5 Ways CBD Oil Can Treat Anxiety
It is not surprising that CBD oil, anxiety, and stress are some of the most searched for topics on the internet. As a non-psychoactive compound, CBD (cannabidiol) is one of 540 cannabinoids extracted from the Sativa strain of the cannabis plant.
Indeed, this compound has the potential to alleviate anxiety and other mental health conditions. In the United States alone, anxiety disorders make up a significant fraction of mental health conditions in the country, affecting roughly 31.1% of adults. It is then not surprising that research is increasingly pointing to the effective healing properties of CBD oil for managing anxiety.
Wouldn’t you like to find out more about CBD and how it helps with anxiety? Let us start by exploring authoritative research findings on the relationship between CBD and anxiety.
What research says about CBD and anxiety
Owing to the increasing adoption of medical cannabis and its legalization across the U.S., scientific interest in the therapeutic uses of CBD and cannabis is growing rapidly.
In fact, recent research reinforces the potency of CBD oil for anxiety. This study highlights how CBD interacts with the receptors in the brain, such as the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor and the CB1R (cannabinoid) receptor, amongst other receptors that control anxiety and fear-induced behaviors in the brain.
These findings provide the foundation for understanding the science behind the efficacy of CBD treatment and management of multiple variants of anxiety disorders, including:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
- Panic disorder (PD)
Furthermore, researchers studied drug tolerance, life quality measurements, and dose-dependent relationships in about 400 patients looking for CBD prescriptions. The study spanned a year, running from December 7th, 2017 to December 7th, 2018.
The participants consumed CBD prescriptions for multiple ailments such as non-cancer pain, neurological symptoms, mental health symptoms, and cancer-related symptoms. All participants reported a boost in their quality of life after using CBD for only three weeks.
Likewise, participants who used CBD to treat depression or anxiety were reportedly better able to go about their daily routines with reduced depression, pain, and anxiety symptoms.
About 70% of the participants stated that they experienced satisfaction using CBD to treat their aliment with scores ranging from good and excellent. Only a few of the study participants (9.9%) reported mild side effects like vivid dreams and sedation. A further 0.8% experienced a temporary worsening of their previous symptoms.
In an earlier study, scientists monitored the effects of CBD treatment in 72 adults suffering from sleep problems and anxiety. More than half of the participants consumed a capsule of CBD (25 mg) each day.
A few took 50 or 75 mg per day, while one person with schizoaffective disorder and trauma symptoms received around 175 mg per day. The results were immensely positive.
Two months after treatment, between 78.1 to 79.2% of participants experienced improvements in their symptoms. However, 15.3 – 19.5% said they felt worse after treatment with CBD.
How connected are stress and anxiety?
Stress is a prevalent disorder that plagues many people in the current era due to so many daily demands. Of course, the emotional strain of the pandemic has only worsened this modern phenomenon.
Anxiety is a natural consequence of stress, and it can seriously affect your temperament, decision-making abilities, and influence behavior. While there are many methods to combat anxiety and stress, the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs or psychoactive substances can cause more problems than they seem to solve in the moment.
Undoubtedly, the best way to deal with anxiety is to undergo a lifestyle change. But there are a few natural substances that can alleviate its debilitating effects on mental health.
The CBD tincture or oil is one main healing modality with significant therapeutic value and curative properties that can treat many types of anxiety and stress symptoms, including indigestion, chronic pain, fatigue, and lack of sleep.
Let us explore the five ways CBD oil can help relieve the anxiety and stress related to different aspects of our daily life experience.
CBD Oil and Mood
One of the first symptoms of anxiety is a notable disruption in one’s demeanor, manifesting in mood swings. CBD can alleviate stress and improve mood by engaging the Serotonin and Adenosine receptors in the body.
Studies show that CBD oil can help decrease stress-related disorders and assist with restfulness by promoting a relaxing effect in the central nervous system.
CBD Oil and Nutritional Deficiency
Eating a balanced diet and avoiding fast food may help decrease anxiety and stress. Although there is no evidence that eating a balanced diet is a sure treatment for anxiety and stress, research indicates a link between eating a balanced diet and decreasing anxiety and stress.
In addition to avoiding addictive substances, the proper intake of carbohydrates, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins have been known to reduce anxiety and stress symptoms. The good news is that such compounds are richly deposited in CBD oil.
A measured dosage of CBD oil intake can relieve anxiety (and other stress-related disorders) due to these natural compounds in CBD.
These compounds include fatty acids, vitamins, irons, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and beta carotene. CBD also includes natural antioxidant properties, which make it the ideal substance to manage anxiety, validating the importance of therapeutics that involve CBD oil for anxiety.
CBD Oil and Sleep
Patients who suffer severe anxiety-disorders run a higher risk of developing sleep disorders like insomnia. Studies show that CBD can be a potent resort in treating such neuropsychiatric conditions by generating a calming effect in the central nervous system.
This will significantly improve sleep quality. When the body receives the required amount of sleep, it will de-stress naturally and retain more vitality. Aside from better sleep, many people take CBD for PTSD to enhance their emotional equilibrium and to restore their mood.
CBD Oil and Stress
CBD oil has the potential to reduce pain associated with stress; this includes inflammation and muscle strain, which are common in our modern lives.
Indeed, there is a correlation between pain and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Consistent pain can, in the long run, become a chronic condition. This implies a higher risk of developing some form of anxiety disorder.
Although not sufficient in psychoactive properties (as typical of the high properties of THC), CBD can regulate inflammation and pain via its effect on the endocannabinoid system by leveraging the cannabinoid receptors.
Besides, CBD is a viable option for the treatment of neuropathic and nociceptive pain. The former is due to tissue damage, while a nervous system’s malfunction causes the latter.
CBD Oil and General Wellness
Physical weakness and numbness form some of the symptoms that are linked to depression and anxiety-related disorders.
The body has an ECS (endocannabinoid) system which utilizes receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymes in regulating homeostasis. This process ultimately maintains our general wellness.
Medical experts are exploring the relationship between CBD and the body’s ECS. Actually, early findings have shown that although CBD doesn’t bind to the CB2 and CB1 receptors in the very manner of THC, CBD does largely prevent your endocannabinoids from breaking down.
This means CBD significantly improves your vitality, wellbeing, and invariably improves your anxiety response.
What you should know CBD and Antidepressants
CBD’s efficacy in combating stress is well known, but there is limited scientific data that compares its benefits over traditional antidepressants. However, an animal study reinforces the possible benefits of CBD compared to antidepressants, since one is used to treat, while the other to suppress the symptoms.
- Compared to antidepressants, CBD has fewer side effects. Antidepressant drugs do not only cause a change in appetite but may also cause sexual side effects.
- A study emphasized the potential of CBD as a fast-acting antidepressant drug. Traditional antidepressants take some time before working, but the research on rodents provided evidence of CBD’s fast-acting nature as an antidepressant.
Conclusion
Many individuals prefer to use CBD oil for various reasons, including to control the incidence of seizures, chronic pain, and anxiety. Although research into CBD highlights a few side effects, it is a viable alternative for anxiety treatment. Nonetheless, it is a good idea to do some research and consult a trusted practitioner to ensure that CBD is safe for you to use and that it will help you over other traditional medication.
At Guards Down, our goal is to help you prioritize your wellbeing and overcome your symptoms, from nausea and insomnia, to trauma and PTSD. Check out our CBD product shop to find the perfect CBD application for your needs.
If you have any more questions about CBD, please reach out. Our team of professionals is here for you to provide you with the world-class care you deserve.