Jessica: Fighting Postpartum Depression And Pain With CBD Oil

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A mother tells her story of survival from pharmaceutical overload and so much more:

Every day more people learn about the awesome medicinal values of plant-based medicines – especially the cannabis plant. Jessica Anderson is a 40 yr. old mommy from Erie, Pennsylvania who’s been through a decade-long wellness journey. Her fight to regain health after complications after childbirth involved countless pharmaceutical medications that caused addiction, illness, side effects, and liver damage. Continually over the last decade, Anderson has struggled with the intense depression that many women feel after childbirth known as postpartum depression. Her anxiety and pain levels have been off the charts, her hormones are fluctuating uncontrollably, and a feeling of intense inadequacy has plagued her since 2010. Only one thing has changed that – it was not a pill nor an over-the-counter cure-all created for a woman’s well-being. Instead, it was a suggestion from her mother who was distraught after watching nearly a decade of her daughter’s suffering that was endured in order to bring grandchildren into this world for her. Ultimately it was not a good friend, the internet, or someone peddling a new fancy panacea that helped out Jess as she’s called by friends – it was Mom’s suggestion to ‘just try CBD oil’ that changed her life. As she became mommy, Jessica found that enduring pain was part of motherhood, but she never imagined the type of journey she’d have to go on to find relief from health issues that would arise from bringing children into the world.

Jessica’s oldest holding her youngest – a very touching photo. But what does it take out of a woman to bear children and are we as a nation paying attention to the needs of mothers suffering difficulties? Research says we are not.

Postpartum depression, according to CDC research, affects one in every nine women in the USA. Studies have confirmed that depression may differ from woman to woman depending on their social class, age, and ethnicity. Postpartum depression is treatable with pharmacologic therapy and/or behavioral health interventions. However, depression is often under-diagnosed and untreated. Nearly 60% of women with depressive symptoms do not receive a clinical diagnosis, and 50% of women with a diagnosis do not receive any treatment according to research done by the Centers For Disease Control. These findings underscore the need for universal screening and appropriate treatment for pregnant and postpartum women. A 2017 research paper entitled, “Trends in Postpartum Depressive Symptoms – 27 States, 2004, 2008, and 2012″, went on to state that…”Despite the observed decline, PPD remains common, affecting 11.5% of new mothers in 2012, with prevalence varying by reporting state and subgroups of women. These findings underscore the need for universal screening and appropriate treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, as recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.” Obviously, the CDC didn’t consider the effects of CBD or cannabinoid medicine in their study – utilized properly – and its efficacy with this condition.

Many never consider the toll it takes on a woman’s body to carry and deliver a child. Pregnancy changes the physiology of the living human while they develop another living human – literally making hormone production unstable and this can lead to depression, anxiety, and more after childbirth. When hormones fail to stabilize after the child has been born and the mother becomes severely depressed the diagnosis of ‘postpartum depression’ is generally made. Many mothers such as Jessica will be diagnosed with every element of PPD without the actual diagnosis ever being made.

Jessica tells her story:

“In 2010, I had a child and I suffered from post-pregnancy complications such as diabetic neuropathy from gestational diabetes, debilitating anxiety, and depression, and severe chronic back pain thought to be due to carrying my daughter and past work injuries. I’ve also suffered PTSD most of my life. It wasn’t until 2014 after countless different medications failed that I discovered cannabis would give me the freedom to walk again. At one point I had counted so many different pharmaceuticals given to me over a period of years it was several dozen drugs that never worked to help me but did cause me a lot of problems that made the depression and anxiety so much worse. I was on benzodiazepines, antidepressants, drugs for insomnia, stomach and gastrointestinal drugs, anti-inflammatory and allergy medications, and more. It was so much that they had to be stopped suddenly at one point due to the damage they were doing and also because of a surprise package that came – another baby. “

Before she found relief, Jess suffered from so many health issues and was on entirely too many pharmaceuticals – it took a toll on her internal health and caused her to become extremely ill.

“In 2017 I had that surprise baby and the outcome was even more intense than the 2010 childbirth as far as my health condition was concerned. My hormones were completely out of balance, gestational diabetes attacked me for the 2nd time and I was living in the Emergency room 7 days a week. I had a caseworker that oversaw my every move and made sure I made it to every doctor’s appointment – I needed that type of help. The hospital that I visited wanted to actually put me into a 72 hr. ‘hold’ for my mental health in order to figure out a medication that would help me. I had hundreds of tests ran and still no answers were found. Every doctor I saw shrugged their shoulders as they prescribed more and more medications that were causing more harm than good. And finally, I developed a fatty liver, which happens often to people who are given so many different pharmaceuticals like I was. If that wasn’t bad enough I also had problems with weight gain from steroids. So I was left with no alternative until my mother suggested I try CBD oil.”

Her children are her world – when Jessica couldn’t shake the feeling of doom she knew something had to change and nature seemed to be the only alternative as the pharmaceuticals continued to fail.

“I had to do something, I felt incompetent. I felt like I wasn’t worthy and my children deserved more. I had every aspect of postpartum depression but wasn’t diagnosed with it. So many people have turned to cannabis and cbd extracts for depression and pain so I figured it couldn’t hurt because I couldn’t keep on living that way, something had to give. I was more depressed due to severe neuropathy in my feet and legs and the more questions I asked the more frustrated I got as there were never any answers. The only answer I continually ran into when online was what my mother had suggested, the CBD oil. I had nothing to lose at this point because it seemed as if I was losing my mind and body all at once – so I tried what my mother suggested.”

“My first use of a CBD vape pen was UNBELIEVABLE. My anxiety vanished and I was only using a 75-milligram dose in the pen. So, I decided to purchase some for myself and saw amazing results almost immediately. I had also developed digestive issues due to uncontrolled anxiety and depression and I watched those symptoms disappear. Then I noticed how much better I was sleeping. So I increased the dose, so I could help treat that severe chronic pain I’ve been in for so long. I don’t want more pills, I want nature. In my experiences, nothing helped until I used the full plant extracts from cannabis or hemp. Many refer to these types of oils as full spectrum. Now I’m operating my own CBD franchise and sharing the knowledge I’ve gained on how to use nature instead of harmful pharmaceuticals whenever possible. I have 2 children at home and I’m fully functional to go to work full time and take care of my kids as well – it’s nice to have a life back again where I can feel the freedom of living better than I did before all this pain, anxiety, and depression. “

Jessica is happy about her ability to function with freedom from pharmaceuticals

“I will continue to tell my story about cannabis and MY FREEDOM. Because it did just that and I can’t talk about it enough or type about it enough because it gave me life. It gave me functionality that I thought I’d never get back which is so exciting – I want this for everyone that’s suffering from health issues whether physical or mental. Nobody can take that away from me – the passion I have for the world and the sheer excitement I have about the cannabis and hemp plants. I will continue to educate based on my experience and I will continue to research in order to spread the truth about the incredible medicinal effects of cannabis.”

You can find Jessica “Jess” Anderson on her Facebook page if you have questions about her CBD business by clicking here.

Many never consider the fact that childbirth can and does cause serious physical and physiological changes within the mom. It’s not as simple as getting pregnant, having a child, and raising it like many tend to think – especially us men. Through various research studies, we’ve found that a maternal brain will change during pregnancy, starting literally from the onset. This change as well as dramatic shifts in lifestyle lead to symptoms from intense fear, depression, absent-mindedness and so much more. All of these issues we see with postpartum depression are also health concerns that are known to be treated with cannabidiol. A 2018 Washington State University research team found that both THC and CBD combined could reduce the symptoms of PPD. I’ve written entire articles on this subject in the past – please refer to an educational article written for NANO, Nanobles, Inc. entitled “Postpartum depression: how CBD can help.”