You may have heard of people using CBD to treat physical problems relating to their muscles, bones and skin, but did you know that CBD is used to alleviate the symptoms of mental health problems too?
Can CBD help with anxiety?
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research asked why people use CBD. The results revealed that 62 per cent of people who use CBD do so to treat medical conditions. The top three conditions specified by those involved in the survey were pain, anxiety and depression. This suggests that many people see CBD as beneficial in treating anxiety.
A report published in 2014 named CNS & Neurological Disorders – Drug Targets found that the mood of rats was improved by the use of CBD. In addition, the Journal of Psychopharmacology published the findings of a similar study but with humans, where results suggested that CBD could reduce stress and anxiety levels for people suffering from a social anxiety disorder. Results from these tests indicated that people suffering from an extensive range of anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, may benefit from CBD products.
A 2016 report published in The Permanente Journal suggested that CBD could help to relieve sleep disorders caused by anxiety. This study was based on a child who had a history of trauma, leading to problems sleeping. Various medications didn’t have an effect on the child, but after administering CBD oil, the child’s anxiety decreased and the quality and quantity of their sleep improved.
How does CBD help with anxiety?
The general conclusion from research published in the Journal of Cannabis and Cannabinoids was that CBD could benefit people who suffer from anxiety as it provokes a similar response to taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication.
Studies such as these suggest that taking CBD may help to improve your mood. Low serotonin levels are often closely connected to depression, and while CBD hasn’t been proven as being capable of boosting serotonin levels, it could potentially enhance the response of your brain’s chemical receptors to the serotonin that’s in your body.
How to use CBD for anxiety
There’s more than one way to take CBD. It can be swallowed as a capsule, supplement or oil, rubbed into your skin as a cream or balm, or vaped as an e-liquid.
For fast results in getting it to take effect on your mood, CBD oil can be ingested orally. By taking it this way, it will absorb through the soft tissue in your mouth, getting it into your bloodstream quickly. Alternatively, you could choose to take CBD capsules or supplements.
