Anxiety is the feeling of fear, danger, panic or dread that is a natural response from your body to external triggers. It is how your body deals with the stresses of your professional and personal life.
Everyone feels anxious from time to time but if your anxiety is persistent and interfering with your daily routine, it can have severe long term effects on your body.
Endless and severe anxiety can also be a bridge towards various anxiety disorders.
Various Anxiety Disorders that can impede with your life are :
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- PTSD or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
General Anxiety of Anxiety disorders can negatively impact your body in the following manner:
- Can lead to panic attacks which can trigger extreme physical reactions like chest pains, heart palpitations and lightheadedness.
- Can make you feel like you are in grave danger or are dying or even having a heart attack.
- Can cause severe headaches or migraines
- Can increase your risk of suffering from depression. You may withdraw yourself from everyone, lose interest in your favourite hobbies and feel a sense of hopelessness.
- Can lead to breathing problems and racing or fluttering heart that feels like a heart attack.
- Can upset your stomach and make you lose interest in your sexual life.
- Can make you feel extremely tired and drained out and can cause muscle pains.
- Can even increase your blood pressure.
Treating Anxiety With CBD
What is CBD?
CBD or Cannabidiol is a natural non-active compound of the Cannabis plant.
It is extracted from the hemp variety of the Cannabis plant which contains CBD in abundance.
CBD is a non-psychoactive compound which does not have the hallucinatory effects of its cousin THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol .
THC present in large amounts in Marijuana is a psychedelic compound , which is responsible for causing the sensation of “high” after smoking Marijuana.
Cannabis and Marijuana are often interchangeably used but in fact are a little different .
Marijuana, like hemp, is one of the numerous varieties of the family of the plant Cannabis.
Does CBD Get You High?
CBD is becoming extremely popular in the market today due to its therapeutic effects on your body .
CBD and THC share almost the same number of benefits but CBD has an added advantage of not being a hallucinogenic compound.
Can CBD Reduce Your Anxiety?
Recent Studies have shown promising results regarding the efficacy of CBD in reducing anxiety and anxiety related disorders.
Exactly what causes Anxiety is a debatable issue. But the most common causes of Anxiety are depression, low serotonin levels in the body, stress , genetic and environmental factors and trauma.
Cannabidiol has positive effects on your body which can help relieve the majority of these causes.
CBD is known to have remedial effects on depression and stress and can even help increase the production of serotonin in the body.
It is well known for its antidepressant and anxiolytic effects and considered a better and safe option to treat anxiety than conventional medications.
How CBD Can Help Relieve Anxiety?
Cannabidiol helps your body maintain balance or a homeostasis . It does this by interacting with the Endocannabinoid System(ECS) of your body.
Endocannabinoid System is a biological system that can absorb, use and produce the compound present in cannabis. It is a network of neurons, enzymes, receptors, transmitters, endocannabinoids and neural pathways.
The ECS system works tirelessly to maintain a stable internal environment in your body.
The ECS system maintains proper functioning of your immune system . It promotes metabolism,sleep, processes pain, mood and appetite and improves reproductive function.
CBD interacts with the two important elements of the ECS system which are CB1 and CB2 receptors.
CB1 helps maintain the state of homeostasis, regulates pain relief, relieves anxiety and balances mood.
While CB2 receptor helps with pain and inflammation and supports the immune response to external pathogens.
CBD block THC from binding with the CB1 receptor and thus reducing the psychedelic effects of THC.
CBD also changes the serotonin signals in the body by communicating with CB1 and CB2. This helps in increase in production of serotonin in the body by working with the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor.
Royal CBD is a good option to reduce anxiety.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, low levels of which are associated with depression and anxiety.
CBD can even improve the functioning of the non-cannabinoid receptors to calm the nervous system.
It can even increase the production of the endocannabinoid AEA or Anandamide which is responsible for joy, happiness and pleasure.
The potent anti-anxiety effects of CBD are also useful in treating various other mental disorders where anxiety may be a fator like Parkinson's , multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia.
How To Take CBD For Anxiety?
CBD can be inhaled by:
- Smoking- You can smoke a CBD rich cannabis flower in a joint.
- Vaping- You can inhale CBD by using a vaporiser with CBD oil.
Both Smoking and Vaping allows the CBD to directly enter your bloodstream and the effects of it can be seen almost immediately. Withing 10 mins you can absorb up to 56% of CBD.
CBD can be ingested in the form of:
- CBD Oils
When ingested orally it passes through the digestive system and absorbed by the liver.
CBD oils are not only safe to ingest but also safe to apply on skin or absorb through the lower mouth by putting it under your tongue. These are also taken in the form of tinctures and capsules.
CBD Oils can be infused with numerous beverages as well, like your morning coffee.
CBD can be taken in the form of:
- Gummies
CBD Gummies are sweet gummy bears containing CBD Oil, which are very effective with Anxiety and anxiety related disorders.
They have quite a few advantages over CBD Oil, like: they are convenient to carry and consume, they are tastier, and it’s easy to keep track of how much CBD you're taking. A brand that is known for making one of the best CBD Gummies is CBDistillery.
Takeaway
CBD commonly extracted from help and processed in the form of oil,tinctures, gummies and capsules is a curative cannabis compound.
Without the psychoactive properties of THC it can be safely used for its positive effects on your body.
CBD can cure many general to chronic illnesses like epilepsy and its seizures, depression, anxiety, cancer, severe pain and skin allergies.
CBD derived from hemp is considered legal for use in the USA under federal law as long as the amount of THC present in the product is less than 0.3% by dry weight.
CBD although completely natural may interact badly with other drugs.
You can check for the grapefruit warning on the medications you are taking, as grapefruit has almost the same effect on your metabolism and receptors as CBD.
Make sure to consult your doctor before taking a CBD product if you are already on any other drug or medication.
