Tourette's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder by Anonymous
I know a 13-year-old child who has been diagnosed with ADHD, bipolar illness, depression, Tourette's, OCD, and pervasive developmental disorder (because he has a hard time reading social cues). He has a history of uncontrollable rages which sometimes make life for him and his family a living hell. He's tried various medicines, sometimes 5 - 7 at once, which make him unable to think, dizzy, drooling, etc. His mother learned that he had tried cannabis a few times. Both he and his friends noted how calm and peaceful and happy he felt when using it. His tics vanished. He was able to resume normal friendships, and his family life improved dramatically. It got to the point where everyone in his family 'braced' themselves when he ran out of his 'medicine'. His mother worries that others would not understand his use of this medicine. However, she explained, "It is more of a crime to withhold this medicine from him than it is to allow him to use it and feel normal, have a normal life". I wonder how many other people are suffering needlessly who could be helped by this medicine. How many more are in jails or mental hospitals when a medicine that could help them is kept illegal?