Looking at Jan today, it's hard to believe that until he was 14, he played football in the highest Swiss junior league, training four to five times a week. He passed, dribbled, and tackled with all his might. That phase of his life seems like an eternity ago.
In 2015, Jan, in the throes of puberty, began to experience the first signs of what would later be his Parkinson's disease. He was constantly tired and lethargic, plagued by pain, and began to experience difficulties concentrating and memory lapses. The personality changes he underwent were also devastating: he felt nothing, neither joy nor sorrow. He appeared cold and apathetic to his friends, and many broke off contact. Tests revealed that Jan's body was not producing enough dopamine, a crucial neurotransmitter. From then on, he took medication to supply his body with dopamine and "restore" his original personality.
Finally, the diagnosis
At that time, the young man was plagued by recurring severe pain. "Sometimes I couldn't even tie my own shoes, let alone walk for any length of time. Sport used to mean everything to me. At 16, I started smoking cannabis to combat the pain. And even though it wasn't medical cannabis, it helped me for about 20 minutes at a time. When the pain intensified again, I'd roll another joint," he recounts. During an examination at the University Hospital Zurich, Jan finally underwent a spinal tap – far too late, in his view. The then 18-year-old finally received a Parkinson's diagnosis and was prescribed the Parkinson's medication Madopar. "At first, I only took half a tablet each time and was able to walk upright again immediately."
The medication marked a turning point in Jan's life. His energy and ability to concentrate returned. Jan completed several internships and eventually began an apprenticeship as a cook in a retirement home with a restaurant. He enjoyed the varied apprenticeship, received good grades, and was valued by the staff. "It was a good time. The work was fun, I was able to move out of my parents' house and start a shared apartment," he recalls.
Disaster before the end of the apprenticeship
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of his medication diminishes over time, and the symptoms of his illness worsen. Pain attacks and spasms often plague him, even during working hours. His poor physical condition leads to declining academic performance. A few months before his final apprenticeship exams, Jan and his training company pull the plug. "It just wasn't working anymore – I had to quit my apprenticeship shortly before the exams. Even the five-minute commute by bike exhausted me. Working full shifts was out of the question." Unfortunately, the disability insurance office refuses to allow Jan to complete his apprenticeship at another company. The reason given: his illness is already too advanced.
Jan's carefree years
What does a young man do when he can no longer work from one day to the next? He enjoys life. "I often just leave the house with my phone, charger, and medication. In addition to my Parkinson's medication, I was also prescribed the tranquilizers Temesta and later Xanax. This meant I could move around pain-free again and—thanks to the opiates and cannabis—I could be more open with people." Jan is successful with women and often stays overnight at the homes of old and new friends. Looking back, he describes this phase of his life as "the best time." There's just one problem.
The drug trap
Jan's body became accustomed to the constant medication and craved ever-increasing doses. "After three years, around 2020, I realized I was addicted to medication. As soon as I had only five pills left in my glass, I panicked and compulsively had to get more." Looking back, he's not proud that he got prescriptions from several doctors and occasionally "made a scene at the pharmacy." Jan knows he was responsible for his situation at the time. But he criticizes the lack of control mechanisms to prevent people like him from becoming addicted to medication. He criticizes the fact that doctors and pharmacy staff don't more proactively question medication use. And he admits: "I became brazen. I often lied and bought two or three doses of Xanax at once from the pharmacy to satisfy my addiction."
Over time, the medication changed him: old friends and family no longer recognized him and some even turned away. "I didn't care about anything anymore; Xanax made my life easy. I didn't think about the consequences." Even when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, he didn't visit her in the hospital. "I just didn't have the courage," he said sadly. He realized things couldn't continue this way, but he lacked the energy to change his situation.
The total collapse
After three years, Jan is so dependent on painkillers and numbing medications that he even has to take more several times a night. As his addiction progresses, Jan develops an anxiety disorder and only leaves the house to get more medication. By spring 2020, Jan is a physical and mental wreck: he suffers from constant diarrhea, trembles, sweats profusely, and is plagued by anxiety. At his wit's end, he calls the psychiatric emergency room himself. "I told them to come and get me," he says. There, he undergoes a "hard" withdrawal from the medication. "They wanted to prescribe me a different tranquilizer, but I refused. It wouldn't have changed my situation. I went through hell for about twelve days. I had diarrhea and vomiting, and I lost about ten kilograms. But I persevered." Talk therapy and physical therapy accompany Jan throughout his inpatient stay. After seven weeks, he leaves the clinic earlier than expected—against his own advice.
Medical cannabis as a support
To this day, Jan has never taken opiates again. "Just thinking about it makes my palms sweat," he says with a shudder. Instead, he has been relying on medical cannabis for some time now – and since 2023 with a prescription from his family doctor. Its effects not only alleviate the pain of his Parkinson's disease, but also stabilize Jan's mental state. "I feel clearer thanks to cannabis, and my mood is much more balanced overall," he says. He smokes three different strains of cannabis: an energizing one in the morning, a calming one in the evening, and a balancing one.
Since completing his detox, Jan has been focusing more on himself again. He goes for acupuncture when he can afford it and has started exercising again. He also pays attention to his diet and his body's signals. Physically, Jan is feeling better, although he can still feel his illness progressing. Cannabis helps him bear the pain—but it can't take it away completely. As a result, his social life has also diminished. "None of the people from my wilder years are around anymore. But I have a few good friends and my family I can rely on. And who knows, maybe that's just part of growing up, that life gets a little more boring?" he says, takes a drag from his joint, and smiles contentedly.
