Voicelessness and Emotional Survival > Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Christmas
JustKathy:
Medical marijuana can be good for certain things, but I think it's been a bit overrated, at least to my experience. I think it needs to be made available in alternate forms, like pills and oils.
Medical cannabis is legal here in California, and I actually have my card (and the pot to go with it). Thing is, while most people in the country would be envious, I'm less than thrilled about it. My current doctor actually recommended it for my chronic neck pain and headaches because there are few physicians willing to prescribe pain medications anymore. With all the celebrity deaths, and hype about the opiate "epidemic," getting as few as five percocet or vicodin is simply impossible. It's much easier for a doctor to dismiss you by suggesting you go get some marijuana.
The way it works here, is you go to a licensed doctor and get your card, which is ridiculously easy. Then you go to the dispensary. I will say that the guys who work at the dispensaries are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. They have 30 or more different strains, and will help you select the best one for your symptoms. Actually using it is where it gets tricky. For a newbie, there is quite a learning curve. Too little, and nothing happens. Too much, and you can have a severe panic attack (not good for someone with an anxiety disorder). For people who don't want to smoke it, they do make edibles, but those can be scary. It takes the body an hour or more to metabolize it, and when it hits, it can be rough. I tried it once, and after an hour of it not working, ate a little more. Then, boom, thought I was going to die. It was scary.
Smoking it makes me feel like a druggie. I take it outside, but the smell gets in your hair. Even if you use a vaporizer, you still get that distinctive pot smell. I live in Hollywood, and everyone is using it, but it still feels weird to me to be smoking pot.
As for results, it varies. Sometimes it works wonders and kills my pain without making me feel stoned. Other times, nothing. I hate that it's becoming the only option for chronic pain, but the good news is that it's quite inexpensive, and at lest offers hope for those who can't get a prescription for actual pain meds. That one is going to become increasingly difficult, so legal cannabis may become a more widespread option as a result.
Now, in the case of Tup's son, it would have to be available in pill form. Medical grade marijuana is not legal in children under the age of 18 (at least not here). We do have a way to go on this front.
Sorry to change the subject of the thread, but thought you might be interested in knowing what it's like. Interesting to hear that it's still so highly illegal in Great Britain. Hopefully that will change so you can at least give it a try. It's certainly not as dangerous as other treatments, so it would be nice to give it a go and see if it helps.
Hopalong:
That was fascinating and informative, Kathy. Thank you! I'm glad it helps you and wish this country wasn't so silly. And that we put money into medical research rather than military overkill.
What I understood from the article is that the new strain spray/droplets (British company, which is ironic given what Tupp said) offers the pain or seizure or insomnia relief without the high. That was the exciting part to me, as it sounds as though it will soon be possible to have the only-medical benefits without the mental downsides.
I enjoyed pot a lot in college and less frequently in my 20s. Eventually though, some bizarre mental side effects kicked in. I once was at an intersection I'd known for 20 years and was completely lost. I didn't know where I was (though I realized I SHOULD know) and that was terrifying. A couple of times it triggered panic attacks (being stoned didn't mix well with my anxiety) and that was that. Panic attacks were the worst thing I ever experienced so I knew pot was no longer my friend.
I do miss how pleasant and stimulating it was for a time. My imagination liked it a lot.
Hugs
Hops
JustKathy:
Yes, I wish they'd do more in the area of drops and other methods of delivery. I have one friend with RA, and she was reading about cannabis oil that would work as a topical, but it's not available here. I think there's far too much money to be made with so-called designer drugs, that the pharmaceutical companies just aren't interested in something that they can't trademark and make huge profits from.
Marijuana does trigger anxiety attacks pretty badly. A lot of people claim that it's good for anxiety, but it seems to go both ways. When I went to get my medical card, the paperwork I filled out did state that it was not to be used for anxiety or depression, so apparently panic attacks are quite common. I'm VERY careful with the amounts I use because I just don't want to go through that again. The anxiety was far worse for me when I ingested it, so I wonder about other types of delivery, like pills, drops, oil, etc. I think there's a great deal of research that still needs to be done.
Kathy
Twoapenny:
--- Quote from: BonesMS on December 25, 2016, 01:25:35 PM ---
--- Quote from: Twoapenny on December 25, 2016, 12:07:00 PM ---Wowzers. I am finding it harder and harder to even pretend that I can tolerate this time of year. I am very grateful for the life we have and I'm very aware that there are millions of people who live hard, unjust, unfair lives and suffer greatly. But I still feel that this entire festival is forced upon me, no matter how much I try and resist and avoid it.
My son had a big seizure this morning. This isn't unusual for him but the fact that it's happened on Christmas Day seemed to make it worse, for some reason. He's perked up now, I'm completely worn out. It hasn't even been a normal day, it's been a worse than normal day. I can't wait for it to be over.
On a less grumpy note, I did want to say thank you, not only to Dr G for the board and the quiet, subtle way that it is run, but also to everyone who posts on here. I can't put into words how much it helps me to know I have this safe, non-judgemental, easy space in which to spill things that I don't (and probably never would) tell anyone else. Reading other people's stories helps me as well, sometimes because it stirs something in me and makes me realise something about myself, or inspires me to do something, and sometimes because it just makes me realise that I'm not alone with this.
Anyway, I hope everyone has enjoyed/ignored/tolerated the day in whichever way they needed to. Thank you all for being there and your support all year round.
Love Tup xx
--- End quote ---
Wow!!!
That is rough!!! I hope your son feels a lot better soon!
--- End quote ---
Thank you, Bonesie, sorry for the late reply, I do not seem to have been able to get my brain into gear at all the last few weeks! I could do with a spare one for emergencies :) Hope all is well with you xx
Twoapenny:
--- Quote from: sKePTiKal on December 27, 2016, 06:34:18 PM ---Well, I spent the traditional holiday totally alone - by choice. I still had a Christmas tree; a fresh arrangement on the table. I had a bunch of exotic treats that I always liked, oil cured olives and cheeses, for instance. There's still some peppermint bark I bought at Thanksgiving.
For me, it hurts more to be in that mix of cheery people than to be alone. And I really was hoping to talk to Michael... and let him know it's time I move on. And that requires quiet. And there isn't the regular pulling at heart strings so much now or the longing to have just 5 minutes back. I've made decisions for me and completely removed a lot of reminders that kept me in that "groove" and it's all good. It is OK that I'm doing this alone.
Challenging sometimes! I have a whole new set of systems to learn in the house. Things to fix to my satisfaction. New noises and wondering if it's better beams flex in the wind, rather than stoutly resist it like a rock... and I've been able to make my living space the way I want it -- without someone else's input or opinions. Maybe that's a tad selfish - but I've not been able to do that before and I wanted that opportunity. And I'm just to tired to carry on over the holiday, too. It's been an exhausting year. So the quiet and total freedom to do as I like is healing.
I'll see the girls on Epiphany; H's birthday and the 12th day of Christmas.
Maybe I'm becoming a Druid; but I'm really "over" all the shoulda, woulda, couldas about this holiday and frankly my dears - I just don't have a damn left to give about it.
--- End quote ---
Yep I think that attitude is a good (and healthy one) to have, Skep. I think what I find hard about these days is that it's just everywhere for at least two months in the UK - I don't know if it's similar in the States? It's all anyone talks about, everywhere's decorated, all the shops play Christmas music (the girl in the supermarket made me laugh, she was wearing ear plugs because the Christmas CD in the shop was driving her mad :) ). People ask what we're doing for Christmas and if/when I say we'll be staying in alone there is pity/surpise/shock from most people. And I find that hard to cope with; you can't explain to people that your family are certifiable and you've done everything you can to keep away from them, lol. There's too much history and too much of a story there to drop into a casual conversation.
I understand completely what you say about doing up your space the way you like it and I don't think there's anything at all selfish about that. I am really enjoying planning and working on our new flat. A little bit at a time, but I know what you mean about not having to worry about what someone else wants. It's nice to put your furniture where it suits you (I am about to rearrange the sitting room for the fourth time, lol) and to pick out the things you like without having to be mindful of someone else's taste. I hope you got your quiet time with Mike. I think the people that love us want us to move forward and live as fully as we can after they have gone x
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