The path to a late autism diagnosis is like finding a missing puzzle piece that for many of us, we didn’t know was missing. It can be a powerful, emotional experience that leads one to self-acceptance and authenticity.

If you’ve ever felt like traditional talk therapy just doesn’t cut it, you’re not alone. Often, words just aren’t enough - or sometimes, we can’t even find them. That’s where expressive arts therapy can really make an impact - it allows us to express what words can’t. 

We’ve probably all seen stories of “weed tampons.” Truth is, they aren’t tampons, they are suppositories made from cannabis and they can be a game changer for people with chronic pelvic pain such as that experienced with endometriosis. They are also super easy to make - saving tons of money from pre-made dispensary versions.

Dysautonomia includes POTS, neurocardiogenic syncope, and other disorders affecting the autonomic nervous system. Symptoms can be completely debilitating restricting patients from many day to day activities. Cannabis can be a helpful tool for managing symptoms of dysautonomia and POTS, but there are some things to be aware of.

Getting rid of to do lists and instead setting 2-3 SMART weekly goals for myself has always been a very helpful way for me to stay on task, reduce overwhelm, and get things done. The science supports this. Goal setting helps to create an awareness and recognition of where we are, where we want to be, and what tools we already have to get ourselves there. I somehow fell out of the habit, so I thought it was time for a self-refresher. I just got distracted again and never posted it…so here we go.

Self-care is any activity that we do with the purpose of taking care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Things and activities that recharge and fulfill us. Some of these ideas may seem simple, but that is all it takes. A few simple intentional activities add up quickly to improve physical and mental health.

Whether it be pain and symptoms or missing out on events, some days with chronic illness just plain sucks. As a community wee talk a lot about the medicinal benefits of cannabis, but we tend to focus on all the physical aspects. What we don’t talk about is how the euphoria - or high - can be a big part of the healing process. For me, it’s a regular part of my self-care routine, that I quite look forward to.

Health & wellness coaching uses evidence-based practices and strategies to help people make health changes that stick. Cannabis coaches empower patients to build confidence and become active participants in their cannabis care so they can meet their health and wellness goals. They teach clients how to integrate cannabis as a tool for larger health and wellness, and not just as a bandaid to cover symptoms.

Cannabis is an amazing medicine with potential healing properties that are still far beyond our understanding. While we do know it is a safe substance, every person and situation is unique. Over the course of the last 2 plus years I’ve been witness to some miraculous health improvements, but I’ve also seen some cannabis inspired set-backs . As a cannabis community we don’t always like to discuss these - it’s taken us a long time to get to level of acceptance we have now and no one wants to jeopardize that further. But in reality, it does us a much larger disservice, to ignore situations like our guest writer, Sally, shares in this post.

Cannabis is a fascinating plant. It’s uses are varied and date back over 12,000 years. Understanding how it works as medicine can go a long way in achieving results as a cannabis patient.