For as long as I can remember, I have dealt with depression most of my life.
In middle school, I first started reading philosophy books, and learned to connect with my true self, but when I tried to take a step back and look at the world through my new view, I was faced with a tremendous amount of existential fear, accompanied by anxiety that made it difficult to focus on my work accomplish everyday tasks.
I began speaking with a therapist about my problems, and she has helped a lot, by recommending things like meditation and breathing exercises. I have also tried prescription anti-depression and anti-anxiety medications, but I really didn’t like the way they made me feel, groggy, unmotivated, lethargic, and they were causing me to gain weight. Recently, however, my therapist recommended that I try using cannabis to treat my anxiety and depression. Cannabis has been used for millennia to treat all different kinds of ailments, and in the past 30 years, so much research has proven cannabis to be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression. Since using cannabis, I am able to deal with my anxiety in real time, and I am able to pause, and practice some of the cognitive behavioral techniques that my therapist taught me. Before cannabis, it was impossible for me to remember to take deep breaths when I was stressed, or to ground myself when I was feeling anxiety. If you are looking to manage your depression or anxiety, talk to your therapist and see if cannabis is right for you!