Navigating Marijuana Use: Mental Wellness & Recovery

Your mental health can be affected by many things. It is important to be aware of the side effects of the things that you consume to make educated choices for you and your health. For instance, recreational marijuana has gained a lot of support in the last few years within the United States. While marijuana may be harmless for some people, it is important to note that marijuana can have damaging effects for others when it is used long-term. West Coast Recovery Centers aims to provide educated and comprehensive care for clients who may struggle with marijuana use.

Problems with marijuana use may be overlooked due to the normalization of recreational marijuana. This is why people must understand how marijuana can affect their mental health. When you are able to make educated choices, you can choose what most aligns with your mental health goals. For example, using marijuana can affect psychiatric medications and their effectiveness, and is one of the most commonly used drugs by people who struggle with their mental health. 

Marijuana and Mental Health

The drug marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, and stems of the cannabis plant that are smoked. It is a psychoactive drug, with the main processing chemical being THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Marijuana has a direct effect on the brain and mental health. The drug affects how you process information and your mood. People use marijuana to relax and experience a seemingly euphoric “high.”

While some argue that marijuana itself is not physically addictive, it certainly has the potential to lead to a psychological addiction. It has also been shown to increase the possibility of developing schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, and even social anxiety. Furthermore, while it has not been shown to directly influence the development of depression and anxiety, there are links between people who struggle with those disorders and the use of marijuana. 

Anxiety

Marijuana can affect someone who is diagnosed with anxiety in a few different ways. One of the side effects of marijuana is paranoia and a change in perception of reality. Some people who experience severe anxiety may feel scared or anxious when using marijuana. Marijuana also increases the risk of issues in socializing with others. One of the reasons that this may happen is the habit-forming nature of using marijuana to socialize. This can make it more difficult to interact with others if you are not using marijuana. 

Depression

Many people who use marijuana may be doing it to escape from difficult thoughts or feelings. While marijuana may provide a temporary escape, the issues and struggles in your life will still be there. Just like with alcohol and other substances, if you become reliant on a substance to cope with your struggles, it will make it so that it feels impossible to navigate stressors without using. This behavioral dependence can especially affect people who already struggle with depression. Their normal mood level may decrease, and they may need more and more marijuana to achieve a higher mood. 

While marijuana may not directly influence depression, it seems that many people with depression may use it to cope. As noted in an article published by Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, cannabis was the most common drug result found in the toxicology reports of suicide victims. The research does not indicate that marijuana causes suicidal thinking or attempts, but does show that many people who struggle with these thoughts or actions may engage in recreational marijuana usage. This is why it is critical for someone with depression or other mental health issues to find healthy and alternative coping skills. 

Marijuana and Mental Health Recovery

While someone may not be chemically addicted to marijuana, it is important to note that it still affects their mental and physical health. Marijuana can directly impact someone's mental health and also their recovery. When you are trying to work through your mental health in treatment, marijuana may impede your progress. If you can not deal with stressors in life without the help of marijuana, you may not be able to make progress in therapy. Therapy requires you to confront difficult things in your life to get to the bottom of them without being under the influence. 

Marijuana can also affect psychiatric medications. If you struggle with depression or anxiety, your medical provider may prescribe you antidepressants or other medications to help with your symptoms. The chemical makeup of marijuana can affect how your body metabolizes medication. It may make your body absorb the wrong dosage of medicine, which will affect your progress. Marijuana may also heighten symptoms of sedation, which is detrimental to your health. 

When you struggle with your mental health, it is important to get treatment. Treatment is individual and personalized, but is formulated to help you achieve recovery in the best way for you. If you are struggling with controlling your marijuana usage in regard to your mental health, it is important to seek treatment that can work on this with you. West Coast Recovery Centers offers treatment for marijuana use and a treatment plan made for you to get your life back in your own control. 

As marijuana gets more and more normalized, some issues may be overlooked. If you struggle with mental health issues, marijuana can make these issues worse. Marijuana can exacerbate issues associated with depression and anxiety. It also increases your chance of developing schizophrenia or social anxiety. Marijuana may also impact your treatment for mental health issues. It can lower the effectiveness of your psychiatric medication and cloud treatment effectiveness of therapeutic modalities. It is important that you learn to regulate your usage when you are in mental health recovery. To learn more about marijuana's effects on mental health and recovery, West Coast Recovery Centers can help. Call us today at (760) 492-6509.