For too long, autism has been misdiagnosed and gone misunderstood by those in and out of the medical community. In recent years, however, medicine has started to understand more about the condition, and how we can help make life easier for people who live their life on the autism spectrum. Dr. Frankel and Dr. Kurzman at Greenbridge Medical can help you learn about the benefits of adding dosed medical cannabis to your treatment. Call the office in Santa Monica, California, or book your appointment at Greenbridge Medical online.
Autism refers to a condition that impairs your ability to communicate or socialize effectively with others. Someone with autism might have a hard time making eye contact with others, seem indifferent to their parent or guardian, or ignore when their name is called. Sometimes autism can be accompanied by other issues, like gastrointestinal problems, trouble sleeping, or epilepsy.
Autism occurs on a spectrum, so the exact symptoms and their severity can vary greatly between people. Some people may hardly notice or think about their autism, while for others it has become an inescapable part of their life by early childhood. Most people begin to show signs of autism by the age of two, but some people learn they are on the spectrum later in life.
Because autism can be so subjective and tricky to diagnose, if you think you or your child may be autistic, getting the opinion of a medical professional is the only way to know for sure.
Sometimes, children on the autism spectrum can be aggressive or self-harming in ways that do not make sense to their parents. There may be a particular time of day or activity that sets off this behavior, or it may come out of nowhere.
Common autism-related aggression could be hitting or biting, or children may do something like banging their head against a wall. While this doesn’t happen to everyone with autism, it can be extremely distressing for both parent and child.
While autism does not have a cure, there are plenty of ways to help manage the condition, especially as the parent of a young child. Many parents have found that medical cannabis is a solution to their child’s autism-related aggression.
People who suffer from autism can benefit from whole plant cannabis. Patients can benefit from a decrease in their anxiety symptoms, as well as a reduction in self-stimulatory behavior. Cannabis can also help cases marked by aggressive outbursts or destructive behavior. In the long term, some patients have seen improvement in speech and socialization as well.
Dr. Frankel and Dr. Kurzman at GreenBridge Medical have found great success in treating autism-related aggression with the two most widely known compounds in cannabis: cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Cannabidiol, as a nonpsychoactive ingredient, is most commonly used for children and helps soothe the aggressive, repetitive behavior sometimes associated with autism. THC-based medication is also an option in some circumstances.
These compounds can also help soothe conditions that often occur simultaneously with autism, like epileptic seizures and problems getting to sleep.
While these may seem like small fixes in the face of a mysterious and sometimes scary condition, they can make a tremendous difference in day-to-day life for people with autism and their families.
If you would like to learn more about your options for medical cannabis, call or visit GreenBridge Medical.
