CBD for Anxiety: What You Need To Know
CBD for anxiety has become one of the most popular benefits of this natural compound. Millions of people worldwide suffer from some level of anxiety in their daily lives. As a matter of fact, anxiety and stress have been identified as one of the core causes of many modern health conditions and disorders. Chemical medications and anti-depressants often have severe side effects that end up doing more harming than healing. CBD has shown to possibly provide a natural, non-toxic, non-psychoactive alternative treatment aid that covers a broad spectrum of symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety symptoms have an emotional, mental and physical expression that differs in each individual. Although there is certainly a positive component to stress in human behavior, such as motivation, flight or fight, and other helpful responses that are protective, stress that develops into debilitating anxiety is another issue. There are basic symptoms that tend to be common to a vast majority of people that suffer with general anxiety disorder (GAD) as well as post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which are disorders that limit the quality of life. Let’s take a look at the benefits of CBD for the most common symptoms of anxiety.
What are the most common symptoms of anxiety?
The most common medically unexplained symptoms of anxiety, from general anxiety disorder, all the way to more severe anxiety disorders such as PTSD (post- traumatic stress disorder) are:
- Fatigue
- Irritability and difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness and feeling lightheaded
- Sweating, trembling or shaking
- Muscle tension
- Tightening of the throat and dry mouth
- Pounding heart or racing pulse
- Chest pressure or chest pain
- Abdominal pain
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Extreme fear of losing control and embarrassing behaviour
- Feelings of going crazy or dying
These are the medically unexplained symptoms that often warrant medical treatment with anti-depressant prescription drugs.
What happens when you take CBD oil for your symptoms of anxiety?
When you take CBD oil sublingually (under your tongue) it is absorbed quickly into the body and becomes bioavailable to stimulate the receptors on the cells in your Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The main action of CBD is the binding and stimulation to several receptors in the brain and body. The greatest of this activity is on the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor. This 5-HT1A receptor is abundant and present in neurons in the brain, in muscle and in gland cells throughout the body. Studies have shown CBD directly activates serotonin receptors in the brain. It is this influence, in part, that accounts for the anti-anxiety properties of CBD. It is the serotonin system or pathway, which has a positive impact on mood, behavior and motivation.
Serotonin plays a large role in controlling mood by inhibiting, or not inhibiting, the part of the brain that is responsible for fear and fight or flight. When serotonin is present, that part of the brain reduces activity and feelings of tranquility and calm are produced. In simple terms, CBD has the same effect on these receptors as serotonin, yet doesn’t degrade as quickly, thereby maintaining feelings of calm and balance over a longer period of time.
When you look at the list of symptoms of anxiety, you can see that the benefit of CBDs effect on the serotonin pathway, alone, can provide a vast range of symptom relief. The daily use of CBD oil has powerful implications in the relief of physical, mental and emotional symptoms of anxiety.
Have you tried CBD oil for anxiety? If so, please share your experience in the comment section below! We Love to hear from you!