Survive & Live After Narcissistic Abuse with the Help of Cannabis | Health
Prevention of disease is one of the principles of Naturopathic Medicine. As a Naturopathic Physician, I suggest to patients to take certain vitamins, minerals or herbs, do yoga poses to help their pain, offer changes in their food and drink choices and teach ways to improve sleep patterns. Patients who are anxious or depressed, I recommend they write down their thoughts so these ruminating thoughts are taken out of the mind and put on paper. Prevention is often thought of as preventing disease in the physical body, but the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of ourselves MUST also receive the proper prevention of harm. We need the tools in our own toolbox of healing to PREVENT, as much as we can, any danger or trauma that we may invite into our lives by inviting certain harmful personalities into our lives.
With the increase in states now allowing people to grow their own cannabis plants, people are learning more about taking care of plants and what is needed in the plant’s environment to flourish. Like plants, we as humans need a healthy living (and working) environment to thrive. The basics of clean air, shelter, getting sunlight, eating nourishing foods, moving the body, having relationships with people that are healthy, safe, uplifting and nourishing to the soul are all foundations of a good life. But, sometimes, an unhealthy person enters our life just like an insect infestation can occur with a cannabis crop. Do you let the insects ruin all of your plants? No. You treat the infestation and if that does not work then you have to let go of the crop and start over. When you start over and grow better, stronger plants with the wisdom gained about insect infestation, then you are on your way to PREVENT any more insects from trying to destroy your crop.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition that is associated with certain behaviors stemming from a person’s upbringing. Usually there was neglectful or chaotic parenting which leads them as adults to having difficulty bonding with people. This personality has a difficult time regulating their emotions. There has been a growing wave of information about this personality disorder and more mental health providers are seeing patients who have been in abusive relationships with people who have NPD.
Many people have traits of being a narcissist but it does not mean that they have NPD.
Common Traits of NPD:
Lack of empathy for others; does not consider other people’s feelings ● Fragile self-esteem
Exaggerated self-importance
Excessive need for admiration
Bullying behavior; like to punish, malicious
Controlling behavior
Believe he/she is smarter than everyone else
Manipulative
Selfish
Lies often
Arrogant
Have mood swings, depression and anxiety
Does not take responsibility for his/her own actions
Emotionally neglectful to others
Can stonewall or give someone “the silent treatment”
Do not have good boundaries with people
People who have been in a romantic relationship with a narcissist or have one in their family can tell you that the narcissist has a difficult time understanding other people. Narcissists do “crazy making” behavior and the “relationship” tends to feel more like a “situationship.” Most people do not feel seen, heard or their feelings validated by the narcissist. Most narcissists like to get an emotional reaction out of others. They do this as a way of controlling other people’s emotions. It is an exhausting, soul crushing, painful experience to live with a narcissist. So, if you can see the red flags in a person’s behavior or educate someone else about them, then you may be able to PREVENT letting this personality type close to your heart.
One of the more common diseases that I see in patients is fibromyalgia. This disease has been on the rise for many years and it is usually diagnosed in women, although men can have it as well. It is a feeling of being toxic, exhausted and you feel like your life force has been sucked out of you. Common sites of pain are the shoulders and upper back. The person does not want to be touched because it hurts. Everything hurts. Depression, anxiety and insomnia can also be present.
Stress, physical and emotional trauma can all lead to the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Many people who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia have a history of abuse and trauma in their lives. People who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia may be in a relationship with someone who is abusing them. This is getting to the cause of the disease. The root issue of the disturbance in health may be due to a toxic environment. If the environment changes to a healthier one, then the person’s health can improve.
Cannabis has the ability to help the mind heal from trauma. It can be used to not cover up and numb the emotions, but on the contrary to move the emotions to a state of balance. That is one of the gifts of Cannabis: to bring balance to the body, mind and spirit. Cannabis can help with anxiety, depression, sleepless nights and the pain felt in the body. This herb can allow someone to see their life more objectively and perhaps with a new set of eyes. This herb can help empower a soul to make a change for a better life.
Other tools to help heal from trauma:
Sleep
Wake up and drink a cup of warm water with a large slice of fresh lemon squeezed into it. This is a great way to detoxify!
Laugh
Eat nutritious foods
Move your body
Journal and write down your feelings
See a therapist
Get a pet
Lay on the Earth
Take Epsom salt baths
Listen to music
Sing
Feel your feelings and try to not push them down or minimize them
Use essential oils to calm and soothe
Take magnesium as a supplement to help calm the nerves, aid in sleep and digestion
This article is not meant to diagnose anyone with NPD. It was written to help shed light on toxic behaviors and how emotional abuse and trauma can manifest as disease in the body. Seek the help of a trained therapist safely if you feel like you are being abused.
Kimberly Landino has been a Naturopathic Physician for over 20 years. She has been recommending Medical Marijuana to patients in Arizona for the last four years. Prior to this, she used the modalities of nutrition and diet, counseling, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, botanical medicine and more in her Naturopathic Family Practice in South Phoenix, Tempe, Flagstaff and in Tuba City, Arizona.