“I came back to life after Cannabis oil”, says therapist with 30 years of depression

Imagine being a child and experiencing deep sadness, having difficulty interacting, and even spending time without speaking. Then, at the age of ten, dividing the precious time of childhood between play, school, family, and psychotherapy sessions, which brought to light the diagnosis of early-onset depression at such a young age. This is part of the story of holistic therapist Maria Rita, 40, from Rio de Janeiro (RJ).

From a very young age, Maria did not understand why she felt so bad. She spent a childhood and adolescence forged in shyness and with latent anxiety crises that soon led to a depressive state.

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A scenario of total instability that in adulthood turned into severe crises, leaving her bedridden for several days, unable to leave the house, needing total care from her family. And it wasn't just once, twice, or three times. The intensity and onset of the crises seemed to follow the clock's hands.

Despite the severity, there was still a force within Maria that she herself was unaware of. Therefore, even in the face of intense crises, the therapist managed to overcome the depressive state without the help of medication for many years. But life is movement.

The final blow

At 30, the therapist was about to fulfill a dream: becoming a mother. But the dream shattered after three miscarriages and the news that she could no longer bear a child. The news was overwhelming. A deep depression hit her, and there was no way around it, antidepressants came into play, which only increased Maria's distress.

Then the diagnosis came: anxious depression, a depressive state that arises after a severe anxiety crisis. After a year of taking medication and practicing yoga, physical activities, among other activities that could help reduce the symptoms, Maria began to improve. But life continued its course.

In 2016 her mother passed away. The loss was impactful, but the depression gradually set in, it was not automatic after that fateful day. In two years, the therapist found herself once again on the verge of starting antidepressants. Only this time the side effects were intense. Nausea, abdominal and intestinal discomfort were just some of the challenges the therapist faced. But the aggravating factor was that, even taking the medications, the depression did not go away.

Hope in droplet form

Maria spent practically the entire year of 2019 at home. Her outings were limited to visits to the doctor and therapist. Without work, she was losing her autonomy, self-esteem, and strength. The new psychologist pointed out a social phobia, which explained many moments of her life.

In total, Maria now accumulated, along with social phobia: depression, anxiety, back pain, dyslexia, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid cells.

It was when she learned about the benefits that Cannabis could bring to her life that Maria found the strength to get out of bed and attend an international Medicinal Cannabis seminar. She then sought the ABRACannabis association (Brazilian Association for Cannabis), which recommended a psychiatrist who prescribed Cannabis-based medications.

Time to live

Even with the prescription in hand, Maria took a while to get the medication. The bureaucratic process and high cost postponed the treatment. So, in August 2019, Maria started taking Cannabis oil with CBD and THC.

In a short time, the antidepressants were a thing of the past, even while still testing to understand which type of oil was best for her, the most suitable dosage. Within a week of taking the right oil, the therapist began to leave the house, the side effects of allopathic medications were no longer present.

In November 2019, she resumed various activities, including work. She also uses a Cannabis-based ointment to relieve back pain caused by herniated discs.

Maria states that after the oil, she started living again. It took over 30 years to find her peace in a few drops of oil extracted from a plant still seen as a taboo by many people.