Quarantining yourself at home can play an important role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, but this social isolation can take a negative toll on mental health. As schools close, workers opt to telecommute, and other social events are canceled, the prospect of being confined to your home because of quarantine can be daunting. Time seems to creep by much more slowly after you’ve been at home for a long period of time. Even if you are home with other family members, the sense of isolation can be overwhelming<\/p>\n
The American Psychological Association<\/a> reports that social isolation carries a number of health risks. Feeling isolated can lead to poor sleep, poor cardiovascular health, lower immunity, depressive symptoms, and impaired executive function. When executive function skills are impaired, you may find it more difficult to focus, manage your emotions, remember information, and follow directions.<\/p>\n Psychological Effects of a Quarantine<\/strong><\/p>\n Psychological distress is common both during and after periods of quarantine. People commonly experience:<\/p>\n Such feelings are normal given the circumstances. However, there are steps you can take to protect your mental health and well-being while coping with a quarantine.<\/p>\n Medical Marijuana for Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n During periods of social isolation and stay-at-home orders, it\u2019s critically important to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy. If your wellness regimen includes cannabis, you can continue to go about your regular medical marijuana routine or even adjust your cannabis dosage according to how much anxiety you are experiencing.<\/p>\n Dosing marijuana for anxiety depends on two things:<\/p>\n High-CBD products are a highly recommended starting point. Not only has CBD been found to effectively relieve anxiety, it\u2019s also non-intoxicating so you don\u2019t have to be as careful about dosing as you have to be with THC products. With CBD oils and edibles, consider starting with 10mg and increase or decrease your dose until you\u2019ve found the sweet spot for your symptoms. Or puff on a CBD vape or CBD-rich flower until you feel anxiety starting to lift.<\/p>\n If you want to fold a little THC in, here\u2019s what you should know about dosing:<\/p>\n In summary, someone using cannabis for anxiety should start with a small dose. If you buy a 10mg THC edible, take half or a quarter of it to start, you can always add more if you\u2019re not feeling anything in an hour or two, but undoing overly intense effects is an entirely different (and difficult) challenge.<\/p>\n Likewise, with flower or vape oils, take just a small puff and wait. You might even consider micro dosing cannabis\u2014that is, taking a very small dose (such as 2.5mg THC)\u2014one that\u2019s too low to induce any euphoric effects, but still provides benefits by stimulating our natural endocannabinoid system.<\/p>\n\n
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