Phil’s story: Tackling depression and managing pain with medical cannabis

Could you tell us a little bit about your condition and how it has affected you prior to becoming a medical cannabis patient?

I've suffered for quite a long time with depression and anxiety - I'd say at least 15 years. I've had some really low lows. It seems to have gotten worse as I got older. I'm on prescribed medication for that, but I never felt like it was fully under control. I never felt like I was myself. 

And I've had a full knee replacement, so I was having a lot of chronic pain from that as well. 

At that point, what was a typical day like for you?

Mainly stuck in my own head and not much interest in doing anything. Everything was pretty low for me. I was having so many sleepless nights. It was just the pain, the discomfort all through the night. But having the cannabis relief, it's been a massive lifesaver.

How did you first hear about medical cannabis and Releaf?

I'd heard the rumours about it, but I never heard of anybody who actually got it. So I never really gave it any thought as a real option. But I kept seeing the adverts pop up on Instagram and I thought “I've got nothing to lose”. So I submitted my details.

It's a lot easier than I imagined it would be. I thought it was going to be a dragged-out process, going to see doctors back and forth. But I submitted my previous symptoms, gave proof of different treatments I've had, and it was very easy, very painless, very quick.

And can you describe what it was like to be in that initial consultation with the doctor?

It was a lot more relaxed than I imagined. I was expecting a bit more formal and rigid, but it was good the way he spoke to me, the questions he asked. I was very happy with it. I think the consultations have been great that I've had. They've always asked if I've needed anything or wanted to change or have any questions, but obviously they've always been there for support.

Can you tell me what a typical day is like for you now with your medical cannabis treatment?

I like to get up in the morning. I normally have a dose in the morning before I walk the dog, and that sets me up. It balances me for the whole day. Then I have another dose before bed. That gives me a chance to get some sleep. 

All the aches I've got all over, it just makes it a lot more bearable and pleasant. You forget what it's like to be normally walking around. You're used to the aches and pains and going up and down curbs and steps. When you start walking normally, it puts a smile on your face.

How do you feel your medical cannabis has supported your health overall?

It's making me feel a lot more normal, a lot more myself. About four years ago, I tried to take my own life, and that was when I got turned on to cannabis use. Since getting the medical cannabis, I feel a lot clearer. My head's a lot more back to how it was. You don't realise, until it's been gone for so long, how good it feels being back to how it was again.

Has your treatment impacted your work or hobbies at all?

Currently, I'm not working. I'm looking for work. I won't be able to go into the industry I was in before because of arthritis. But I don't think it'll affect me getting a job. I'm hoping to get back into work again because I've been out of work for quite a while. I feel like I'm in a better position where I want to get back in the workforce and hopefully travel more around the country with my dog if I can. I haven't felt this good in decades.

Did you have any other hobbies or interests that you feel you can now get back to?

I want to say hiking, but I was never able to do it because I was massively overweight as well. But while I've been taking cannabis, it has helped me lower my weight as well, which was a massive surprise to be honest. I never even thought about it helping with weight loss. I think I was up to just short of 28 stone at my heaviest. Now it's down to 15. 

Honestly, it's a massive difference just to get out walking with my dog. It's an easier thing to do. Because before, I wasn't able to walk, and now getting out with her, seeing her running past, chasing squirrels, chasing rabbits and being able to enjoy it. I wouldn't change it for the world.

Have you spoken to any friends or family about becoming a medical cannabis patient?

Yeah. I tell them the benefits I've had instantly from it. I've got a lot of family with arthritis, but a lot of them have still got the stigma associated with it being ‘drugs’. I'm trying to get that past that. Some of them are stuck in their old ways, but other people seem really receptive and are going to give it a go.

Do you think that medical cannabis is becoming more widely accepted?

I think it should be a lot more widely accepted than it is. It's getting over the stigmas of what people have been told in the past, of it being a gateway drug, but it's not a gateway drug. When it's used properly, I think it's extremely underrated for what it can do for people, for multiple conditions. I think it should be fully available nationwide and free to anyone.

I think getting past the stigma, and once they try it, I honestly think it can open up so many more avenues for people.

If you would like to learn more about medical cannabis treatment options for the conditions mentioned in this Patient Story, please see medical cannabis for depression.