Patient Stories
We believe that the most powerful way we can educate people about medical cannabis is through the voices of our patients. Here you can read stories and watch videos from our Releaf community.
Eric’s story: Ending a 13-year battle with insomnia with medical cannabis
After a car accident triggered his Restless Leg Syndrome, Eric was trapped in a cycle of insomnia, fatigue, and frustration that affected every aspect of his life. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 4 months
Matt’s story: Healing the mind and body after a life-changing plane crash
After a catastrophic plane crash shattered his shoulder, Matt’s entire life changed. Read more
Condition Sleep Disorders
Subscriber 4 months
Jean’s Story: A life of purpose and service while living with MS
Jean’s story is one of quiet resilience, a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to adapt and thrive even amidst life’s unavoidable struggles. Read more
Condition Neurological
Subscriber 4 months
Jackie’s Story: Persistence Through Pain and the Power of Medical Cannabis
Jacqueline's health journey has been one of setbacks, surgeries, and ongoing struggles with arthritis and chronic pain, both of which contributed to mental health challenges. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 4 months
Martin's story: Embracing medical cannabis to manage chronic pain
Living a healthy, active lifestyle has always been a top priority for the dad of four and full-time illustrator and printmaker, Martin. But due to the chronic pain from Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS) and spinal arthritis, each day is a balancing act between managing his symptoms, pursuing his creative work, and getting all the other day to day stuff done. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 9 months
Georgia's Story: From Misdiagnosis to Managing ADHD
Misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression in her early teens, Georgia spent years on medications that she never felt quite addressed the root of her struggles. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 9 months
Omar's story: how treating both mind and body led to IBS solutions
Omar, 31, is a theatre director who, for years, has battled chronic pain and discomfort due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. His story is an important one, because it highlights the difference between the holistic approach to healing that Releaf provides, and the conventional one that focuses on physical symptoms. Read more
Condition Gastroenterological
Subscriber 6 months
Music and medical cannabis: Regaining control after years of pain and anxiety
I've actually been on this journey since about 12 years old, when I first started getting my period. From my very first period, I experienced more than normal levels of pain, and I was bleeding throughout the month. Read more
Condition Gastroenterological
Subscriber 9 months
Peter's Story: Opioids vs. medical cannabis for chronic pain — A paradigm shift
Like so many people in the UK looking for alternative treatments for chronic nerve pain, Peter wasn’t aware that medical cannabis had been available in the UK on prescription since 2018. For years, he suffered with trigeminal neuralgia, an excruciating nerve condition, until a chance encounter that led him to Releaf’s doors, where he connected with doctors who understood the complexity of his condition. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 7 months
James’ Story: Sleep Solutions - journeying back to calm and clarity
At Releaf, we are dedicated to providing safe, effective treatments that enhance the quality of life for those navigating chronic health conditions. James’ story is an important one, because it draws attention to one of the most common and debilitating conditions faced by many of our patients: severe, chronic insomnia. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 8 months
Into the Woods: Ryan’s story of pain and perseverance
Ryan’s passion is the outdoors, and there’s nothing he loves more than a long hike through the forest with his trusty dog. For years, Ryan’s pain disconnected him from the natural world. Now, his recent treatment with medical cannabis is finally offering hope. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 10 months
Coming into Focus: How a retired filmmaker found relief for his chronic pain without the use of opioids
The growing evidence of medical cannabis’ effectiveness in treating chronic pain is slowly reshaping how we approach health and wellness. However, many GPs in the UK are still quick to prescribe addictive medications like opioids and benzodiazepines before looking at safe, alternative solutions like medical cannabis. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 9 months
Laura & Harry’s story: How medical cannabis changed Harry's life
For mum Laura, helping her son Harry through a number of health challenges has been a journey filled with ups and downs. Finding the correct diagnoses was a long and frustrating process, as has been managing Harry’s ongoing medical needs. Read more
Condition Neurological
Subscriber 8 months
Helen’s Story: Parenting, Police, and a Patient's Rights
Diagnosed with a range of conditions, including fibromyalgia, agoraphobia, and PTSD, Helen faced daily barriers that made even simple tasks daunting. Traditional medications only seemed to exacerbate her struggles, leaving her in a cycle of discomfort that made her unable to engage with the most important thing in her life: her family. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 9 months
Rhona's story: From chronic pain to finding strength for gardening and living
Rhona's story is one of resilience and determination. After years of battling through chronic pain and sleeping issues without being able to find a real diagnosis, Rhona was coming to the end of her rope. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 9 months
Matt's Story: From curly kale to medical cannabis, how Michelin star chef Matt manages his MS
As humans, we like to learn from others because we feel inspired by them, because there is strength in numbers, and that’s something we’re naturally comforted by. And, at Releaf, sharing patient voices and their experiences with medical cannabis is something we’re committed to, for exactly these reasons. We want to champion our patient’s voices to diversity the conversation, covering all sorts of health conditions treatable with medical cannabis, by speaking to patients one on one about how their health, life, and overall wellbeing, has changed since becoming a Releaf patient. Read more
Condition Neurological
Subscriber 8 months
Maruis’s Story: Stability and Relief with Medical Cannabis Treatment
Maruis’s story is one of trauma, struggle, and resilience in the face of seemingly relentless health challenges. Diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, and depression, along with osteoarthritis, he faced exhausting day-to-day battles, such as bouts of vivid night terrors and debilitating, life-limiting side effects from an exhaustive list of prescription drugs. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 7 months
Daisy’s Story: Prejudice, professionalism, and PTSD
As human beings, it's part of our intrinsic, instinctual nature to learn from those around us, and to use the experiences others have had to help guide or inform our own. And in the world of medical cannabis, this is no different. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 10 months
Ben’s story: Freedom from pharmaceuticals with medical cannabis
Ben had been battling anxiety and depression for nearly two decades when, seven years ago, he was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Despite years of being prescribed pharmaceutical treatment options like SSRIs and opioids, he still felt weighed down by their side effects. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 4 months
Thomas’ Story: Allowing himself the space to relax through the fog of anxiety
Most of us love nothing more than a bit of rest and relaxation. That feeling of letting everything go, and just being in the moment. But for 36-year-old Thomas, finding the mental space to relax can be a bit of an issue. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 6 months
Brandon's Comeback: influencer boxing and his fight against chronic anxiety
Brandon is a 27-year-old who has faced the challenges of anxiety, autism, Asperger's syndrome, and ADHD throughout his life. For many years, he felt isolated, and his conditions often prevented him from engaging in social circles and made him a target for bullying. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 7 months
For my kids: A proud dad’s battle against anxiety
Daryl is a young dad who suffers from anxiety and depression. For his kids, he knew he had to find a solution. After conventional medicines only made things worse, Daryl reached out to our clinicians at Releaf and began his journey with medical cannabis. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 8 months
Lauren’s Story: Freedom from anxiety and arrest
For far too many patients in the UK, finding legal treatment options that are effective and without the burden of heavy side effects can be difficult. To add to the struggle, navigating the complex healthcare and legal systems can often leave patients feeling lost and alone. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 8 months
Hannah’s story: From pharmaceutical panic to plant-based positivity
At Releaf, we recognise just how much courage it takes to break free from social and societal norms and begin to advocate for your own healing. Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 10 months
Maxim’s Story: A Path Through Chronic Pain
I’m Maxim, a 20-year-old from Haywards Heath, with a passion for sales. I’d say I’m a pretty outgoing, yet, ordinary person. I’m enthusiastic about work, and I love to be sociable and meet up with my friends or go out with my girlfriend, like most twenty-something's do. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 9 months
Chaos’s Story: From Fibromyalgia Pain to Relief with Medical Cannabis
For years, Chaos has lived with the debilitating effects of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Fibromyalgia is only just starting to be properly recognised in the conventional medical community, even though it affects millions of people worldwide. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 6 months
Mary’s story: Living life to the fullest in her golden years
As more mainstream research shows the benefits of medical cannabis in treating chronic illness, the surrounding stigma in the UK is steadily declining. At Releaf, we’re seeing an increasingly diverse range of people of different ages, religions and ethnicities come through our doors looking for holistic solutions for chronic health issues. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 7 months
Educating through experience: How Hollie uses medical cannabis to manage her chronic pain
One of our primary goals at Releaf is to remove the stigma associated with medicinal cannabis, and that’s why Hollie’s story is so important. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 8 months
Elisei's story: A father turns to medical cannabis to heal from a work-related injury
Have you ever been forced to work through an injury? To just grin and bear it? This is a decision that thousands of people in the UK face every day. For so many of our patients suffering with chronic pain, taking months off work to heal from work injuries was never a realistic option. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 4 months
Josh’s story: Fighting back after a surgery gone wrong
Having your health taken away from you, through no fault of your own, is terrible - especially for someone so used to being extremely active. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 10 months
Amber's story: Fighting chronic pain and insomnia with a personally tailored treatment plan
Amber is a mother of three who moved to the UK from Canada 14 years ago. Since she was a child, Amber faced a myriad of health challenges, including joint pain, stomach issues and insomnia linked to a chronic connective tissue disorder. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 4 months
Ethan’s story: Reclaiming mobility after a work-related back injury
Ethan was an active hiker and mountain biker before a back injury robbed him of his mobility, making it hard for him to move around his home and perform simple, everyday tasks—let alone walk the trails of the Scottish Highlands. Read more
Condition Pain
Subscriber 4 months
Ollie's story: ADHD solutions for a father of three
Ollie is a 38-year-old father of three whose diagnosis with ADHD came only a year ago, sparking a profound reflection on the coping mechanisms he had adopted throughout his youth—most notably, his battle with alcoholism that led to a life-altering arrest for drink-driving at the age of 25 Read more
Condition Psychiatric
Subscriber 5 months
Do you have a story to share?
If you're a patient with Releaf and you're happy to share your story with us, then we want to hear from you.
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