Nightmares, stress, anxiety; these are the common symptoms associated with PTSD. Around 70 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from a traumatic event at some point in their lives and around 20 percent of these people develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Recent studies have reported medical marijuana to be a potential treatment for alleviating the symptoms of PTSD.

Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York signed a legislation in 2017 that declared the use of medical marijuana to be a legal treatment for PTSD disorders

The governor further added that around 19,000 New Yorkers suffering from PTSD can be helped with the use of medical marijuana.

The conditions that allow the use of medical marijuana in New York include PTSD, Chronic Pain, Spasticity, Huntington’s Disease, Neuropathies, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV, Cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Epilepsy and AIDS.

PTSD: Why and How

PTSD is a psychiatric reaction in response to a traumatic or violent event like sexual assault, military combat, and natural disasters.

Here are a few events that can cause a victim to develop PTSD:

  • People who witnessed or survived a violent activity or have been exposed to a life-threatening scenario repeatedly. This may include victims of domestic violence, rape or sexual abuse, a physical assault like carjacking or mugging.
  • Survivors of fire incidents, wars, natural casualties, and industrial accidents are also prone to developing symptoms of PTSD.
  • Patients diagnosed with a fatal illness or those exposed to invasive medical therapies often suffer from PTSD.

Symptoms of PTSD

Symptoms of PTSDThe common symptoms of PTSD include:

  • Re-living the traumatic incident: A person suffering from PTSD often reports recurring nightmares and flashes of disturbing images. Extreme emotional and physical reactions like heart palpitations, panic, and chills may be symptoms of PTSD.
  • Avoiding encounters with reminders:A PTSD sufferer often avoids an encounter with people, places, and photographs that trigger the memory of the traumatic incident. They’re emotionally detached from their family and avoid participation in everyday activities.
  • Hyper-aroused or on guard: Sufferers of PTSD are easily startled and face difficulty in sleeping. Sudden outbursts, anger, irritation and lack of focus may be symptoms of PTSD.
  • Self Destructive attitude: Suicidal tendencies, overuse of drugs and alcohol and low self-esteem can be an indication of a person developing PTSD.

Medical Marijuana for PTSD

Here’s how PTSD can be an effective treatment for reducing PTSD symptoms:

1. Reduces Anxiety

One common expression of PTSD includes chronic anxiety. The cannabinoids found in marijuana reduce anxiety, improve the mood, and minimize stress.

2. Minimizes the Nightmares

Most of the vivid dreams occur during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage. Research has concluded that medical marijuana alleviates nightmares by reducing the REM state. A research also suggests the use of synthetic cannabinoids for managing nightmares associated with PTSD.

3. Manages Insomnia

THC found in cannabis helps with insomnia by improving the quality of sleep and reducing sleep latency.

How New Yorkers can Get a Medical Marijuana Card

The Assembly Bill 6357 passed by the New York State Senate in 2014 has legalized the use of medical marijuana in a medical program which is regulated by the state.

If you’re a New Yorker, here’s how you can get your medical marijuana card:

  • The first step requires you to prove yourself as a legal resident of New York. This can be proved by producing your state ID, your New York address on passport, or copies of your bank statements and utility bills.
  • It then requires you to acquire a documented certification from a registered practitioner. This is where we come in. Our telehealth platform gets you an MMJ certification number from a licensed doctor and applies for your marijuana card.

 

If you’re looking for a platform to assist you in getting your medical marijuana card in New York, get in touch with Indica MD.

If you aren’t sure about using medical marijuana, consult with our doctors. They’ll take your medical history and health background into account and decide if it’s right for you.