Is Marijuana the Answer to Help PTSD Symptoms?
As a counselor I deal with many issues, self-medicating is a big one. Chad came into my office and asked me to explain what the term “Dual Diagnosis” meant. His clinician used the term and Chad did not ask what it meant feeling he should know. I explained to him how many veterans self-medicate by using drugs or alcohol to suppress Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Dual Diagnoses is described by mental health professionals as a practice that treats people who suffer from both an addiction (in Chads case Marijuana) and a psychiatric disorder (PTSD). Chad is not alone; a lot of veterans use cannabis to suppress their PTSD symptoms. In the mental health community, we see a lot of this with our veterans, some veterans refuse to use the VA because of the fear from losing benefits because of his self-medicating.
Chad struggles with PTSD and is like so many other veterans he uses the marijuana to help him sleep. The VA has said that they will not take away a veteran’s benefits for marijuana use, but so many veterans don’t believe the VA because of their past experiences, and what other veterans have been through. I have several clients who use marijuana to help them with their PTSD, they tell me but not the VA. Some veterans are scared they will lose their VA benefits, and others don’t want to be preached to about their cannabis use. According to the VA website the VA believes the use of marijuana for PTSD is a growing concern, and notes the use of marijuana by veterans has steadily increased throughout the years. In 2002 the known cases of veterans using cannabis for PTSD was 13%, that number has jumped to 22.7% in 2014. It is possible fewer veterans disclosed their usage of marijuana in 2002 than 2014 for fear of losing their VA benefits. It could also be, so many veterans have multiple deployment increasing their possibility to get combat PTSD. It is also possible the numbers are bigger because there are so many veterans like Chad who do not trust the VA.
Marijuana is not new to the military or veteran communities. Vietnam Veterans were raised in a time when the use of marijuana was normal in civilian and military communities. In Vietnam marijuana was the preferred drug for Veterans getting away from the reality of war. During Vietnam marijuana was tolerated by the higher ups even though it was illegal. It took the media in 1968 to disclosed the popularity of marijuana in Vietnam for the higher ups to cracked down on its use. Many Vietnam veterans continued to use marijuana when they returned home to survive their PTSD, and some continue over 40 years later.
While researching this subject I found the VA to be ambivalent in their reasoning for not studying the positive effects of Marijuana for PTSD. On the VA’s website they claim “research suggest that marijuana can be harmful to individuals with PTSD”, but also claims that little controlled research has been conducted on the use of marijuana for PTSD. In the past the VA has refused to look at marijuana as a possible treatment for PTSD. The VA recently disclosed a plan to study the effects of marijuana on PTSD patience at Phoenix, AZ and Baltimore, MD VA hospitals. We will see where the study will lead but many veterans are skeptical of the study.
It is understood that today’s marijuana is different than that of 40 years ago. The potency of tetrahydrocannabinol or (THC) has increased 10 fold and could increase the risk of adverse effects. After talking to a licensed psychologist I can see where the use of marijuana could be a problem. She suggests that marijuana decreases motivation and causes paranoia leading to other problems. If used incorrectly the usage of marijuana can also cause sexual dysfunction in chronic users. The psychologist noted the important part of the success of the study or usage of marijuana for PTSD would be educating physicians on marijuana. Prescribing the correct dosage including the level of THC, which can be controlled, is the key to a successful study.
Chad is just one of the veterans I know that use marijuana for his PTSD. It is troublesome that so many veterans use marijuana for their PTSD and the VA is starting to look at it after 40 years. Many veterans like Chad will continue to use marijuana against the wishes of the VA. Until it is proven that the use of marijuana is or is not helpful in the treatment of PTSD many veterans will continue to use it for medicinal purposes. It’s about time the VA starts to study what so many veterans feel is helpful to them.
For questions or comments, I can be reached at bo@afterdutyvets.com or visit our website at afterdutyvets.com.