Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental conditions in today’s society, especially among young adults. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has found that 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18 and 24 suffer from anxiety, depression, or both. More college students than ever before are weaning themselves off prescription medications and transitioning to calming anxiety with medical marijuana, instead.
Stigma Getting in the Way
A large majority of doctors are still against using cannabis to treat their patients illnesses. Many of these doctors claim that medical marijuana will add to the problem, even though there have been numerous success stories. Although Medical Marijuana is now legal in more than half of the US states, there is still a stigma attached to it that may be inhibiting access to effective treatment.
College students that have spoken about their illness have claimed that they were embarrassed about being on antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. Many of them admitted that they would try to hide this fact from their peers, friends and even their families, causing themselves to become quite isolated.
Negative Side Effects of Prescription Medications
It’s important to note that prescription medications can produce a wide range of negative side effects, including but not limited to:
- Risk of suicidal thoughts
- Mood swings
- Fainting
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Blurred vision
- Dry mouth
- Increase or decrease in blood pressure
- Heart palpitations and other irregular cardiac symptoms
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Headache
- Negatively impact lung conditions
- Muscular rigidity and problems with motor skills
- Sexual dysfunction
- Withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, confusion, increased anxiety and agitation
- Life threatening allergic reactions
- Death (by overdose)
Effective and Safe Alternative
Obviously, these are some pretty severe side effects for medications that are supposed to simply improve your mood. Medical marijuana, on the other hand, has proven itself to be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression, without most of these side effects. Common side effects of marijuana use is dry mouth, dizziness, decreased motor skills, drowsiness, and increased appetite. It is true that in a small number of patients, marijuana (specifically THC) can cause paranoia and hallucinations, leading to increased anxiety. This problem can be solved simply by adjusting the strain used to a higher CBD, lower THC concentration.
Patients that reside in legal states have seen more success simply because they have the ability to choose their strain. Knowing what works for you and what doesn’t is a large part of the effectiveness of this medicine. It’s imperative that patients treat marijuana as a medication. Use it when you need it. Becoming a burnout will not help your situation.
Removing the Stigma
Many young patients agree that not only is marijuana more effective than their former prescription medications, but it is also much less embarrassing. Removing the stigma of marijuana opens the door for connection and provides a sense of community. Marijuana can help patients suffering from anxiety and depression to become more sociable when they normally would have isolated themselves. This, of course, is a huge factor in decreasing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Having friends that you can talk to can literally save your life.
More college students are effectively calming anxiety with medical marijuana. Removing the stigma associated with this drug will open the door for even more people to find relief.
If you feel like you would be a good candidate for medical marijuana, and you reside in the state of Florida, call us at (786) 224-4005 or schedule your free consultation ONLINE. It’s time to put your health first!
