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Psychological Conditions & Mental Illness: Patient Stories |
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Taken from letters written by Arkansas patients: MENTAL ILLNESS -- [Anonymous handwritten letter dated June 26, 2001.] I am the mother of a 21-year-old male who was diagnosed with a serious mental illness at 17 years. He had suffered with this illness since 5th grade, a thought disorder that he is unable to control which includes homicidal, suicidal, and cannibalism [thoughts]. Being raised a Christian to have love and compassion for people, he was to the point of stalking young females before he pleaded for us to get him help. Click here to read letter. CHRONIC EATING DISORDER, PTSD -- Retired military, Vietnam veteran, disabled with post-traumatic stress disorder, respiratory problems, and major eating disorder following exposure to Agent Orange. "All my life I have been totally against marijuana and have raised my kids that way. But in the past three years I have become close to a wonderful man who smokes marijuana... Click here to read full story. Feb 2003 HUNTING ACCIDENT -- A man in his early twenties lost his sight as the result of a gun accident. Subsequent to his accident, he wandered in the woods for over 36 hours before being found. The damage to his eyes resulted in blindness, but the trauma of the experience produced a whole set of other problems, including anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, sleeplessness, and severe depression. Click here to read full story. DEPRESSION -- Personal Story of Medical Marijuana Use, Age 41, White Male, NW Arkansas. First medical diagnosis: Major Depression / Double Depression January 2000. "I have now identified past episodes of double depression with chronic depression starting in High School. I also have social phobias. Concentrated unfamiliar and unfriendly people energy can cause me to have a panic attack" Click here to read full story. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, CHRONIC BACK & JOINT ILLNESS -- I blew out my back in 1994. I have had two unsuccessful surgeries and have been on disability since 1996. I have degenerative disk disease, degenerative joint disease, and fibromyalgia. I have been living with near constant pain since 1994. I also live with severe depression and anxiety. I am on some very serious "legal" medications with strong addictive possibilities and numerous side effects including hydrocodone and oxycodone (maximum dosage), muscle relaxers, and sleeping pills. Even with these medications, I still have significant pain and trouble sleeping. The only medicine that brings me near a pain-free state is marijuana. Marijuana stops my painful muscle spasms, eases my pain greatly, and helps me sleep. It also improves my mood. In many ways, I feel it has saved my life. This is an important issue of legal reform that means life versus death, or misery versus relief for millions of people. I can no longer sit back and do nothing. I will do what I can in my little corner of the world. If we all did that, change would be inevitable. November 20, 2002 Hot Springs
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