cannabis and depression

Cannabis for depression

In Learn, Wellness by Weed MamaLeave a Comment


The dark season (for those of us who live in the North) can hard for many of us. With the short dark days I feel seasonal affective disorder or SAD. I have to fight it hard. While take your Vitamin D supplements and getting as much natural light as you can, helps. Cannabis can be that little bit of sunshine you need to lift your mood.

Depression is a burden, not you

I grew up in a bootstrap family, deal with it, suck it up. It’s believed to give you resilience, mostly it’s dismissive and it makes you feel as though you’re a burden. You don’t want to feel this way, it just seems impossible to feel any other way.

Depression comes in many forms from mild- where you lose interest in things you used to enjoy, to crippling- where everything’s hard and you just can’t function. Depression can be chronic or brought on by difficult circumstances.

I’ve battled bouts of depression in my life. It usually meant me lying in bed all day for months on end, feeling numb. Everything seems so meaningless, empty. There’s an intense heaviness like you’re wearing your emotions and it’s exhausting. Depression fucking sucks. If you feel this way, I understand and seeing a therapist can help.

Overcoming depression takes time but you need assistance to heal and there’s no shame in that, it’s not your fault. For me cannabis is green sunshine, my brain brightens up and I escape there. But I have to be mindful which strain I use and how much I take.

Cannabis can be used as a therapeutic treatment for depression but the dose is important.

THC in clinical studies for depression show low doses of THC increased serotonin however high doses caused a decrease in serotonin that can worsen the condition. CBD taken with low doses of THC, has shown to be effective in treating anxiety and depression.

If you’re already using cannabis to treat depression and you’re finding your symptoms are starting to get worse, you may need to reduce your THC intake and up your CBD.

Cannabis when used mindfully can really help you with symptoms of depression however it’s very important to be mindful of how much you’re consuming.

Keeping a cannabis journal, where you record your dose and how it makes you feel can be a valuable took in managing your depression with cannabis.

You also need to be aware of drug interactions. If you’re already taking an anti-depressant you need to be careful as you can get serotonin syndrome which can make you quite sick. Talk to your doctor before using cannabis if you’re on prescribed medication.

When used mindfully, cannabis can help ease symptoms of depression

If you or someone you know is battling depression, cannabis may be a tool you can add to your toolbox for finding balance again. When you use cannabis for wellness its all about using cannabis mindfully and with intention.

There’s many methods you can try to ease symptoms of depression, I recommend starting with either dry herb vaporizing or a low dose fast-acting edible to see if it help you. I recommend you talk to your healthcare practitioner that’s helping you with depression, to see if cannabis right for you.

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