Mental Disorder Effects From Medical Marijuana
There are all types of mental disorders out there and, there are also all types of people who suffer from those disorders. Some disorders are more serious than others, and the way that they are handled can vary because not everyone is the same, and everyone handles things differently. When it comes to medical marijuana no one really knows if those who suffer from depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, PTSD, etc will benefit from it or not. Anxiety and depression are two common illnesses that people suffer from the most. Even though the links for both anxiety and depression aren’t entirely understood, it is said that the use of marijuana can worsen both illnesses. No matter what type of form marijuana is being used in it can still have long term effects that will affect you later on in life.
Anxiety and Depression
For many who people who take the drug it has a calming or sedating effect on them. But for others, it can trigger paranoia, anxiety, and even panic attacks. Anxiety is more common with higher doses of marijuana, but it can also occur without the use of the drug. Some studies have shown that the use of marijuana on adolescence is associated with a greater risk of anxiety disorders later on for them in life. While this is what the drug causes it is still unclear if the use of marijuana will actually cause persistent anxiety disorders. Some research, not all suggest that people who suffer from anxiety use marijuana as a form of self-medication. The use of marijuana could be used to relieve anxiety or stress for some but in others it causes them to feel anxious. A review in 2014 concluded that the use of marijuana could place an individual at a small risk of developing anxiety. The authors did note that while the weight of evidence supported the coexistence of the drug use and anxiety, but there was also relatively little evidence that suggested that marijuana caused anxiety. The use of marijuana and anxiety is still very complex.
Depression and Mood Disorders
Like anxiety, the link between marijuana and depression isn’t entirely understood while some proponents have shown that marijuana can help alleviate depression some studies have shown an increased risk of depression with the use of the drug. A study in Australia from the Centre for Adolescent Health found that teens who used the drug frequently were twice as likely to develop depression later on in life. Some of the factors that increase the risk of depression while using marijuana are school dropout and unemployment. A research was done in 2014 and that review concluded that using marijuana can place an individual at moderate risk of developing depression. Bipolar disorder can also be affected by the use of marijuana. The disorder can cause alternate episodes of depression and mania. During some of these episodes, people may feel sad, hopeless, tired, and have suicidal thoughts. The use of marijuana is very common among those who suffer from bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, and it usually tends to complicate the treatment of the disease. While they are in the manic phase they may experience increased energy levels, racing thoughts and in some cases severe psychosis. The study of in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin found that teens who have used the drug for a couple of weeks are more likely to develop a mild form of mania and reported that early use of the drug may lead to bipolar disorder later in life. Just like depression, the studies for the disorder are still unclear whether or not the drug causes these illnesses.
Schizophrenia
Everyone has heard about schizophrenia disorder but not everyone knows exactly what it is. Schizophrenia is a complex and often disabling brain disease that causes hallucinations, distorted thinking, and emotional problems. These symptoms usually start showing up between the ages of 16 and 30, but the mental illness rarely occurs until after the age of 45. Marijuana can trigger acute psychotic symptoms in people who don’t have mental health conditions, no matter if they are using it for medical reasons or not. Some scientists have uncovered links between marijuana and schizophrenia. The drug doesn't seem to cause the disease, but it can trigger the disorder early in people whose genes make them more vulnerable to the condition. The heavy use of the drug can accelerate a person’s psychotic episodes by 2–6 years and the long-term use could also worsen the symptoms of the illness. This could make those who suffer from schizophrenia more dangerous because their symptoms would be getting worse without them realizing it.
PTSD
PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. This disorder can develop after a very traumatic or life-threatening event like war, sexual assault, or natural disasters can trigger PTSD. While some people use marijuana to relieve their PTSD symptoms, research still hasn’t exactly confirmed the safety or effectiveness of the drug as a treatment for PTSD. While marijuana may provide short-term relief for the disorder, but in the long run, it can actually make the disorder worse. In 2015 a study in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that the long-term use of marijuana by veterans in the war had an increase of PTSD symptoms, violent behavior, and alcohol use. Some of the symptoms of PTSD are having vivid recurrent memories or nightmares of the traumatic event, experiencing negative feelings, avoiding people and situations that trigger those memories, feeling nervous or jittery, not being able to sleep, and experiencing emotional instability like sudden bursts of anger and irritability. A study was done in 2013 that found people with PTSD have more cannabinoid receptors in some parts of their brain that associate with fear and anxiety than those who don’t have PTSD.
Sources
Keller, Amy. “Marijuana and Mental Health.” Drug Rehab, 2019, www.drugrehab.com/addiction/drugs/marijuana/mental-health/.
Gates, Peter. “Does Cannabis Cause Mental Illness?” NDARC, 2019, ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/BLOG/DOES-CANNABIS-CAUSE-MENTAL-ILLNESS.
