Additional Needs

The Wonders of CBD Oil

Posted by Jodi Shenal on 14th October 2016 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Disabilities

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After years of raising two children with special needs, I find myself asking, “Why the heck are they so easy to prescribe to children?”

For several years, my son was on medications of this type for ADHD and Anxiety symptoms.  These drugs bring with them many unpleasant side effects and unknown long-term effects.

Looking back, I wish I would have researched more and found an alternative sooner to these harsh drugs.  When a doctor tells you that your child needs medication, you look to them as the expert and you want to trust in their plan.

An idea hit me like a ton of bricks this year, when a doctor emphasized to me that my son’s dose of stimulant ADHD meds needed to be increased.  Hearing that he needed to begin taking a second daily dose of these drugs made me finally see the light.

There had to be another way.

As a mother on a mission, I began reading everything I could find on alternative treatments for severe ADHD and Anxiety.

Essential oils, nutrition, acupuncture and Chinese herbs all came across my screen as I researched.

As I had been looking into CBD Oil (Cannabidiol, derived from hemp from the Cannabis plant) for my daughter with Epilepsy, I found numerous articles on the benefits it was proving with ADHD and Anxiety.

I was intrigued…could this really work?

After more research (A LOT MORE), we gave it a go.

Now, six months into our journey with CBD oil, we have experienced incredibly positive, measurable results.

Immediately, I watched my son’s appetite return…with a vengeance!

We dropped the ADHD meds and suddenly, his stomachaches went away; he told us right away that he felt BETTER.

This was reason enough to keep this new found treatment going.

He began sleeping well at night…this happily led to another medication being dropped!

His heart no longer felt as if it were beating out of his chest.

As months went by, we continued seeing improvements.

A child that could not walk outside without earplugs in his ears for fear of bees, was now running in the yard, fearlessly!

His grades in Math greatly improved.  He could sit and work through an on-line homeschool Math lesson by himself, absorb the material, and then ace the exam.

All of these wonderful benefits proved we were taking steps, FINALLY, in the right direction.

Recently, we went for a check-up with one of my son’s doctors.

To our sheer amazement, he had jumped in both the weight and height percentile categories, by 25%!

If we had any doubt that the money we were spending on this treatment was completely worth it, those statistics sealed the deal for us.

CBD oil is completely legal to purchase in the US, but doctors can’t yet prescribe it…Insurance will not cover it.

The cost is 100% out of pocket for the consumer.

As budgets are stretched past their limits already for many special needs parents, hopefully someday this will change.

For us, the oil has been more effective than any prescription medications, and without any side effects.

To continue seeing its benefits, and to have a happier, healthier, well-adjusted child – we’ll continue to use it.

It is a vital treatment for him and it is so very well worth it to us.  We only wish we would have learned about the wonders of CBD oil and had access to it years earlier.