Have you ever heard of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? It’s a mental health condition that can happen to people who have experienced something very scary, dangerous, or life-threatening, like being in a war or experiencing abuse. It can cause a lot of different symptoms, like nightmares, feeling scared or nervous, and having trouble sleeping.
Many people with PTSD try different treatments, like therapy or medications, to help them feel better. But sometimes, these treatments don’t work as well as people hope. That’s where a new study from Israel comes in.
The study looked at 14 people who had PTSD because of their experiences in combat. They had tried lots of different treatments, but nothing had really helped. Then, they tried using cannabis. They used it every night for at least six months.
The researchers found that using cannabis helped the people in the study sleep better. Their sleep was of better quality, and they slept longer. They also found that the people’s PTSD symptoms improved. They felt less scared and nervous, and they had fewer bad thoughts.
Even though the people in the study used cannabis to help them sleep, it didn’t stop their nightmares from happening. But the good news is that nobody had any harmful side effects from using cannabis, and nobody wanted to stop using it before the study was over.
This is a really important study because it’s the first time that researchers have looked at whether using cannabis can help people with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. In Israel, where the study was done, people with PTSD have been allowed to use cannabis legally since 2014. About 10% of all people who use medical cannabis in Israel do so to help with their PTSD symptoms.
Other studies have also shown that cannabis can help people sleep better, even if they don’t have PTSD. And when states in the United States legalized cannabis for adult use, they found that people bought fewer over-the-counter sleep aids.
Even though cannabis is becoming legal in more and more places, it’s still important to talk to a doctor before using it for any medical reasons. The researchers in this study say that they need to do more research to understand how cannabis affects different people with PTSD in the long term.
Don’t suffer in silence. If you’re dealing with treatment-resistant PTSD, it’s time to explore all your options. Contact Louisiana Medical Marijuana Doctors to find out if medical cannabis could be right for you.
