CBD has many health effects for users, and these effects can treat anxiety directly. There’ve been multiple studies around the world regarding the compound and scientists believe they have an answer as to why CBD works to fight the disorder.
It’s believed that cannabinoids are an agitator of the serotonin receptor 5-HT1a. As an agitator, it gets these receptors to fire more effectively and works in the same way that many anxiety medications like Prozac do (only naturally).
How CBD Oil Works to Treat Anxiety
- Lowers neurons firing in the hippocampus regoin of the brain (widely known to cause anxiety)
- Slows heart rate by producing a calming effect
- Enduces relaxation
Medical research has tied anxiety to smaller hippocampus regions in the brains of anxiety patients. These smaller areas have less-effective neurons firing to keep the brain normal, and thus feelings of anxiety result. There’s evidence that the substance can restore these neurons in the brains of users, which helps patients overcome the feelings of anxiety that they’ve previously seen.
While many CBD studies in the past have been less than conclusive, this doesn’t appear to be the case here, as the drug regularly outperformed a placebo in the studies, which led the study’s author to conclude:
“[CBD] significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in their speech performance,” whereas the placebo group experienced “higher anxiety, cognitive impairment, [and] discomfort.”
While more research is needed to prove the drug’s worth to the scientific community, it certainly appears that the future is bright for CBD oil in treating anxiety.
What Users Have Said
There have been thousands of users throughout the years that have consumed CBD oil to treat anxiety, and for the most part, they hail the substance for its success. Users have said that after the medicine kicks in they don’t feel the “butterflies” in their stomachs, are able to socialize with people they don’t know, and generally just feel at ease. The fact that they are able to do this with a natural substance rather than an engineered pharmaceutical is fantastic and is no doubt healthier for them in the long run.
Moving forward it will be interesting to see how the medical community adopts CBD oils for the treatment of this and other medical conditions, and whether or not oils and other delivery methods can be refined to treat the condition long-term.
Those who suffer from anxiety will tell you that its truly terrifying as you feel terrible in a variety of situations, especially those that are social in nature. Those afflicted by this disorder worry or feel fear that is strong enough to affect their daily lives, and it can impact every aspect of your life.
Marijuana users have long said that the plant has had positive effects on anxiety, as it makes settles their bodies down and makes them feel better. This is due to the cannabinoids found in the drug, which has positive effects on your health.
What is CBD?
Cannabinoids are commonly referred to as CBD, which is a chemical compound that’s found in cannabis. CBD is the second-largest substance found in marijuana, with THC being the largest amount. Unlike THC, CBD has no psychoactive effects on users, meaning that you won’t feel high when it's in your system. CBD has been purported to have many health benefits for users, and when people talk about the health benefits of cannabis, it’s almost certain that they’re referring to CBD.
CBD is able to be deployed in a variety of ways such as through the plant itself or through extract like CBD oil, which is perhaps the best way to use the substance to treat anxiety.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is a concentrate of the compound that is mixed with ingestible oils as a carrying agent. The oil itself is consumable in a variety of ways, including:
Topically- You can rub the oil on various parts of your body to get relief. For treatment of anxiety, users are encouraged to rub a small dot of oil at the base of their skull. The oil takes a while to seep into the skin and relief will come within a half hour or so after applying the medicine.
Orally- You can also ingest the oil directly through your mouth. This is one of the fastest ways to curb anxiety, as dropping the oil underneath your tongue gets the CBD into your system rapidly. Relief starts in just a few minutes’ time.
Vaporizing- You can vaporize some forms of CBD oil, although not all oils are able to be consumed in handheld or desktop devices. Benefits of using this technique include a lack of odor and flavor compared to other forms of treatment, and the results are pretty fast to kick in as well.
Did you know CBD can also be used to treat cancer? Read more here!
