Marijuana has been legalized in multiple states, and this has paved the way for the production of various hemp oil products used as natural remedies for their healing benefits. To ensure the products do not contain THC, which gives marijuana its psychoactive effects, scientists are now extracting cannabidiol (CBD) from marijuana. This is because CBD has shown some promising results in alleviating chronic pain, managing anxiety, depression, and improving skin quality among other health benefits.
While the scientific research on the effects of CBD oil in treating anxiety and other psychological problems like depression and stress is still ongoing, the many positive user testimonials have been enough to capture the attention of people across the world. In this article, we review the usage of CBD oil for anxiety and try to paint a picture of what you can expect after using it. We will also discuss how CBD oil works to reduce the effects of anxiety.
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By the end of this article, you will be able to decide whether to use CBD oil to reduce your anxiety levels and improve the quality of your life. We will also help you understand how your brain responds to this natural treatment alternative. This article, therefore, is a guide that aims to help you determine whether CBD oil is the best treatment option to go for depending on your needs and expectations.
Read on to explore the wonders of CBD oil as well as everything you need to know about CBD for anxiety.
Contents
What is Anxiety?
We all experience anxiety at some point in our lives. For instance, it is common to feel anxious when you are about to have a baby or preparing for a job interview. It is estimated that over 30 percent of adults in the US experience anxiety in life and spend more than $42 billion to treat various anxiety disorders. Statistics further show that one out of every three American adults has to deal with anxiety every other day.
Anxiety can be in two forms: anxiety disorder and "normal anxiety". Normal anxiety is considered helpful because it often gives one the urge to achieve a certain goal in order to deal with a specific issue. This kind of anxiety enables one to respond to stress and other threats to his or her psychological health. With this type of anxiety, your focus will be enhanced, especially in instances where you need to pay keen attention to the proper reflex activity. It is imperative to note, however, that this anxiety should decrease significantly when that stressful ordeal is over.
In the event that the stressful feelings stay with you, then they develop into an anxiety disorder, which means that they are out of your control. Carrying on with your daily activities can be hard in such instances because you are likely to feel overwhelmed by stress. An anxiety disorder occurs naturally as an adaptive response to outcomes filled with uncertainties, and this causes emotional problems.
There are varying types of anxiety that are categorized depending on the cause and symptoms. These include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder - This is more common in women and younger individuals than it is in men and older people.
Phobias - Phobias occur when you are afraid of something specific and this causes irrational emotional responses. Agoraphobia is a common phobia that refers to the fear of open spaces while social phobia affects your ability to interact in public for fear of judgment.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - This is often categorized as a behavioral type of anxiety. With it, you will tend to have repetitive thoughts that allow anxiety to creep in. A good example is having an extreme fear of germs, which means that you wash your hands frequently with soap or disinfectant to reduce the anxiety.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - PTSD is a common type of psychological disorder experienced after undergoing a traumatizing experience such as a war. This is one of the most severe types of anxiety since it results to poor sleep quality, nightmares, etc.
Panic Disorder - This type of anxiety is felt whenever one has a panic attack that then leads to profuse sweating, breathing problems, shaky limbs, etc.
You will know you have an anxiety problem if you feel super intense after something happens, and this will make you distressed and compromise the quality of your life. According to psychologists, you may be anxious for days, weeks, months, or years and sometimes it keeps getting worse. This will significantly affect your normal life habits, thoughts, behavior, and overall health.
In some cases, anxiety has been known to affect one physically by causing pain, abdominal cramps, or a racing heart that further puts one's life at risk. Individuals who have anxiety issues have also reported suffering from depression as they went through the threatening experience. This condition, therefore, can affect your work performance and even compromise your relationship with friends and family.
The symptoms of anxiety include:
Profuse sweating
Hot & cold flushes
Fast pounding heart
Lots of thoughts flooding your mind
Raising unnecessary concerns of worry
Breathing problems
Too much worrying
Chest tightness that's occasionally accompanied by chest pains
Tension
Agitation
If you have any of these symptoms, then you might want to consider treatment before it affects your ability to go about your daily activities.
Medical and Natural Treatment for Anxiety
Once you have realized that you may have anxiety issues, it is advisable that you seek professional help. This will ensure that you receive proper diagnosis and ensure that you find the best treatment option as per your needs. The treatment alternatives available include:
Psychotherapy - This is also referred to as psychological counseling where a therapist works with patients experiencing cognitive behavioral therapy
Medication - You can take anti-depressants, benzodiazepines (sedative), Beta Blockers, Tricyclic Antidepressants, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), Tranquilizers, Anticonvulsants, or buspirone. These medications are each specially formulated to relieve anxiety. If you intend to use anxiety medications, get a prescription from a medical doctor to ensure you use them safely and that they work as expected.
Natural remedies - Using a natural remedy to treat anxiety might be the healthiest move any patient can make since they are safe and can be efficiently used with the more conventional treatment methods (medical therapy). Some of the natural treatment alternatives for helping manage anxiety are exercising (relaxation routines work better), writing about it, time management, aromatherapy, using herbal supplements, taking herbal tea, and CBD.
While all the above treatment options are worth considering, this article is focusing more on the use of CBD to manage anxiety and change your life positively. This natural remedy has attracted many people who are looking to improve the quality of their life. Its popularity is attributable to its highly promising results obtained from numerous scientific tests for safety and efficacy.
What is CBD and CBD Oil?
CBD is the abbreviation used to refer to cannabidiol, one of the 113 phytocannabinoid compounds that you could extract from the cannabis plant (marijuana). While most of the findings that highlight the health benefits of CBD are based on tests conducted on mice, most researchers have concluded that this natural remedy treats cognition problems, anxiety disorder, pain, as well as movement disorders.
Hemp oil product manufacturers use innovative extraction techniques to ensure you obtain 100 percent pure CBD oil with no traces of THC that is known to cause the "high" feeling. Anxiety is a psychological disorder and CBD greatly affects the CB1 receptors that are known to signal the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter produced by nerve cells to regulate your mood, keep your feelings stable, and improve the quality of your life. This explains why CBD is slowly becoming the most preferred treatment method among people with psychological disorders such as anxiety.
CBD oil is manufactured in different forms to ensure you can get the formulation that best meets your needs and expectations. You can have gel capsules, hemp or vape oil, pure organic CBD oil, gummies, or other products to improve your mental health by inhaling, ingesting, or rubbing on your skin to relieve pain.
How does CBD oil work in treating anxiety?
Once you introduce the CBD in your body, it will be transported to the endocannabinoid system that naturally promotes balance in your body. This system consists of a network of receptors found throughout your body. The system is responsible for regulating sleep, controlling your body's immune responses, improving your body's ability to control mood, appetite, motor functions, memory, and pain among other benefits.
When you experience any type of anxiety, it means that the endocannabinoid system is not functioning as it should, otherwise you would be going about your daily activities comfortably. Anxiety and other mental disorders are an indicator that shows there is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Since the condition is out of your control, finding the proper treatment might be the only glimpse of hope left. CBD is the best natural treatment remedy that you can rely on to keep your mood and mental stability effectively in check.
The concept behind the serotonin receptor, 5-HT1A is used to develop super effective treatments for anxiety, stress, and depression. This is why manufacturers of medication for anxiety develop serotonin reuptake inhibitors to ensure the brain does not absorb the released serotonin. Instead, it will be left on the synaptic space for increased serotonin signal transmission.
Once the CBD oil has enhanced the transmission of signals towards the serotonin receptors, your body is set to benefit from increased production of 5-HT1A. This will improve your mood faster as compared to the use of the traditional natural remedies. While the biological process your body goes through to reduce anxiety after the use of CBD oil is complex, the results obtained from experimental tests on mice indicate that it has an unmatched efficacy. Furthermore, CBD oil has no side effects. Instead, it helps you stay relaxed, which means that it is somewhat incomparable to the use of medication.
Hippocampal neurogenesis is also used to explain the effects of using CBD oil on patients with depression, a psychological disorder occasionally accompanying anxiety. The hippocampus is an essential part of the brain that affects its functionality in terms of cognition skills and the formation of memory. When a patient diagnosed with anxiety undergoes a brain scan, the results show the presence of a tinier hippocampus. A study was conducted to determine what effect the use of CBD oil would have on the patient's neurogenesis. A brain scan showed that after a few uses of CBD oil, the hippocampus regenerated its neurons to become larger and capable of treating anxiety. Further studies, however, are needed to link the effects of CBD on the treatment of depression.
Although most of the researchers argue that mice are not humans, these animal studies have helped scientists to draw evidence that proves CBD will ultimately reduce signs of anxiety disorders such as acute stress. What's more, most of the researchers today have turned towards the use of human subjects to conduct experiments/tests on the possible effects of CBD in treating various anxiety disorders.
According to a human study conducted on patients diagnosed with generalized social anxiety, using CBD oil produces significant positive results. The patients reported having reduced anxiety levels and the researchers backed these facts up with brain scans. The anti-anxiety effect of CBD is seen to be in harmony with the patterns of cerebral blood flow in the brain.
A different study was conducted to determine how CBD affects patients with social phobia. To do this, they were put through a simulated public speaking test to find this out. At the end of the experiment, researchers were confident that CBD oil works to lower anxiety levels, improve cognitive functions, and boost confidence in a person, thus enabling him or her to speak in public comfortably. These results were arrived at after an analysis of the heart rate results and recorded blood pressure during the test.
CBD oil is also commonly used to alleviate joint, hip, back, and other kinds of pain that you may be experiencing. As mentioned earlier, anxiety may cause pain sometimes, especially if a person is having problems breathing due to chest tightness or the heart is racing. If you opt for prescription medication, then you'll have to buy painkillers and other drugs for anxiety. CBD oil, however, simplifies this for you by providing an all-in-one treatment alternative. This natural remedy not only comes with anti-anxiety effects but also has anti-inflammatory properties. What's more, CBD has been found to be anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and an antipsychotic agent, thus making it one of the most preferred treatment options for neurodegenerative disorders.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has in fact recognized that CBD is naturally capable of reducing stress as a way of coping with behavioral anxiety symptoms. Nonetheless, the institution argues that the major drawback to the milestones made in establishing CBD oil as a treatment for anxiety is research barrier, which affects the prospective health benefits it's associated with. Due to the public obsession with CBD-based products, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has had to conduct numerous tests to prove that the product doesn't contain any THC and that it has significant therapeutic effects on anxiety patients.
CBD Oil Addiction and Safe Use
CBD oil is extracted from cannabis, but it is not addictive since using it is not like using marijuana (often referred to as weed). Based on a public health report published by the World Health Organization, CBD has not been linked to any health problems related to the use of drugs. This makes it a pure and safe natural treatment remedy.
This is explained by the fact that CBD only affects the neurotransmitter receptors while THC is said to have the psychoactive effects on your brain that create the feeling of being high (as if you're intoxicated). As proof of this, you can find gazillions of CBD products in the market being sold all across the globe for health purposes.
CBD has been used to formulate a wide range of products used to address varying medical conditions and psychological disorders. As such, it is safe to conclude that CBD has no significant negative effects on your health. Furthermore, it is being sold to the public as a supplement when blended with other essential oils and organic ingredients.
Studies have shown promising results in the use of CBD as a chemo-preventive supplement that helps in managing colon cancer. Experiments conducted on mice also showed that CBD averts colitis. This is to say that you can rely on this natural remedy as your preferred treatment product for anxiety.
Does using CBD Oil come with any side effects?
Like most other products that people use every day, CBD oil may also come with other effects on top of its positive health effects. For instance, you might experience some mild side effects after using it since it affects the normal brain activity. It may cause:
Mouth dryness
Complete change in appetite
Reduced blood pressure
Dizziness, especially if you stand for prolonged hours
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Mood changes
Poor balance
Slurred speech
Problems focusing and memory difficulties
Lack of/poor coordination
Blurred vision
Confusion
Slight headaches
Nevertheless, these side effects are easy to deal with considering the numerous health benefits that you will be reaping from the use of CBD. The product will improve your body's ability to manage stress, insomnia, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
How to use CBD for anxiety and the dosage
As a precaution, you should know that the Food and Drug Administration discourages CBD product manufacturers from lying to customers by claiming that their brands offer 100 percent guaranteed healing for the above-mentioned health problems. That notwithstanding, the institution identifies CBD oil as a safe remedy for anxiety among other psychological disorders.
Being a natural product, determining the right dosage for each patient can be nerve-wracking since you have to take into account the weight, age, anxiety extremes, and other extraneous factors of each patient. Fortunately, CBD is safe to use for most people. As we've explained above, it is non-psychoactive. As such, you shouldn't be alarmed if you take a significant amount of the CBD since it's hard to reach the risky high dose point.
You, however, might have to deal with a slight dizziness, feeling nauseous, or experiencing the outlined side effects of CBD. If this happens, it is advisable that you reduce the dose to ensure your safety and comfort. You can then use this as a basis for determining the dose best suited for you as per the directions provided by your physician. For the CBD oil, 2 to 3 drops a day will work to improve the quality of your life by giving you a smoother skin, better moods, and eliminating anxiety symptoms.
While the CBD products are openly available to the public without a prescription, severe cases of anxiety warrant the consultation of a professional who will direct you on the best way to use this natural remedy. What's more, seeking the services of a qualified doctor is the right step into successfully managing your anxiety levels since he or she can determine whether using CBD oil alone will work or you need an intervention treatment method like psychotherapy. This is frequently integrated into an individualized treatment plan since different patients have varying demands that need to be approached differently.
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To learn more regarding the safe use of CBD products for anxiety and the other potential benefits that they could have in your life, check this video out (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwN-LByRLcw).
Conclusion
CBD is a natural marijuana extract that has attracted the attention of billions of people. The popularity is mainly attributable to its prospective benefits as outlined by different reliable research institutions and scientists. Although some individuals may be skeptical about using this remedy due to its links to THC (known for its psychoactive effects), studies have proven that it neither gets you high nor causes addiction as the weed it is extracted from.
With so many people experiencing various anxiety cases, it becomes necessary to review the best natural treatment for the condition, and the use of CBD oil is incomparable to traditional alternatives. It works by helping regenerate the hippocampus for better cognitive abilities and memory retention. Furthermore, scientists argue that CBD oil will also go to the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for maintaining natural body balance. Through this, it will address insomnia by regulating sleep, coordinating your immune responses, controlling your mood, improving appetite, bettering motor skills, alleviating pain, and improving your memory.
The best part is that you do not even need to have anxiety for you to take advantage of this highly effective and efficient natural remedy; you can also use it as a supplement to promote wellness for holistic living.
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