Childhood is not really a fun time for every individual. While people don’t usually see it as something worth hyping, having a good, positive childhood is actually a privilege. If you go around and ask people about their childhood experiences, you will be shocked to know what people have been through when they were merely teens or even younger.
A lot of people believe that the child must not remember something that happened years ago when they were so young to even know if things were wrong but they actually do. The experiences live with them and later cause issues. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, and panic attacks are pretty common among people who have had a traumatizing experience in their life at some point.
You may not realize but someone who has been through something can recall every little detail of the incident even if it took place when they were just 10. Those little details, anything about these little details can act as a trigger for them.
What Can Lead to a Traumatized Childhood?
As parents, we generally don’t understand which part of childhood caused the trauma and what exactly can affect the mental health of our child forever. Well, for starters, violence is pretty common childhood trauma. Parents hitting their children, expressing their anger through physical or verbal violence can cause childhood trauma. Even if it is because the child did something wrong and you took a step to correct them, violence can never be justified.
If you didn’t hit your child but have been abusive to your partner in front of them, that too can affect their mental health. Again, domestic violence and abuse are more common than people think. And you may not realize but your child will eventually get to know what has been happening in the house.
Bullying in schools is another factor that can ruin a child’s childhood. Even if it is not teasing by fellow students, constant poking by the teachers, unhealthy competition, and the pressure to be a part of the group can gradually affect mental health. However, these may not be triggering incidents that would drastically affect the whole childhood but they have the potential to affect mental health.
Sexual harassment, assaults, molestation, eve-teasing, unacceptance, or bullying because of gender and sexual identity of the child are factors that have been traumatizing children and adults for years but were not taken much into consideration earlier.
Traditional Treatment for Childhood Trauma
When someone has been through childhood trauma, they usually suffer from mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. So, the traditional treatments for people with a traumatized childhood generally include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, and therapy.
While prescribed pharmaceuticals can have side effects, therapy can take considerable time to help the victim get over the traumatizing events. Nonetheless, therapy and counseling help the individual open up and let down their guard which can eventually help them grow.
Marijuana as an Alternative Treatment for Childhood Trauma
Marijuana has gained decent popularity as a medicine. All thanks to science that revealed the plant is more than just a drug. The legalization of marijuana in the majority of the states for medical reasons served as a cherry on top. It won’t be wrong to say that marijuana can actually help people with traumatized childhood and mental health conditions. The plant is known for its therapeutic properties and the research has found that it can help manage symptoms of several mental health conditions including but not limited to depression, stress, anxiety, PTSD, mood swings, and emotional instability.
But are these reasons good enough to consider marijuana treatment for something like childhood trauma?
Well, childhood trauma can be considered a type or cause of PTSD. Marijuana can help manage PTSD. After this, trying the herb for its potential benefits and experimenting with it on your body and symptoms is a personal choice.
Yes, there is evidence, both scientific research-based and anecdotal, that suggest marijuana can help manage PTSD, and yes an individual can consult a medical marijuana doctor regarding their condition to take medical marijuana as a treatment. But we cannot simply suggest or recommend the plant.
Will There Be Any Side Effects?
Even though the plant is labeled as a schedule I drug and is federally illegal, moderate consumption of medical marijuana won’t offer any side effects. A medication becomes unsafe when it is abused, marijuana is no exception. But if you consume it as per the guidance and do not overdo it, you are not going to experience anything other than its medicinal benefits.
However, even if it is working as a medication, there can be certain effects that may be undesired such as, drowsiness, dry mouth, head high, and/or body high. Choosing the right marijuana strain and consumption method shall help you avoid or reduce these effects.
Can a Child With PTSD Use Marijuana?
The legal age for consuming marijuana for medical reasons is different in different states but majorly, it is over 18 or 21 years of age for medical and recreational marijuana. If your child is below the decided legal age of your county and state, you will have to talk to a reliable medical marijuana doctor regarding the condition, and depending on the symptoms and severity of the condition, the doctor can suggest if you should consider marijuana for your child or not.
However, if this is your first time considering treatment for your child, we highly suggest going for therapy first. It is better to try a method that won’t involve any pharmaceuticals or the plant that can alter the mechanism of a body. Therapy is undeniably the safest option. It may take time but it shall work. But if it doesn’t work for you, you can go ahead with the plant as it is a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals.
Will Smoking Marijuana be the Only Option?
No, smoking marijuana is not the only option you have. Depending on the effects you wish to get, there are different delivery methods in which one can consume marijuana.
Marijuana-infused oils and tinctures available in the market can be taken sublingually if your aim is to get immediate, strong effects. The individual is supposed to hold the oil under the tongue for around 10 to 15 seconds and the oil shall get absorbed directly into the bloodstream. It is safer than smoking as it eliminates the process of combustion and thus harmful smoke. Moreover, it is faster than marijuana-infused edibles as it bypasses the digestive tract.
If you find it difficult to hold oil or tincture in your mouth, consuming marijuana-infused brownies or gummies might intrigue you. These edibles work best for people who want slow but long-lasting effects. Since marijuana would stay in your system for long, your body will have a subtle but long-lasting high.
Other than that, one can choose to apply marijuana-infused products too if someone struggles with body stiffness or muscle soreness due to stress and anxiety. These topicals offer effects directly to the affected area and are popular for their local, concentrated effects.
Not to forget, consuming marijuana for medical reasons would require you to consult a medical marijuana doctor and undergo a 420 evaluation. They will let you know how to get a medical card online. You can apply for the same online as well.
