By Shani Mizrahi, Staff Writer
When we talk about drugs, we often talk about them in the context of having the potential to help with problems related to psychology, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and anxiety. In today’s world, the use of marijuana has become more and more popular to help people manage their anxiety.
Psychologists recommend many possible treatments for anxiety, such as psychotherapy and lifestyle changes. If there are other options to help people with their anxiety that do not include drug use, how can we be sure drugs and marijuana use in particular are the best help with anxiety?
Marijuana can interact with anxiety symptoms in very different ways depending upon the person. Marijuana can either relieve or increase anxiety. Many people seem to be calmer after using medical marijuana; on the other hand, there are others who reported feeling anxiety and anxious thoughts after using medical marijuana.
And of course, as with any other use of a drug, there are both positive and negative side effects. Among the positive impacts of marijuana use are help with nerve problems, a lessened sense of fear or stress, and a positive effect on mood and anxiety relief. Negative side effects that often result from overuse and misuse of drugs such as marijuana include hallucinations, psychosis, depersonalization as well as intense fatigue or sleepiness.
There are many ways of using marijuana to treat anxiety disorder. The right marijuana use method depends on a person’s symptoms and how they react to cannabis.
Smoking, which is the most popular way to ingest cannabis, can easily harm one’s health. This is because smoking marijuana is really similar to smoking tobacco, and by doing it, there is an increased risk of inhaling toxins and tar along with the cannabis.
Another option is consuming marijuana in food edibles. This method of use also depends on a person’s dietary restrictions in order to gauge whether it is safe for them or not. Many people prefer this option since it can provide an extended effect.
Vaping is another option for people who want to feel like they are inhaling marijuana. Utilizing the vaping method can help to reduce the risk of inhaling toxins into one’s lungs.
In addition, if one uses marijuana to overcome one’s anxiety, he or she needs to know the limits of using this product, as there are limits to using any drug, even for household drugs such as cough syrup and Tylenol. As for the use of marijuana and anxiety, one can easily find many limitations on the internet, but one should consult a qualified doctor to determine the best treatment plan.
*** ***
Sources:
https://www.marijuanadoctors.com/conditions/anxiety-disorders/
https://www.nuggmd.com/blog/marijuana-for-anxiety