Anxiety is something that we all experience at least once in our lives, and it does much more long-term damage to our mental health than we can imagine. As per the World Health Organization report, it affects almost 4% of people globally.
It’s a feeling of dread, fear, and helplessness that takes over us in stressful situations. If not managed on time, it can drive people towards self-harm and suicide. Life is too fast-paced now, no one has time to step back and calm down for a while, and that’s why anxiety cases are increasing every day.
There are plenty of ways to manage it including breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, listening to music, and grounding.
However, in recent years many people have started adopting cannabinoid-based products like CBD gummies in their wellness routine for dealing with anxiety and stress. Does it work though? Or it’s just a marketing gimmick and just a fancy trend? Let’s find out.
Can CBD Help with Anxiety?
Yes, CBD can help you to manage your anxiety effectively. There are plenty of scientific studies to back this claim. Plus, you’ll find enough chatter on the web from people who use it every day and benefit from its anxiety and stress-reducing effects. It’s a completely non-intoxicating compound, so there’s no risk of getting high or addicted to it from regular use.
Researchers have found that CBD can relieve anxiety much better than THC products and prescription medications. Naturally, there’s a pushback from the Pharma lobby, but the adoption of CBD is still increasing with more and more people making it a part of their lifestyle. To understand it in detail, let’s take a look at studies vouching for CBD’s anxiolytic effects.
Studies Which Shows That CBD provides relief from anxiety
Researchers across the world have done extensive work to understand CBD’s impact on anxiety in the human body. Let’s take a look at some of them to understand in detail.
Study 1
Title: CBD as the potential for the treatment of anxiety disorders
Year of Publication: 2015
Process: The team conducted an extensive literature review and examined over 100 scientific publications to understand CBD’s working mechanism for anxiety relief.
Finding: The researchers found that CBD interacts with the brain’s serotonin receptors, in the same ways as allpathic anxiety medications.
They observed that CBD can help in managing several anxiety disorders, like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The study highlights that CBD reduces anxiety levels in the body by helping out brain to process emotional memories more effectively.
Study 2
Title: Anxiolytic Effects of CBD during public speaking in real life
Year of Publication: 2017
Process: A group of around sixty individuals aged between 18 to 35 years old was selected for this study. It had people from both genders, some had social anxiety diagnoses and some had no anxiety at all
They were further divided into different mini-groups. One was given CBD, one was given Clonazepam and one was given a placebo. They were then asked to perform public speaking tasks.
Researchers measured their anxiety levels through multiple methods including self-reported anxiety scales, physiological markers like heart rate and blood pressure, and subjective speaking performance assessments.
Findings: Researchers observed that the group of people who had social anxiety and were given CBD showed a major decline in anxiety levels as compared to the placebo group.
Their physiological stress markers were lower, and they reported feeling more relaxed during the speaking task. Because of its real-world application, it’s one of the most widely recognized studies for understanding CBD’s impact on people with social anxiety.
Study 3
Title: CBD in Anxiety and Sleep
Year of publicaiton : 2019
Process: A group of 72 people all having sleep troubles and anxiety was selected for this. They were provided with CBD capsules of different doses ranging between 25 to 175mg CBD per day. Participants were asked to take these capsules for a few months.
Findings: Within the first month, 79.2% of patients reported decreased anxiety levels. You know what’s more interesting? The sleep scores improved for 66.7% of participants. This shows that CBD can not only help you in managing anxiety but also allow your body to relax and sleep better.
It was noted that CBD can bring down nervous system hyperactivity, which curbs racing thoughts and creates a more balanced state of body and mind. This, in turn, leads to a better mood and deep restful sleep.
Other Notable Studies
A 2018 published study found that CBD can help people suffering from PTSD by suppressing fearful memories effectively. It may also help in rewriting the neural pathways that are related to fear responses.
It also seems to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories older study in 2011 showed the visual, scientific evidence of how CBD might alter brain functioning during anxious states, moving beyond subjective self-reporting.
Is it safe to take CBD for anxiety every day?
Yes, it’s perfectly safe to consume CBD every day to manage anxiety symptoms. There’s no risk of losing your senses by getting high on it, nor will you get addicted. Even at very high doses in clinical settings, CBD doesn’t cause any major side effects.
Initially, your body might feel a bit dehydrated, nauseated, and lazy, but these effects don’t persist for long durations. However, if you still feel cranky, agitated, sleepy, and off, it’s best to reduce the dosage or stop it altogether for a few days. Do consult with your doctor after this before starting again.
The Key Takeaways
To sum it up, Yes, CBD is good for anxiety. Whether you have social anxiety, generalized anxiety, or anxiety from traumatic past events, CBD can help you to calm down and relax.
There’s plenty of research and anecdotal reports to back this claim. Do note that it’s not a magic pill, so just give it time to work and make it a regular part of your diet for the best results.
Lastly, whichever CBD product you buy, make sure to get it only from reputed and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals.
Dilawar Mughal is an accomplished author with a passion for storytelling. His works span various genres, from thrilling mysteries to heartfelt romance novels. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for character development, Sana Fatima weaves engaging narratives that captivate readers and transport them to new worlds.