Dealing with Anxiety? How CBD Can Help Those Suffering from Anxiety and Stress
If you’re reading this, odds are good that you’re looking to learn more about CBD, one of the hottest new products on the market today. CBD was legalized at the end of 2018 and has since exploded in popularity; 1 in 7 Americans have now tried the compound, which has turned into an industry that is expected to generate tens of billions of in the next few years.
Why has CBD become some popular? A variety of evidence indicates that CBD can help address a variety of issues. One such example may be anxiety and stress, two problems that plague virtually every American in some way.
Let’s be clear: CBD is not a cure-all. It is not a “magic drug” that will make all of your problems go away, and you should always check with your doctor before trying CBD in order to ensure that you are not on any medications which may result in a negative interaction.
However, there is some scientific evidence that indicates that CBD can help you reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress and more. Here’s an overview on just how that happens.
How CBD May Help Reduce Anxiety & Stress
CBD works by altering your body’s naturally occurring Endocannabinoid System. CBD does not interject cannabinoids. Instead, it changes the bond between your body’s produced cannabinoids and the cannabinoid receptors which are scattered throughout your body. CBD alters the interaction between the cannabinoids and their receptors, changing the sensitivity of these receptors and thus causing the bond to occur for longer periods of time.
Your Endocannabinoid System has an impact on a variety of bodily functions, including pain, stress, anxiety, hunger and more. Furthermore, it is theorized that this may have an impact on the way your body interacts with serotonin, a critical brain hormone that is associated with depression and anxiety. As such, altering the function of your Endocannabinoid System may have a positive impact on your anxiety levels.
The Research: CBD and Anxiety
To be clear, CBD is not a federally approved treatment for anxiety. If you are currently seeing a medical professional to treat anxiety, continue to do so. Do not alter any other medications you are taking, and make sure to talk with a medical professional before taking CBD.
However, there is evidence which indicates that CBD may have a positive effect on numerous different types of anxiety. For example, a small 2010 study of ten people found that individuals who took CBD reported a more significant decrease in self reported anxiety levels than people who took a placebo. A 2011 study determined that CBD could potentially be used as a method of treating social anxiety. A 2014 review determined that CBD has anti-anxiety components. Even the National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that generalized anxiety may be reduced by CBD consumption. A few studies have also raised the possibility that CBD can help reduce the symptoms of PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Last, it appears that anxiety may have a positive impact on performance-based anxiety which occurs in specific situations, as well as anxiety which may contribute to drug or alcohol addictions.
Potential Impacts of Consumption Methods of CBD and Anxiety
When people experience anxiety and take medication for it, that treatment is often geared on the need to work as fast as humanly possible. For example, klonopin, a popular benzodiazepine which is used to treat anxiety attacks, often takes no more than an hour to work. It’s effects are powerful and can often knock an anxiety attack down at its height.
It is important to note that CBD cannot treat an anxiety attack like any other benzodiazepine or SSRI, and that no CBD product is currently approved for any sort of anxiety or depression treatment. However, if you are someone who chooses to take CBD in order to control anxiety, it is worth noting that the method by which you choose to ingest CBD can have an impact on how quickly it works.
Generally speaking, here’s a rough breakdown of how long it takes CBD to work:
- Inhalation: 10-20 minutes.
- Sublingually (under the tongue), like our 500mg Tincture: 15-25 minutes.
- Orally, like our 25mg CBD Soft Gels: 20-30 minutes.
- Topically, like our 600mg CBD Massage Oil: 25-45 minutes.
Of course, everyone’s body works differently, and your CBD experience can vary based on a variety of factors, including your metabolism, weight and height, strength of the CBD, dosage, and even factors as mundane as whether or not you have a full stomach.
CBD, Sleep & Anxiety
One of the benefits of CBD which are touted by many is its apparent ability to help individuals sleep. There is some evidence to suggest that CBD helps people with insomnia get a better night’s sleep, stay asleep for longer, and feel more rested when they wake up in the morning. CBD may also be effective at treating certain sleep disorders like REM Sleep Behavioral Disorder.
There is a strong connection between a lack of sleep and anxiety (and mental illness in general: A lack of sleep may lead to more anxiety. Unfortunately, this often starts a vicious spiral, as anxiety can then cause a lack of sleep! As such, if CBD may help you sleep or feel better in general, this may have an ancillary benefit of reducing your anxiety levels.
CBD and Well Being
The same processes by which CBD may help reduce anxiety may also help users feel less stressed and more relaxed. Indeed, this is why many Americans take CBD: They believe it helps them feel better and deal with the ordinary stresses of life. As such, it is worth noting that anxiety is not necessary for improving your mood.
