mental health Archives •

‘Tis the Terp Season

December 10, 2020December 11, 2020

by Josh Leone
Josh Leone is the co-host of the Truly Medicine Podcast & representative of EZ Street Cannabis Products.

The holiday season is coming whether I like it or not just as the deadline for this article and my male pattern baldness. I can’t help but think that I’m not alone in thinking, “what the hell is 2020 gonna do
to it?”

I say to this year, you can have the same 40 Christmas songs played on repeat in every store. Keep the mass consumption and the overall commercialism of the whole thing. I’ve always been more of a Thanksgiving guy anyway.

Being thankful and surrounded by food, family and friends has more of a cannabis vibe to it anyways.

It’s funny how the push and pull of the holiday season feels like the manic personality of this year. The year we have come to love and hate. The calm and the chaos of a Thanksgiving day spent demanding that our kids be grateful for everything that they have before we lay them down to bed just to go out the next morning at 4:30am and drop kick a total stranger to buy them more does not feel right to me.

Regardless of how my family spends their holidays, 2020 can have chaos and we’ll keep calm. Terpene profiles are very important when trying to stay in front of anxiety. Linalool, Myrcene and Caryophyllene are three terpenes that can help.

Linalool: Anti-anxiety
Muscle relaxant
Strains: Lilac Cookies, Hibiscus, Sour Diesel
Myrcene: Sedative
Relieves Stress
Strains: Blue Dream, Northern Lights, Alien OG
Caryophyllene: Anti-depressant
Muscle relaxant
Strains: GG4, Chemdawg, OG Kush

It’s been a rough year for everyone and we’re all stressed, and have been stressed. So remember this DAMNIT, whether you’re passing the garlic mashed potatoes to grandma or the Hindu Kush to grandpa, just take what you need baby and pass it to the left.

Take care of each other, folks.

Learning from our Roots

December 8, 2020December 9, 2020

When I was a kid I lived in southern Louisiana. I am well acquainted with hurricane season, the Saints, and I know authentic gumbo when I taste it. I attended Fish fries, camp outs, and I once had a pet chicken. I was, for all intents and purposes, a Cajun… I didn’t know anything else.

You know, in hindsight, all of the highlights blend together. It wasn’t parties every day, it wasn’t people hanging out in overalls. We just lived. I chased fireflies, I was barefoot, I climbed trees and helped my mom with her garden.

What I love most is how these activities have stuck with me. They were my life. In every place I’ve lived, I notice where the climbable trees are, I want room for plants, I pull the car over abruptly to show my kids fireflies. And to my husband’s dismay, I plan on having chickens again someday.

My hobbies, in a very real sense, are my roots. I don’t just mean cultural roots, though many bring back fond memories of Louisiana. I mean tree roots… like the things that anchor a tree and provide it with nutrients. Roots are the things that give trees a fighting chance during a storm. Roots sometimes feel like private parts of ourselves, because they aren’t achievement driven, they are results driven.

Hobbies may not come with paychecks, but they connect us. Maybe it helps you make new friends after a move, maybe it helps you through a loss, or perhaps it’s there to catch you when you need to connect with yourself again.

What do you wish you did more of?

Are they things you did when you were young? Are they things you always wish you’d done? Is it nothing more than an inkling of an idea that’s always been with you? What whimsical, artsy, relaxing, adventurous (—you get the point) activities do you wish you did more of?

Visual Meditation

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020

by Tab Moura

When seasonal depression first reared its head in my life, it consumed me… it tipped the scale and I fell into a cycle of depression that took a few years to learn to manage. Through counseling, diet and supplementing, and of course cannabis, I’ve found a lot relief through the years.

Between my epilepsy and my depression, I don’t always feel in control of where my mind wanders… so I am not very good at stereotypical “meditation.” I know we’ve all seen someone in a show cross their legs, pinch their thumb and finger together and begin saying “oooohmmmm…”

I am in no way an expert, and I won’t be teaching classes anytime soon, but I’ve learned a lot from trial and error. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about meditation is it comes in many forms, and it’s helpful to start with something comfortable.

Today, I want to share my favorite way to center myself, it’s a visual process…

I imagine myself in a car, for me it’s a classic red car with a hard top and a big muffler. The details matter when it comes to a process like this, the goal is to be immersed; the windows are rolled down- it has manual windows (naturally) and crappy AC. There’s a luau girl on the dash, I’m listening to the radio (“Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay) and I can hear the map (that I’m not using) rattle, blowing in the wind in the back seat.
Some days all I need to do is get myself in the driver’s seat, and that’s enough to reset my mood. But sometimes I have to keep going. What kind of road am I on? What time is it? What’s outside the window? What is the weather like? I have taken this vision many directions.

What I’ll leave you with, is this encouragement: your goal is to to be in the driver seat. Whether that’s metaphorical, or literal, is up to you… but the vision is meant to be gentle. It’s meant to be a breath of fresh air. A way to pace yourself. Soak it up.

Winter Wellness

December 2, 2020December 1, 2020

by Amy Lee

Managing mental wellness is a daily struggle for many people, in fact, it is said that approximately 43.8 million adults in the United States identify with at least one mental illness.

The most common mental illnesses throughout the United States include anxiety, depression, substance abuse disorder (alcohol included), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD.

The winter months may prove to be especially difficult for individuals already suffering from one or more mental illnesses. The struggle to stay balanced mentally during the winter may be attributed to the shift in the body’s natural rhythm as the sky gets brighter later in the morning and darker earlier in the evening.

This seasonal shift alone is responsible for the condition “seasonal depression”. Seasonal depression affects 14% of Americans annually. Although the shift in daylight may seem small, it plays a major factor in the rhythm of the body. Pairing societies already massive mental wellness crisis with a national health pandemic has me worried, to say the least.

A national survey on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic hosted by The Single Care, states that 59% of Americans are aware their mental wellness is being affected in a negative manner. If you find yourself also struggling, below I have highlighted some winter wellness tips along with strains and the terpene profiles that support the endocannabinoid system best for the most common mental illnesses.

Make a plan for each day to accomplish.
Keep up with your personal hygiene.
Stay stocked in medicine for at least a week at a time.
Schedule weekly calls with friends and loved ones.
Add 15-30 minutes of movement to your day via a walk, yoga, anything!
Know your triggers and have a plan of action.
Take advantage of virtual therapy.

Here are some of the top-rated strains to support mental wellness during the winter months.

OG Kush – Relieves stress, anxiety, and stimulates the CB1 receptors.
Headband – Mood enhancing.
Northern Lights – Wonderful for bipolar.
Green Crack – Helps depressive symptoms and is a wonderful motivator.

Some of my favorite terpenes for winter months are found in many different strains, so if there is a symptom you suffer from more, search for a strain that is higher in those terpenes. That profile will support the endocannabinoid system in the areas you desire specifically.

Caryophyllene – A common terpene found in many strains. This terpene is a favorite of mine because of the unique response it has in the body. This terpene responds with both CB1 and CB2 receptors and assists in relieving stress symptoms and calms the mind and body. A wonderful terpene for those suffering from anxiety, depression, and stress-related symptoms.
Limonene – This bright and sunny terpene is an instant
mood booster and energizer which is helpful for those
suffering from depression or anxiety.
Linalool – Provides a sweet floral smell romancing the
nose and body into a soothing calm.

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.