patient profile

JENNIFER POSADA

HEALING THROUGH CANNABIS

ON A BRISK FEBRUARY MORNING, ROCKVILLE’S JENNIFER POSADA PULLS HER CURLY HAIR FROM HER EYES, SITS UP TALL AND FLASHES A SMILE FOR THE CAMERA. AFTER YEARS OF BEING DISPLACED, A RADIANCE HAS RETURNED TO HER YOUTHFUL FACE. “I love it here,” Jennifer says looking out over the calm waters of Lake Needwood, a 75-acre reservoir in Derwood. The lake is known to residents of Montgomery County for its calm waters, reflecting the inner peace Posada, a 23-year-old native of Damascus, has sought for much of her adult life.

“BEING AT BLOOM WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY HEALING PROCESS.”

a sophomore at the University of Maryland, Posada was sexually assaulted by her then-boyfriend. Betrayal, confusion and panic quickly set in. “I was in a pretty toxic relationship,” she said. “After a party, I was unconscious and he did it without my consent. When I realized the next day what had happened, I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do. It was my partner; the lines were blurred.”

Jennifer was scared to turn to her family and friends, but she also didn’t want to be alone. So she regretfully turned back into the arms of her abuser.

“We dated for two years and my mental health during that time was not good,” she said.

While the physical nature of the assault didn’t reoccur, Jennifer’s anxiety was constantly triggered in his presence. As it became increasingly difficult to concentrate on her studies, she chose to begin the process of a year-long therapeutic intervention.

“I had to step back and acknowledge that it happened to me,” Jennifer said. “But I had just turned 21 and the alcohol was flowing, too. I reached a point where I had been drinking every other day for seven months, and I was finding myself needing refills of Xanax before they were up. My anxiety was high all the time.”

During that time, Jennifer hit rock bottom. She failed out of school and unbeknownst to her, received a blessing when her then-boyfriend broke off the relationship.

“In the first session with my therapist he asked me to look up the definition of codependency,” she said. “We talked through my past, talked about why I reacted the way I did and what I could’ve done differently. As we advanced, it got to the point where I was able to use these tools.”

Cannabis also became a weapon against her anxiety. In May of 2018, Jennifer qualified for a medical card. Eager to learn more about properly medicating, she gained employment the following February with Bloom Medicinals in Germantown as a patient care specialist. “Being at Bloom was the beginning of my healing process,” she said. “My coworkers were amazing and that environment was really conducive to healing.”

Jennifer found her daily interactions with patients cathartic. Their openness was inspiring, allowing her to feel more comfortable and willing to speak her own truth. “I put as much of myself into each interaction as I could,” Jennifer said. “It felt good to have that connection with people.”

In the Fall, she enrolled at the University of Shady Grove in Rockville, studying psychology with the intent to become a therapist. Carrying a new outlook on life, Jennifer aced her performance in the classroom, receiving a 4.0 GPA in her first semester.

“That did wonders for my confidence,” she said. Jennifer has since begun dating again, finding a steady shoulder in a kind, gentle young man named Rida. He is beside her on this cold winter morning, eager to lend an ear as she tells her story.

“This lake brought me a lot of peace last year,” Jennifer said, admiring the colorful horizon. Recently she completed a painting of the lake at sunset. It was the first piece of artwork she was able to finish since the assault.

“Imagination is one of the areas affected by PTSD,” she said. “So I felt kind of like I was able to tap into that area of my brain again.”

Her renewed smile flashes once more as she laughs with Rida. “Thanks to some Cannabis, too!”

Like the sun softening the cold edges of a dark winter morning, Jennifer’s shine has returned. As

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