On May 30th, 2022, Memorial Day, we took a moment to recognize all our soldiers, warriors, and heroes that have given their lives in service to the United States of America. Though families are filled with great pride and honor for their family members that serve in our Army to protect the nation, at times, it can come with great loss and pain.
However, one angle that is commonly overlooked is our Men and Women who serve and come back with severe cases of PTSD. This disorder can usually lead to heavy additions to pharmaceutical painkillers, alcohol abuse, and other drugs in an attempt to alleviate pain and stress from the trauma of war.
Luckily, CBD is offering a natural alternative that is showing great promise, and results, and helping our Veterans recover naturally, organically, and in a safe way.
Let’s first understand what PTSD is to understand the scale of the disorder.
What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury.
PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II, but PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and at any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD. Three ethnic groups – U.S. Latinos, African Americans, and American Indians – are disproportionately affected and have higher rates of PTSD than non-Latino whites.
People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.
What is CBD and have Veterans really tried it and seen results?
CBD, the non-psychoactive component from the cannabis plant, stimulates the body’s endocannabinoid system, which controls many biological functions, to produce its own cannabinoids. Unlike the other well-known compound in the cannabis plant, THC, CBD doesn’t get you high. Instead, recent studies have shown that CBD may alleviate chronic pain and that it can be used to manage anxiety symptoms. CBD can be found in many forms, from CBD oil to organic CBD nugs. You can even vape it using a Delta 8 Vape Cart, or you can include it in your food. The dosage, however, should be adapted from case to case.
In a recent interview, former Green Beret Adam Smith, who spent 17 years in the Special Forces, explained that because of PTSD, he had a hard time falling asleep and concentrating, and he was experiencing suicidal thoughts. In addition, he was also dealing with joint pain after the many injuries he had sustained on duty.
After he tried CBD, however, the feeling of constantly being “switched on” slowly faded, allowing him to sleep better, concentrate, and feel better all around. He also pointed out that CBD, unlike many pills prescribed for PTSD, doesn’t have harmful side effects, and it didn’t make him feel sedated. Oftentimes, traditional medication for anxiety makes patients feel numb, triggering a vicious circle where if they don’t take the pills, the symptoms come back in a whirl.
After he got out of the military, he relocated to a state where the use of marijuana wasn’t legal, which is why he now tries to raise awareness on the benefits of CBD and help other veterans get access to it through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.). Like Adam Smith, there are many other veterans who reported a better state of wellbeing after taking CBD and who are now urging lawmakers to allow physicians to complete state-legal medical marijuana-recommendation paperwork
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***Here’s a great YouTube Video explaining how CBD reacts in the body
What is the real issue for Veterans?
Veterans did whatever needed to be done, frequently at great cost to their physical and mental health. There’s a real attitude that “We give help. Not receive it.” Noble as that sounds, it creates a dangerous stigma around admitting we need help — let alone actually asking for it
only 50% of veterans that are back in the US will ask for help
about half of those will get assistance that works
others take the “I can do it myself” path
can end up trapped in substance abuse and addiction
may face broken relationships and shattered family life
What resources available to Veterans are causing them more harm than good?
Most veterans come from a culture where alcohol use is common and accepted. Then they’re prescribed — or over-prescribed — medications by the VA and doctors.
Veterans are prescribed narcotic painkillers three times more often than civilians, on average
Hundreds of thousands of veterans are on opiates for pain
1 in 3 veterans polled say they are on 10 different medications
This can create a situation that just sucks the life out of the veteran. He or she can’t seem to get on top of the PTSD. Instead of helping, the meds may make them feel worse. Alcohol can also exacerbate the issues. Some find themselves virtual shut-ins, depressed, defeated and too doped-up to even drive. It may seem that there’s no way out except death.
It’s a tragedy made worse by the fact that these same people are often completely unaware of alternate medicines and practices that might keep this nightmare under control.
The Point – How can CBD help our Veterans?
Research points to CBD products as helpful for many of the challenges faced by veterans and first responders. CBD works with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which regulates numerous other systems in the body. It impacts:
feelings of well-being
immune system
memory
motivation
appetite
metabolism
and more
When these systems get out of balance, CBD is a non-toxic way to bring back balance and stability. This can bring you:
Reduced anxiety, including relief from sights and sounds that trigger traumatic memories. Even potential prevention of new traumatic memories if CBD is taken right away after disturbing events.
Less acute and chronic pain, from combat or other injuries or from joint damage that results from prolonged sitting, crouching, etc.
Reduced inflammation and its negative effects. Chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease, stroke, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and certain types of cancer.
Enhanced mood — better control of anxiety, improved anger management and potentially a more positive outlook on life in general.
Better sleep, leading to better overall health, improved concentration and a feeling of being more able to cope. CBD has also been reported to reduce nightmares.
All without the side effects of prescription opioids or sleeping pills.
Without a “high.” Especially important if your employer does drug testing. Easy Day products contain either trace amounts of THC (0.3%) or none at all. In some states, even Police Departments allow use of CBD products.
If you are interested in knowing more about CBD, or you are a Veteran that is already convinced how CBD can literally save your life, please reach out to TAYCO for more information on how we can help you get the right dosage of CBD at a discount.
TAYCO honors and values Veterans and will always offer a 50% discount to help our Veterans, First Responders, and Police officers that lay their life on the line for our nation.
Aside from the discount, TAYCO is the FIRST family-owned CBD business that offers 100% solventless premium CBD. This means we use our proprietary process that involves Pressure and heat to extract CBD and provide the healthiest option available for Veterans and their families.
Click on the link below for more information.