Already the most commonly used drug in the US, marijuana conjures a myriad of images in popular culture, ranging from flower children holding hands to couch potatoes watching television until 4 a.m. Whatever its truth is for the individual, it is here to stay and each person needs to understand how marijuana affects their brain and body. As marijuana becomes more widely available for both medicinal and recreational use, it’s likely that more people will be turning to it as a way to numb their pain or use it to amplify joy. But as with any other substance, use can easily turn into physical and psychological dependence. If you’re wondering whether or not marijuana may be negatively interfering with you living your fullest life or with a loved one’s flourishing, it may be time to pause and consider if a cannabis treatment program might be a good fit.
Cannabis At a Glance
Containing over 500 distinct compounds and over 100 cannabinoids, cannabis mimics a chemical that the human body naturally produces. It affects vital processes related to homeostasis, sleep, appetite, pain, memory, stress, metabolism, immune response, and even reproduction. Cannabis also leads to decreased reactivity of the dopamine neurons that modulate your body’s reward system, which leads to a heightened response to other drugs, lower motivation, higher likelihood of engaging in addictive behaviors, as well as lower positive and higher negative emotionality scores. From this small list alone, it’s easy to see how a cannabis drug addiction treatment program might be the right intervention to help improve quality of life and fulfillment, as cannabis can disrupt a lot of physiological processes and detach one from their emotional experience.
Positive & Adverse Effects Of Cannabis Use
Although we’ve seen a fair amount of mixed messaging around cannabis, it has exhibited some medicinal positive benefits for people with glaucoma, chronic pain, inflammatory processes, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. It also helps to reduce nausea and increase appetite, enhancing the quality of life for people undergoing chemotherapy or experiencing complications of HIV. But if the effects were only positive, people would have no need to seek a cannabis treatment program or similar intervention to help end their dependency on it.
Studies over the last few decades have shown that cannabis, which contains THC and acts as both a stimulant and a depressant, impairs both short-term memory and judgment, distorts the perception of time and space, causes cognitive delays, hampers coordination, and makes learning more difficult. This in turn could lead to dangerous driving or trouble performing to your utmost potential at school or at work. In some cases, cannabis also triggers paranoia and psychosis and may lead to an earlier onset of such mental health disorders like schizophrenia, especially in those predisposed to it. Cannabis use in individuals with maturing brain systems, from adolescence all the way to age 21, often leads them to suffer from impaired neural connectivity, as the cannabinoid system plays a crucial role in the formation of the brain’s synapses. Cannabis, over time, can evolve from a pleasurable pastime to a daily addiction. The right cannabis treatment program can help to identify what leads you or your loved one to seek the initial therapeutic benefits of cannabis and how to replace this substance with practices that cultivate sustainable long term health and wellbeing.
Finding the Right Cannabis Treatment Program
True Life Center has a co-occurring IOP and PHP which is a cannabis treatment program that helps you identify the root cause of self-medicating and teaches you how to develop healthier and more sustainable skills and practices of emotional regulation. We offer a unique Neurobiological Integration, an integrated and collaborative approach that aims to identify the root etiology of illness, and gets results by using the synergistic combination of:
- Individual psychotherapy with DBT, CBT and/or psychodynamic approach
- Specialized psychiatric treatment
- Acupuncture
- Mindfulness and Self-compassion practices
- Yoga Therapy
- Body Healing with Qi Gong
True Life Center is committed to helping individuals find and express their authentic selves. When suffering is deep and enduring, understanding the path forward brings comfort and hope. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive map for long-term recovery and optimal health. We listen carefully to you and your loved ones to understand and co-collaborate in the creation of your True Life Recovery Plan. Give us a call at 866.420.1792 to start your journey to healing and freedom from cannabis use today.
