Treating Ptsd with Medical Marijuana

Medical Marijuana Looked at as an Alternative for the Treatment of PTSD for Soldiers Returning from War

Keith Mack

California Southern University

As tens-of-thousands of soldiers come home after more than a decade of war in the Middle East, many of them are returning mentally damaged with the haunting images of battle, and memories that make them unable to cope with the daily activities of a life they once knew. The treatment of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) using conventional medicine and therapy has its critics, with some soldiers becoming addicted to the prescription pills that are supposed to help them. Medical marijuana may be the alternative answer in the treatment of soldiers returning from war with symptoms of PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop following a traumatic event that threatens your safety or makes you feel helpless. Traumatic events are more likely to cause PTSD when they involve a severe threat to life or personal safety: the more extreme and prolonged the threat, the greater the risk of developing PTSD. Most people associate PTSD with battle-scarred soldiers, and military combat is the most common cause in men. Combat veterans have an especially high propensity for PTSD, and statistics show that about 1 in 5 military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan experience it. (HelpGuide, 2015).

There are three main types of PTSD symptoms, and they can arise suddenly, gradually, or come and go over time: re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoiding reminders of the trauma, and increased anxiety and emotional arousal. PTSD symptoms can vary in intensity over time. Some may have more PTSD symptoms when stressed in general, or when they run into reminders of what they went through. Recovering from PTSD involves helping the nervous system return to its pre-trauma state of balance. By understanding the types and...