If you struggle with a substance use disorder, you might know how common it is to experience co-occurring mental health conditions. For example, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that “approximately 21.5 million adults in the United States have a co-occurring disorder.”[1]
While most people manage their co-occurring mental disorders with therapy and psychiatric medication, this isn’t the only route you can take. If psychiatric meds aren’t cutting it, you might find yourself wondering if cannabis sativa or medical weed could help.
The effects of cannabis show promise for helping depression symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, and PTSD. But can you use medical weed to treat your mental health disorder in a sober living program?
At Patrick’s Purpose, we understand that medical weed can be helpful for mental illness. As long as our residents have a legitimate prescription for marijuana, we allow them to use it to treat their physical or mental conditions.
In this article, you will learn:
- What are the effects of marijuana?
- Can medical weed address mental illness?
- Can you use medical marijuana in sober living?
What are the Effects of Cannabis?
Cannabis causes a range of effects that can vary greatly depending on personal factors and the specific marijuana product being used. The effects can impact your mind and body, your mental state, physical health, and your overall well-being.
The common effects of marijuana include:[2]
- Happiness and relaxation
- An overall sense of well-being
- Altered perceptions of time and space
- Intensified sensory experiences
- Increased appetite
- Impaired thinking and judgment
- And more
Some people have negative reactions to cannabis. For example, while others feel happy when they smoke weed, some experience fear, anxiety, and paranoia. If you are considering using medical cannabis to help your mental health, you need to be vigilant when examining the symptoms the substance causes you to experience.
Can You Use Medical Marijuana for Mental Health?
In states where medical marijuana is legal, it may be prescribed to treat numerous mental health conditions, including:
Anxiety Disorder
Some people with anxiety disorder find that certain strains of cannabis reduce their symptoms. Marijuana can cause relaxation and euphoria, which can lessen anxiety, stress, and panic. It might be a safer alternative for anxiety treatment, as benzodiazepines are often used to manage panic attacks.
The cannabis plant can provide therapeutic effects for psychiatric disorders like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and more.
That said, marijuana does not affect everyone the same. While some people find anxiety relief from medical cannabis, others experience increased symptoms of paranoia or fear.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Cannabis can help manage the symptoms of PTSD and is often prescribed for this purpose. For example, if you have bad nightmares due to a traumatic event, certain strains of cannabis can reduce them. Medical marijuana can also help people with PTSD control intense emotional outbursts.
Depression
Medical weed might be able to provide relief from depression symptoms. If you have major depressive disorder and smoke weed, your mood might be uplifted. This is because cannabis can lead to euphoria, causing your brain to release chemicals like dopamine.
Additionally, if your depressive disorder causes trouble sleeping, medical marijuana can help you get a normal sleep schedule. The plant has some depressant effects, which means it might make you drowsy enough to fall asleep.
Insomnia
No matter where your insomnia stems from, marijuana can help you fall asleep. Some strains act as a depressant, causing drowsiness that makes it easier to fall and stay asleep. Additionally, people usually don’t remember their dreams when they smoke weed, which means insomnia caused by nightmares will be relieved.
Eating Disorders
Medical weed is currently used to manage nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment. It can also increase your appetite. Because of this, it might help reduce the symptoms of eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia.
Bipolar Disorder
It is not recommended to use medical weed to manage bipolar disorder for one main reason. Unfortunately, marijuana is linked to an increase in psychotic symptoms. Bipolar disorder comes with an increased risk of experiencing psychosis during manic episodes.
The only medications that are known to alleviate psychotic symptoms are mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Medical cannabis users with bipolar disorder are more likely to suffer from a psychotic episode.
Can You Use Medical Cannabis in Sober Living?
While smoking cannabis can lead to a high and a decline in cognitive performance, it is safer than other psychoactive drugs. There is minimal risk of adverse health effects, and you do not have to worry about suffering from an overdose. Because of this, some sober living programs allow medical weed use to treat conditions like cancer pain, chronic and severe pain, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and more.
If you want to use medical weed in a sober living program, you’ve come to the right place. Patrick’s Purpose allows cannabis use as long as you have a prescription from a doctor. Additionally, we offer support groups for medical weed users called Go Green Meetings, which help you stay accountable and connected to recovery.
If you are using medicinal marijuana to manage psychiatric symptoms, Patrick’s Purpose is here to support you. Because adverse effects are possible, we will help you cope with whatever issues arise. Our main goal is to support you through your recovery journey, no matter what that looks like to you.
Get Connected to a Sober Living Home that Allows Medicinal Cannabis Use
As long as you are not engaging in problematic cannabis use, our sober living at Patrick’s Purpose supports the California Sober lifestyle. Medical weed can treat a wide range of medical conditions, and there is ongoing research to determine its efficacy for mental illnesses. Whether you use weed for pain relief or anxiety support, we are here to guide you through the recovery process.
Patients diagnosed with a condition that meets the criteria for medical weed can attend our sober living program. Cannabis based medicines can be incredibly helpful in the addiction recovery process. Contact us today for more information on how to get started.
References:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Co-Occurring Disorders and Other Health Conditions
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Cannabis (Marijuana)