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. 

After the tragic passing of her mother, Hannah found herself trapped in a terrible cycle of anxiety which led her to retreat from the outside world for six long months. When Hannah did reach out for help, she was prescribed a series of pharmaceuticals that came with a long list of side effects - and nothing she tried felt quite right to her.  

A conversation with a friend who had been prescribed medical cannabis for epilepsy sparked Hannah’s curiosity and, after a quick google search, Releaf popped up as the number one result. Just a week later, she scheduled her first consultation with our doctors, marking the start of her new healing journey.

Hannah’s story is not just about coping with anxiety; it’s about finding the courage to trust yourself enough to rise above societal stigmas; it’s about listening to your heart.

Can you tell us about your health history, and what treatments you’ve tried in the past?

I’ve struggled with serious anxiety for a number of years, ever since my mum passed away. That is what triggered it.

For the first six months after that, I literally didn't leave my house and, eventually, I had to go to a mental health hospital to get help. At the hospital, I was put on several different types of medications, including diazepam. That helped for a while. It was nice to know that at least I had an option for when I was losing control, and I would always keep the diazepam in my back pocket, just in case a panic attack happened. 

But, I didn't like using it and didn’t use it often, because I didn't like the way it made me feel—I just generally don't like taking pharmaceutical medications. Eventually, my doctor took me off the diazepam, because it is linked to so many other illnesses, and that left me in a strange headspace. It was like, “What am I going to do now?”

I said to myself, “Am I just going to go back to where I won't go out at all? I won't go places? I won't push myself to do things because I'm scared?”

That's when my friend told me about the medical cannabis he’d been prescribed for his epilepsy. After that conversation, I thought, “Okay, I need to start looking into this and see if this is something that could be a good alternative for me.”

What kind of research did you do before you discovered Releaf, and what was the sign-up process like?

I started off online. I googled the different medical cannabis clinics in the UK, and Releaf came up as the number one search result, so that’s what led me there in the first place. I looked at the website and read the testimonials from all the different people who had tried Releaf, and their stories were really helpful in deciding that this was the right clinic for me. 

The sign-up process was really quick and easy. I thought it would take several weeks, but it was much faster than that. There was a small problem at first: I requested my medical records from the NHS, but the records didn’t show all the different medications I’d been prescribed. I called the support team at Releaf, and they were able to tell me exactly what I needed to do to resolve the situation. After that, everything happened very fast. It was just so simple. Within a week, I was able to book my first consultation. 

The consultation felt just like a normal doctor's appointment at first, except this doctor was incredibly thorough, going through all my history with me step by step. He was very caring, and listened to me carefully when I explained about what I'd been going through. The doctor explained all the different strains, the difference between cannabis flower and cannabis oil, and all the different treatment options.

Since joining Releaf, have you found a treatment that works well for you?

Yes. I work full-time, and I'm a mother of a six-year-old, so I need a treatment that works for my condition but also allows me to get on with my day. I think my doctor and I have found a good balance, and my treatment with medical cannabis doesn’t get in the way of my job or being a mum. 

For me, the treatment is sort of a routine, like a daily ritual: I get up in the morning before my son's up and getting ready for school. I get my coffee, use my vape pen, and then I get breakfast going. It’s just a normal part of my day—my new normal.

So far, I prefer the cannabis flower rather than the oil. There are some flower strains that work very well in both the day and then evening, so that’s what I’ve been using. 

One interesting thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes after using the same strain for a while, I like to change to a different one. My doctor at Releaf is quite flexible that way, which is fantastic. If I call him up and say, “I really liked the strain I was using before, would it be okay if I go back to that one?” there’s no problem; no pressure. He always says, “Keep in contact with us, let us know if things aren’t quite right, and we can adjust things until they are.” 

And, I’ve had no negative reactions to any of the different strains or treatments I’ve tried. Zero. None.

What changes in your health have you noticed since starting medical cannabis?

It's definitely been a big improvement since I started with Releaf, because I've been able to do so much more and not worry about things. I’ve been able to go out and just get on with things that I normally would have struggled with. 

Usually, with my anxiety, if I had to go somewhere outside the city that I live in, I would start to panic. Now, I'm able to do that without being stressed. 

Recently, I was even able to go for a little holiday out of town recently in Enniskillen, here in Northern Ireland, which I would never have done before I discovered medical cannabis. I was with my dad, my brother, my partner, and my kids, and it was amazing to be there and not be panicking all the time. The adults all knew I was taking medical cannabis, and they commented about how they had noticed a big positive change.  

I’d love to try and go abroad next year, which would be like a major step for me. I haven't been abroad since the anxiety started, so I'd love to be able to take my six-year-old on a summer holiday—that would be brilliant. 

I’ve also cut down on the other medication that I take for my anxiety, which is excellent. After my doctor took me off the diazepam, they increased my dose of another antianxiety medication called Vensir, and the side effects were horrible. I got quite tense, it felt almost like I had drunk a million cups of coffee at once—just buzzing and with a clenched jaw. The medical cannabis helped with that—it sort of took away that tenseness, and I’ve significantly cut down the Vensir dosage now. 

And, have you spoken to your NHS doctor about using medical cannabis since you started your treatment at Releaf? 

I did mention to my GP and other doctors that I had started using medical cannabis. It's a bit sad, because my doctors didn't seem to have much knowledge about it. They just said, “We can't advise you about that. We're not trained.” 

I thought, “Well, that's okay, because I've got Releaf and they are trained, so it's fine.”

Finally, what would you say to somebody with a similar condition,who may be considering medical cannabis as a treatment?

I would say to definitely go for it. If you're at the end of your tether like I was, you won't have much to lose. People who are suffering need to just forget about the stigma and what other people think. Of course, there are many medications people abuse, but they're still beneficial to the people who use them appropriately. Medical cannabis is no different. I think people need to just take that first step, not worry about the stigma, and just do what's best for them. 

Releaf is helping people, and that’s the main thing to remember. These patient stories are a big step toward getting rid of the negative stigma about medical cannabis, which is really the only negative thing that hangs over my treatment. 

It’s definitely about education: the more we learn, the more the stigma will fade away.H