety (Martin 37). This demonstrates the myriad of uses for medical

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

Author Carl-John X. Veraja once stated “ The world has PTSD. It is a veteran a blown mind, having flashbacks as it begs the Sun for one more go-round. ” This statement uses the Earth and orbit of the Sun as a metaphorical representation of the constant struggle that veterans and non-veterans face daily due to PTSD. PTSD or formally known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is known as, “…a psychiatric disorder that can occurs following the experiences or witnessing of a life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood”( “What is PTSD?”) . PTSD has affected millions that have encountered a traumatic experience. People that have more stressful occupations or life experience such as being a military employee seem to be more prone to being subject to PTSD. PTSD among soldiers have soared over the last fifty years even with the increase reports of rape, domestic violence, and sexual assault reported by The New York Times (Bannerman). Though the military have impanelment more action toward the growing dilemma it has yet to make any monumental acts to promote the well being of soldiers that are mentally affected by their time in the army.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.

A moment is defined as a brief period of time. (Merriam Webster) The average lifespan of a person consists of 27,375 days, that is 39,420,000 minutes. Within those hundreds of thousands of minutes humans have the opportunity to experience a moment. These experiences can be either good, bad or neutral. A significant moment in my life was the moment I was sexually assaulted. For a long period of time that experience held a negative impact in my life but also taught me that there are too many ongoing experiences to let one moment define the rest.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder portrayed by symptoms of recurrent stress episodes generated by life-threatening events. Such symptoms include, but are not limited to, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, irritability, and insomnia. Moreover, these symptoms interfere with daily life activities in an unfavorable way, while also causing distress. A biological susceptibility is, in part, responsible for some of the risk in the development of PTSD. Psychological reasoning behind the disorder includes a strong and stressful traumatic event, neuroticism and low extraversion personalities, and negative cognition before the trauma among others. Being a woman, living in urban areas, having a low education, receiving low income, and even belonging to a minority race or ethnicity can increase you sociocultural risk of developing PTSD. The disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, or cognitive therapy along with medication.

Imagine a world, where veterans, can live life with no worries, chronic pain, or do not have to suffer. American soldiers, after combat, build a disorder known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a disorder, that can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts, aggressive actions, and/or even flashback thoughts to the fighting of the wars they have battled in. These soldiers are prescribed antidepressants, when there are other alternatives that are better, and safer. Marijuana(pot/weed) is a safer alternative for the veterans here in America, because antidepressants can lead to worse depression, if taken incorrectly, or overdosing. Opposite of this, marijuana opens the mind, leading to happier