Medical Marijuana And Ptsd: A Viable Alternative To Pharmaceutical Medication

By Author: Mark Calvert
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I have PTSD, and also Tinnitus. Medical Marijuana is about the only thing I have found that helps control the symptoms of these disorders. The information in this article is, preferably, to be used by people like me, who have a legal prescription for medical marijuana.

Nearly twenty years ago, I was beaten nearly to death by my ex-wife's husband, (a community college instructor), and two young men, (his students). Evidently, he was sick and tired of hearing her talk about what a great looking guy I am, ha, ha. After kicking the living daylights out of my face, head and ribs, they threw me into the back of an SUV, and, eventually, dumped me in a ditch out in the countryside. I won't go into further detail, I just relay the information to let you know how I came by the PTSD I still deal with today. The Tinnitus has been with me since the incident.

What is PTSD ?

Millions of people suffer from PTSD. “Webster's” defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as: “a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event, (as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster), that ...
... is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event.” I can attest that, in this instance, “Webster's” knows its stuff. PTSD can be downright disabling. In fact, the only time I feel comfortable in a group setting is when I'm playing music in my band. My wife, Tammy says that's because I subconsciously know I'm sort of “in control” of that situation.

Doctors can be insensitive idiots!

I've always been strongly opposed to pharmaceuticals, but after a few years of dealing with the symptoms of my disorders, Tammy talked me into going to the doctor. Dr. Wontsayhisnamehere, (I call him “the pusher-man”), prescribed an anti-anxiety medication. What a disaster that was! The medicine made me break out in sweats, and I became disoriented and confused. I only took the pill twice, and that was it! Here's a partial list of side-effects that can occur when taking this particular medication: “fever, stiff muscles, confusion, thoughts of hurting yourself sweating, jerky muscle movements you cannot control”... and on, and on! I sometimes think doctors get together and laugh their heads off, talking about how gullible and stupid sick people are.

The right doctor can be a miracle worker!

Like many people of my generation, I smoked a lot of marijuana in my youth, and have used it occasionally throughout my life for recreation. After the turn of our new century, however, I began hearing more and more about medical marijuana, and its possible positive effect on PTSD. A few years ago, we moved out here to Colorado, and I found an awesome doctor! I told her my story, and that I wanted to try medical weed. She didn't hesitate for a moment, saying she thought it would be the perfect medication for me. We went to one of the local dispensaries and bought some pot, (pretty strange experience!). We bought some stuff called “Purple Kush”, and a little pipe to smoke it with, and went home to try it out. The results were amazing!

My First Experience With Medical Marijuana

I had never seen, (or smelled), marijuana like this before. The stuff I smoked was, usually, really musty smelling, and was full of seeds and stems. This was like stuff I'd seen pictured in High-Times Magazine! It only took a couple of tokes, and I felt a warming sense of calm that I had not experienced in years.

After about a week of using medical marijuana, my family and friends began to notice a marked improvement in my ability to cope with others, and with life in general. In fact just recently, I went to a junior wrestling tournament. We got there at 8:00 in the morning, and I was able to sit in the bleachers and stay till just after noon. That could never have happened before.