What is anxiety?
If you feel a bit worried or stressed from time to time, that’s fairly normal. It’s when those worries and anxious thoughts become all encompassing that you may find yourself looking down the barrel of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a feeling, and it’s a visceral physical response to feeling worried or fearful about something that might happen. Anxiety becomes a problem when you can’t escape those worrying thoughts, and your fears about the future become excessive, difficult to control, and potentially debilitating. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM V) is what medical practitioners use to diagnose a person with an anxiety disorder.
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away.
3. Panic disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress.
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.
5. Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder
Social phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation - such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating or drinking in front of others - or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people.
There is well-documented evidence, from scientific studies and from stories of people’s own experiences – going back for at least 50 years that cannabidiol (CBD) has a positive effect in managing and helping to treat mental health conditions such as:
Panic disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Social Anxiety
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Mild to moderate depression
How Does CBD Oil Help Relieve Anxiety?
Brazilian researchers conducted a small double-blind study of patients afflicted with generalized social anxiety. After consuming CBD, participants reported a significant decrease in anxiety. Researchers validated patients’ subjective reports by performing brain scans showing cerebral blood flow patterns consistent with an anti-anxiety effect. In another small study, researchers had patients suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder perform a simulated public speaking test. Participants reported significantly less anxiety, findings supported by objective anxiety indicators like heart rate and blood pressure. Researchers concluded, “[CBD] significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in their speech performance,” whereas the placebo group experienced “higher anxiety, cognitive impairment, [and] discomfort.”
What strength of CBD oil do I need to treat anxiety?
CBD oil comes in different strengths. We usually recommend that you start with the lowest strength of CBD oil, and slowly increase your dose. This has a couple of benefits. Firstly, if you start with the highest strength CBD oil, and it works well at a low dose, you won’t know whether a lower strength CBD oil may also have worked just as well. It’s a bit like driving a car. You don’t jump in and immediately drive around everywhere at 100km hour. You accelerate slowly, and drive to the conditions. Secondly, just as some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others, some people may be more sensitive to CBD oil. This means they can take a lower strength to get the same effect as someone who is less sensitive to it. So don’t crack the nut with a sledgehammer straight away, when a small hammer may have been just as effective. Some people with severe anxiety might do best with a 20% high strength CBD oil or paste. Others who have milder symptoms may do best on a CBD admixture that is only 2%. Starting low and slow will also potentially save you money in the long run. Calming Relaxing Improved mood Improved sleep Less distracting thoughts Improved sense of well being Less need (or complete cessation) of using anti-anxiety medication and thus less side effects Cannabidiol is a popular natural remedy used for many common ailments. This quality makes CBD an appealing option for those who are looking for relief from pain and other symptoms without the mind-altering effects of marijuana or certain pharmaceutical drugs. It’s gaining momentum in the health and wellness world, with some scientific studies confirming it may help treat a variety of ailments like chronic pain and anxiety.
Conclusion
The multitude of uses for CBD oil is growing but the medical community and political legislation will take a while to catch up. If you are thinking about using CBD oil to help manage your anxiety, you should consider the limited risks and the potential gains in quality of life you may acheive. The personal stories are numerous, and the research is mounting in support. If safe and natural plant-based solutions are a big part of your health priorities, then you should absolutely consider adding CBD oil to your wellness arsenal.
