MEDICAL MARIJUANA OFFERED RELIEF

I have been dealing with depression for a very long time. I usually
ignored it, bottled things up, and tried to focus on the good things
in life, assuming that one day magically it would go away.

In January, my condition worsened without me really knowing the
reason. I fell into a horrible pit of despair, and made half-hearted
attempts to end my life. Thankfully, a handful of close friends came
to my aid before it was too late, and forced me into the hospital.

The worst part about all of this was that I didn't really know why I
felt the way I did, and didn't know how to go about making things
better for myself. Once in the hospital I was asked a few questions
about how I was feeling, and why I wanted to end my life. I wasn't
really sure how to respond except that I was really sad, and didn't
want to be here any more because I didn't see the point in sticking
around just marking time. I was quickly given a prescription for
antidepressants, and sent home with an appointment set-up to see a
psychiatrist at the hospital the following week.

At this point I was off of work because I couldn't be anywhere for
more than 15 to 20 minutes without bursting into tears. I was also
trying to push my friends away because I thought of myself as a
burden, and didn't want to bother them with my problems any longer.

Right from the beginning, the antidepressants made things worse. They
made me really tired and slothlike, which, while experiencing the
worst spell of insomnia I have ever experienced, didn't make things
any easier at all. The fatigue wasn't the only side effect either and
I also experienced increased body temperature, irritability, panic
attacks, increased suicidal thoughts.

I was prescribed yet another antidepressant, and one antipsychotic
which were ostensibly to help me sleep. It did help me sleep, but I
would wake up feeling like I was in a fish bowl looking out on the
world, and I felt like a complete zombie for the rest of the day.

After about two and a half months of being on the pills, and
progressively getting worse, I started to look into alternatives, and
a close friend of mine suggested I get off the pills, and try medical
cannabis. He also insisted that a complete change of diet and
lifestyle was in order. I cut out things like caffeine, refined sugar,
fast food, and soda, and started to eat healthy. I also started to do
more exercise to get my body in shape, which only promised to help me
focus on getting my head on right.

I approached my doctor with my idea, and told her I was going to wean
myself off the prescription pills, start eating healthy, and start
exercising, and that I also wanted to look into medical marijuana as
an alternative to the pills. She didn't agree that using marijuana was
the right choice, and told me that if that was my plan that she could
no longer treat me.

Since that final appointment, I have been in contact with a Compassion
Club that provides medical cannabis to individuals with a medical
need. With the help that cannabis, I getting regular solid sleep, and
wake up feeling refreshed. It also helps stimulate my appetite, which
I am particularly thankful for, since I lost 20 pounds over the course
of my "medical" treatment. It also relieves the anxiety attacks, and,
most importantly, helps with my mood, which has made going to work
easier.

Cannabis has also given me the motivation to get out of the house and
do things to help manage the depression. I have also started going to
talk therapy to see if I can figure out how too continue managing the
depression, and also hopefully figure out what is causing it.

Daniel Dias

Guelph