Dysautonomia is a neurological condition affecting the autonomic nervous system that controls unconscious body functions such as heart rate and temperature.
Dysautonomia is something I've lived with for a long time without even knowing what to call it or that I needed to advocate for myself. I have this condition because of childhood cancer treatment, specifically spine surgery and radiation aimed at my internal organs.
People don't understand how badly and for how long I've needed cannabis to manage my symptoms. A lot of people's medical understanding stops at pain and nausea and they've never experienced neurological symptoms.
Doctors don't even take it seriously like it's a real medicine, for example, when admitted to hospital, a diabetic would never go without insulin nor would a cardiac patient go without their blood thinners or betablockers, but a person with neurological conditions can be made to suffer through tremors and inability to regulate their own heartrate, sweating, temperature, etc., because dysautonomia doesn't exist and cannabis isn't medicine apparently?! Patients with horrible and well-known conditions like MS or epilepsy barely get taken seriously either, and I need it cannabis just as badly as they do!
You can read more about dysautonomia here:
"Dysautonomia is an umbrella term used to describe several different medical conditions that cause a malfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System controls the "automatic" functions of the body that we do not consciously think about, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, dilation and constriction of the pupils of the eye, kidney function, and temperature control. People living with various forms of dysautonomia have trouble regulating these systems, which can result in lightheadedness, fainting, unstable blood pressure, abnormal heart rates, malnutrition, and in severe cases, death.
Dysautonomia is not rare. Over 70 million people worldwide live with various forms of dysautonomia. People of any age, gender or race can be impacted. There is no cure for any form of dysautonomia at this time, but Dysautonomia International is funding research to develop better treatments, and hopefully someday a cure for each form of dysautonomia. Despite the high prevalence of dysautonomia, most patients take years to get diagnosed due to a lack of awareness amongst the public and within the medical profession."