It’s common for people suffering from mental illness to self medicate;
Top two crutches are marijuana and alcohol
10.310.21 We continue to serve you, the families of the mentally ill, across the U.S. As part of this effort my wife Nina, has joined the core PathfinderJohn team. She adds family dynamics and communications skills.
Nina has been a co-facilitator of the volunteer Family Support services we provide for two national mental health organizations; the National Alliance on Mental Illness for Northern Virginia for over sixteen years and The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance since July of 2021.
With the impact of COVID-19 lock-downs, school closings, remote isolation and job layoffs we have seen a significant increase individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, suicide ideation and attempts. This has particularly effected the Millennial and younger generation. To our surprise the COVID-19 Recovery funding from the government does not appear to have been allocated to the state and local Mental Health resources and facilities. As a result it is more challenging for one’s loved-one to get adequate mental health treatment, care and housing. That is why we increased our capabilities.
Another dimension we see further magnified by the COVID-19 impact is that the resultant isolation of individuals and increased consumption of marijuana, to the point of heavy daily use.
Marijuana has now been proven in published medical research dating back as far as early 2000’s to not only increase psychosis in those suffering with a mental disorder, but cause schizophrenia in individuals with no prior indicators; become addictive and cause violence.
Perhaps most alarming, published in 2010, is evidence marijuana reduces the human immune system by actually increasing the production of the auto-immune cells that kill our own immune cells. Thus increasing not only the chance of catching a virus such as COVID-19, the flu, or a severe bacterial infection, but also increasing its impact on one’s system as the immune system is compromised.
Foot Notes: 1. A. Berenson 2020, pp xxx, 2. xxxxxxx, 3. Dr. N. Prakash, U. S.Carolina, 11.2010, Delta 9 THC on tumors led to massive growth of cancer cells
