Are you experiencing depression? If so, you are not alone and are among the an incredible number of Americans plagued by this mood disorder. A recent article shared new statistical information regarding how depression in the U.S. is on the rise.
Apparently the diagnosis of depression increased 33% between years 2011 and 2014. (1) Previously, The National Center for Health Statistics reported that antidepressant use jumped 65% in 15 years between 1999 and 2014: from 7.7% of Americans to 12.7% for those 12 and older, twice as high for women than men, and 19.1% for those 60 and older. (2)
The good news, they state, is that “universal depression screenings” are happening more routinely, and that this mood disorder is no longer in the closet: people are discussing it and treating it… with pharmaceutical drugs.
I am left to wonder why this depressive state has grown by leaps and bounds? To begin with, there’s a whole lot which has changed on the planet since January 1, 2000. It’s enough to make anyone depressed. I probably missed something, below, but listed below are the examples I could recall:
September 11, 2001
The Patriot Act
Ongoing terrorist attacks both domestic and international
Mass murders at schools
Increasing opioid addiction and deaths
Multiple wars in the centre East
Intense natural disasters: fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding, blizzards and droughts
The Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011
The overall economy of 2008
Overpriced real estate
Earnings that don’t match the cost-of-living
Increased homelessness
The divisive presidential election of 2016 and presidency of Donald Trump
Of course, this list will not include challenging personal situations the majority of us experience from time to time.
Pharmaceutical companies will be the big winners.
Though most of the antidepressant-package inserts warn of 1 or another side-effect, pharmaceutical antidepressants are the ubiquitous ‘go to” solution and coping mechanism for depression. Additionally, aside from the side effects, lots of people report difficulty in moving away from antidepressants when they are ready to do so.
Depression has been linked to increased neuro-inflammation. It’s quite common knowledge now that inflammation is a precursor to many different disease processes.
Enter therapeutic cannabis.
Cannabis may reduce inflammation and holds great promise in studies about depression. (3) Due to its chemical compounds, especially THC and CBD, actual healing, not only symptom masking, can occur to revive deficient parts of the brain and immune system. (4) It is non-toxic, cost-effective and has little to no side-effects whatsoever.
“… the team analyzed data from Strainprint, a mobile application cannabis users can use to track changes in symptoms after using different doses and cannabis chemotypes. Overall, self-reported symptoms of depression decreased by 50 percent.” (5)
So why don’t more folks try cannabis medicinally before heading down the pharma trail? It is suggested there are three main reasons:
The leftover stigma promoted by the Reefer Madness movie propaganda of 1936 and subsequent 1937 Marahuana Tax Act
The preference to trust doctors and what they prescribe
A general lack of understanding of therapeutic, not recreational, cannabis use
A friend of mine used cannabis medicinally to help her get over depression after nothing else worked. She said that it gave her back her life, which inspired her to talk about her experience with others.
As far as I could tell the multiple devastating events of this 21st century have radically changed the planet from once we once knew it: disorienting at best and depressing at worst for many who know the difference. That said, I believe it is still absolutely possible to fly from depression and remain emotionally and mentally well through it all with the assistance of responsible, therapeutic cannabis use.
The world might not change in ways we prefer but we are able to.
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(1) Olivia Goldhill, Depression diagnosis is up 33% in america, and that’s a very important thing. Brass Knuckle carts australia , 2018
(2) Laura A. Pratt, Ph.D., Debra J. Brody, M.P.H., and Qiuping Gu, M.D., Ph.D.. Antidepressant Use Among Persons Aged 12 and Over: USA, 2011-2014. August 15, 2017
(3) A. K. Walker, A. Kavelaars, C. J. Heijnen, and R. Dantzer, Neuroinflammation and Comorbidity of Pain and Depression. January 2014
(4) de Mello Schier AR, de Oliveira Ribeiro NP, Coutinho DS, Machado S, Arias-Carri�n O, Crippa JA, Zuardi AW, Nardi AE, Silva AC, Antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol: a chemical compound of Cannabis sativa. 2014
(5) Cuttler C, et al., Cannabis use temporarily eases symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress. April 24, 2018
Susan is a 2018 graduate of the Holistic Cannabis Academy with over 45 years of personal involvement in the spectral range of wellness modalities. Her mission today would be to intervene in the noise of modern life and help people identify and remove stressors that trigger their dis-ease while providing strategies towards a full time income connection with inner calmness, contentment and inspiration.