The effects of Marijuana on Depression symptoms
What is Depression?
Depression is defined as a mood disorder that causes a feeling of overwhelming sadness and a loss of interest in daily tasks. Someone that has this disorder may feel angry or agitated or even have feelings of doubt, loneliness and worthlessness. The symptoms of depression may last a very long time and can interfere with day to day living and make it very difficult to function. It is important to know when to seek help as these symptoms can cause an individual to have suicidal thoughts. (Depression,2022)
What is Marijuana use Disorder?
Marijuana use disorder is defined as the inability to stop the continuous use of Marijuana which results in distress or significant impairment.
Symptoms include:
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Inability to control intake of marijuana.
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Cravings or withdrawal
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increasing intake overtime
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Negatively affect day to day life and interactions
The correlation between Marijuana use disorder and Depression
Depression symptoms have the potential to increase the risk for substance abuse. It has been shown in studies that a lot of people use substances such as marijuana to get rid of some of the psychological despair that comes with depression.(Dierker et al., 2018)
Research
In the study done in the article titled "Depression and Marijuana use disorder symptoms among current marijuana users" the researchers evaluated if and how depression is associated with marijuana use. The researchers took data from six surveys that were administered by the national survey of drug use and health and that included participants that have reported frequent marijuana use. From this study they concluded that depression is associated with marijuana use and that depression is a consistent risk factor for marijuana use disorder. There has also been research that links genetic factors to both depression and marijuana use disorder but if that is the case then it is said that there is a wide range of other disorders that can take effect. (Dierker et al., 2018)
Are there good side effects of using marijuana when you have depression?
There is no current evidence that supports the idea that marijuana helps with depression. People who claim to have better effects may be curing withdrawal symptoms. By clicking the view more button below, you can explore how one individual has linked cannabis to something that is referred to as mind-body healing.
