Exploring Cannabis Flower for PTSD in Florida: Turn Trauma into Growth

Many folks are using medical cannabis flower for PTSD in Florida. It is estimated one of every 13 Americans has PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). If you are one of these, have you ever thought of using weed for your PTSD symptoms? Grass is now the center of an innovative PTSD treatment based on post-traumatic growth. In this article, we look at details of using legal pot for PTSD healing and growth.

We will walk through the following topics:

The Basics: Assessment, Symptoms, and Types of PTSD
What the Studies Say About Cannabis for PTSD
Best Cannabis Strains for PTSD and Anxiety
Medical Weed for PTSD AND Psychosis Treatment
How It Works: Growth-Based PTSD Therapy
Getting Started with Medical Weed for PTSD and Post-Trauma Growth

"Approximately 8.7 percent of all adults—1 of 13 people in this country—will get PTSD in their lifetime."* PTSD is a stress-related disorder that stems from a range of traumatic events. Classic triggers are natural disasters, war, or serious accidents. PTSD can also start from mental, sexual, or physical abuse.

How Do I Know if I Have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) lays out specific facts. These are their PTSD diagnostic criteria:

You've had exposure to a traumatic event
You regularly try to avoid things that remind you of the trauma
Patients often relive the trauma event
You often stay "on-edge" with heightened senses such as alertness
The disturbance causes problems with your social and workplace functions
Your PTSD symptoms have lasted longer than one month

Do I Have PTSD Symptoms?

PTSD symptoms can vary in degree. They often cause substantial distress and problems with function. Patients may become depressed, anxious, or engage in substance abuse. Thoughts of suicide or suicidal impulses are a serious problem. This in addition to other physical, memory, and mental health problems. Being sad or anxious further strengthens PTSD symptoms.

PTSD causes fearful reactions to traumatic events of the past. These emotions take you back to that unpleasant time. For instance, survivors of a bad weather event can get symptoms from a coming storm.

The Four Main Classes of PTSD Symptoms

The APA describes usual PTSD symptoms.

Intrusive thoughts such as vivid, distressing dreams and flashbacks.
Avoiding things that evoke trauma thoughts or talking/thinking about what happened.
Having negative thoughts and feelings; for instance, harshly judging oneself or others.
Arousal and reactive symptoms.

In addition to harmful thoughts and feelings, PTSD may cause physical symptoms. Here the mind is having a bad influence on your body. A two-way relation exists between mental and physical states. Psychic conflict and stress from PTSD can lead to clear physical conditions. These symptoms include a faster heartbeat, higher blood pressure, and fatigue. Headaches, inflammation, or muscle tension may also be present. Besides, nausea, sleep problems, and different types of pain may occur.

The PTSD trauma-related pain acts much like anxiety or sadness. It may serve as a trauma reminder and, in turn, may worsen symptoms of PTSD. A two-way relation exists between inflammation and PTSD. Is there a relationship between medical herb and PTSD treatment?

Roots of Medical Cannabis Flower for PTSD in Florida

Reducing anxiety is the common factor. Survivors of trauma have used medical cannabis for PTSD for some time now.

Mostly, weed (distinctly CBD) serves as a natural PTSD treatment. It helps to control intrusive memories and thoughts. Combat veterans, weather survivors, and trauma victims use cannabis for PTSD.

Patients with PTSD have altered levels of CB1 receptors and cannabinoids in the blood. The imbalance may contribute to heightened arousal and other PTSD symptoms. Medical cannabis targets PTSD symptoms in the brain/body.

What the Studies Say About Medical Weed for PTSD

The full-spectrum flower contains terpenoids and other CBD chemicals. CBD is the non-heady component of weed. These compounds act in synergy with THC to counteract the 'high.' They fight against the potential adverse side effects of THC. This relationship bolsters anxiety and depressant fighting properties. Herbal synergy enhances the oxidant fighting strength of the whole weed flower.

Marijuana reacts with and activates the CB-1 receptors. This activation makes weed a good holistic medicine option in PTSD treatment. These CB1 receptors play a role in helping trauma-related thoughts. They reduce fear-related anxiety and improve one's stress response. They also help sleep quality and support the re-learning of emotion-laden memories and imagery.

A 2018 review of medical weed for PTSD treatment summarized years of research. It shows how the “entourage effect” of THC, CBD, and other compounds in activated weed helps to:

Reduce irritability, agitation, and hyper-vigilance.
Lessen the strength and emotional impact of traumatic, stress-induced imagery.
Improve sleep time, sleep quality, and combat sleeplessness.
Prevent extreme stress responses and increase stress coping behaviors.
Balance natural serotonin levels to help with severe sadness and suicidal impulses.
Cut back the intensity of nightmares in PTSD patients with treatment-resistant nightmares.
Enhance relief from trauma by reducing conditioned fear responses-this, as well as inflammation and pain.
Mitigate PTSD flashbacks, panic attacks, and self-mutilation.

What are the Best Pot Strains for Anxiety and PTSD?

CBD dominant cannabis strains are mainly non-psychoactive. The strains with more CBD and less THC were better strains for PTSD and anxiety. Why? They were CBD heavy strains with a low amount of THC. These strains:

Fix abnormal brain activity, which helps reduce the psychosis, anxiety, and sad mood.
Uplift your mood without being "stoned."
Strengthen cognitive performance and reduce memory deficits.
Afford anti-inflammation properties for folks who have PTSD with pain.
Regulate abnormal sleep-wake cycles. This regulation helps patients with PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain.
Enhance sleep quality and amount of sleep. This enhancement helps support daytime alertness and reduces fatigue.

So...what’s better: Indica or Sativa for PTSD?

The Sativa strain relaxes with the benefit of a mild hypnotic. Cannabis high in CBD makes the best strains for PTSD and anxiety. For PTSD patients with sleep problems...the more CBD, the better your rest.

Cannatonic is a high-CBD hybrid strain of MK Ultra and G13 Haze. This strain is a 50%-50% hybrid mix of Indica-Sativa. This CBD heavy strain does not affect your body and psyche, like many hybrids. The blend is unique in that it helps you feel relaxed. It also raises your mood at the same time.

THC with Indica heavy strains are helpful to fall asleep. They also help with nightmares related to PTSD and improve the short-term sleep cycle. On the contrary, high THC strains can disrupt overall sleep quality and health. These adverse effects are seen more when people use THC over the long-term.

Studies to review cannabis for PTSD are currently ongoing. Their highly awaited findings will help us discover the best strains to grow for PTSD.

Medical Weed for PTSD AND Psychosis Treatment

The symptoms of psychosis, such as visions, often coexist with PTSD. The Journal of Molecular Psychiatry published a 2018 study. Researchers found a marked genetic overlap between schizophrenia and PTSD. Schizophrenia is a common type of psychotic disorder.

An earlier study looked at 32 people with a psychotic disorder. It found that 53% of them also had symptoms of PTSD. The study also found those with the worse trauma saw the worse PTSD symptoms and psychotic. It suggests that trauma induces both PTSD and psychosis. At the same time, treating PTSD may provide antipsychotic benefits.

Cannabidiol is well-known as a non-mind bending and natural treatment for psychotic symptoms. A study in Translational Psychiatry shows that CBD assists the endocannabinoid anandamide. Therefore, it plays a role in decreasing psychosis and improves treatment results.

The cannabinoid THC, on the other hand, has the reverse effect. It can make psychosis and PTSD symptoms worse. The Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology reviewed pot and PTSD in 2016. The study saw that frequent daily use of high THC strains could increase the odds of developing psychosis. PTSD patients with specific genetic traits that heighten the response to stress and trauma are at a higher risk.

Some PTSD patients with psychotic illness consume high THC strains. These patients may have a poorer prognosis from those who refrain from high THC strains. Having PTSD, psychosis, and schizophrenia is more complicated. It's best to find an expert doctor up-to-speed on all treatment options.

Theory Behind Growth-Based PTSD Therapy

Solely relying on weed for PTSD is not in itself a complete treatment.

Adding cannabis WITH mental health treatment has been shown effective. This approach gives a much better PTSD treatment outlook in both mild and severe PTSD. It should be an option for patients not responding to either approach alone.

There are new approaches to PTSD treatment in formulation. They focus on raising human experience beyond just helping the symptoms of PTSD. In addition to lowering stress, knowing one's response to trauma is an essential factor. Accepting growth as part of cognitive-behavioral PTSD treatment focused on post-traumatic growth.

Treatments like a medical weed for PTSD symptoms are only one piece of the puzzle. Effective treatment of PTSD requires positive emotions and healthy friendships. In addition, engagement, meaning, purpose, and gratitude are necessary. Being mindful of a positive outlook is helpful.

How to Start Using Medical Weed for PTSD & Post-Traumatic Growth

Having long-term PTSD speeds up aging and raises your chances of several health concerns. Drugs are a standard first line of defense when it comes to mental health disease. Doctors rely on them for PTSD, psychosis, anxiety, and bouts of sadness. Despite their efficacy in fighting depression and psychosis, there are many side effects. Anti-seizure drugs, benzos, and synthetic PTSD drugs care commonly used as well.

It is crucial for us to slow the downward spiral of PTSD, a first step in reducing the impact of its symptoms. Moving closer to post-traumatic GROWTH is the measure of success. We need to cultivate a state of mindfulness to attain a state of mental and physical well-being. Mindfulness for enabling life problems is essential.

Find a weed doctor who knows how to help you get the most out of life. Truly thriving is the key to achieving sustained PTSD relief. If you experience traumatic events and take prescription drugs for flashbacks or disturbing thoughts, help is here. If you have PTSD as one of your health conditions and think you will qualify for a medical cannabis card.

*https://www.sidran.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-Fact-Sheet-.pdf