People who start using cannabis to relieve pain, anxiety, or depression are at a greater risk of developing paranoia compared to those who use it for recreational purposes, a new study has found.
Many of these people who also report depression and anxiety symptoms at levels that would normally see them referred to counselling, according to the study that was published in the BMJ Mental Health journal.
The study findings indicate that the reason someone first starts using cannabis can dramatically impact their long-term health.
The average respondent consumed 206 units of THC per week, is equivalent to approximately 10 to 17 “joints,” the study further reveals.
But that level was much higher among those who started using cannabis to help manage anxiety or depression, to about 248 and 255 units, respectively.
People who used cannabis to self-medicate also reported more paranoia symptoms as compared to those who tried the drug for fun, curiosity, or with their friends.
The findings are the latest to connect cannabis use to poor mental health.
In separate study, however using the same dataset, researchers found that people who had faced physical or emotional trauma during childhood were more likely to be paranoid as adults and that cannabis use establish that link stronger.
Dr. Giulia Trotta, a psychiatric and researcher at King’s College London who had worked on the study, said “there is “clear association between trauma and future paranoia.”Dr. Trotta added further, “cannabis use can further exacerbate the effects of this, depending on what form the trauma takes.”
Paranoia is a way of thinking that involves feelings of distrust and suspicion about others without a good reason. It often involves thoughts that others are out to get you or are looking to harm you in some way.
Paranoia varies in severity and can be temporary or long lasting. It’s the most common symptom of psychosis, over 70 percent of people with psychosis have paranoia. But one can have mild paranoid concerns without having psychosis. In fact, mild paranoia is quite common in the general population.
Paranoia can be a type of delusion-an unshakeable belief in something untrue. Not all delusions are about feelings of being harmed or threats, according to the definition available on the website of Cleveland Clinic.
This shows, how important it is to provide the teenagers with a safe and sound environment, and it’s primarily the parent’s call to ensure that their child doesn’t have to face mental trauma at any stage which can affect them as adults.
If they do, then it's possible that as adults, they may have to resort to cannabis to combat anxiety or depression, which in turn can adversely affect their mental well-being!