How CBD can help with anxiety.

Have you ever wondered, how CBD can help with anxiety? CBD has been praised for its many health benefits, including helping with insomnia and easing chronic pain. And it’s believed that CBD can also play a powerful role in aiding sufferers of anxiety.

What is anxiety?

It’s reported that over 8 million people in the UK suffer with anxiety and people reporting high levels of anxiety have peaked during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Put simply, anxiety is a feeling unease, worry or fear. In severe cases, people can find it difficult to control their anxious thoughts and they can start to impact how they live their life. Anxiety can trigger feelings of restlessness, problems with sleeping and in extreme cases can lead to panic attacks. If you feel like your anxiety is becoming debilitating, you should always contact a doctor. But sufferers of the condition have also found other ways to ease their symptoms – alongside medical help.

How CBD can help with anxiety?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of about 100 plus chemical compounds that make up the cannabis plant. It comes from a variety of cannabis called hemp. The hemp plant has a high proportion of CBD but a low proportion of THC, which is the chemical compound in cannabis that will get you high.

Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that boosts our mood and reduces stress. It’s released naturally in the body during things such as exercise. Experts believe that a potential benefit of CBD for things like anxiety could be the positive impact it appears to have on the serotonin receptors in our brains. It’s thought that CBD may affect how your brain’s chemical receptors respond to the serotonin that’s already in your system. A 2014 study with animals found that the impact of CBD on the serotonin receptors produced antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects.

Another reason CBD is praised by so many for helping with anxiety is due to how it can positively impact other aspects of our lives. Things such as poor sleep or chronic pain can fuel high levels of anxiety but studies have shown CBD can help with both.

A report studied in 2019 looked at how CBD could improve sleep and or reduce anxiety. 72 subjects were given 25 mg of CBD a day. After the first month, 79.2 percent of the patients reported lower anxiety levels and 66.7 percent reported better sleep.

And a recent study from the European Journal of Pain – using animal subjects – showed that CBD applied on the skin could lower pain and the inflammation associated with arthritis.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and then diluting it with a carrier oil – like coconut or hemp seed oil. You can consume CBD by edibles, such as gummies or truffles. You can take the oil orally by swallowing it but for quicker results, place the oil under your tongue 2-3 times a day and leave for a minute before swallowing. CBD oil has also been known to help with pain and inflammation when applied topically.

Written by Kat Romero