CBD for Anxiety: How CBD Can Help Relieve Anxiety Symptoms

 Most people experience occasional bouts of anxiety. Symptoms are most often mild and short-lived. But for nearly 20 percent of our population, anxiety symptoms are much more than an occasional concern; anxiety can hijack thought processes and interfere with daily life. For those struggling with anxiety symptoms, doctors commonly prescribe anti-anxiety medication and certain types of antidepressants.  

Unfortunately, the medications often prescribed for anxiety are not universally effective; they don't work for everyone. Many people feel the marginal benefits aren't worth the long list of potential side effects. That leaves a significant number of people living with anxiety searching for a non-pharmaceutical approach to symptom management. The search for a safe, natural method of anxiety relief leads many people to the anti-anxiety potential of hemp CBD.

Understanding the Symptoms of Anxiety

The many potential symptoms of anxiety are the result of an instinctive response to danger, an instantaneous response from your sympathetic nervous system. When threatened, your heart rate increases, muscles tense, and breathing changes to prepare your body to fight or flee.

Your brain does not differentiate between current, past, or future danger. The physical response is the same whether the threat is recalled from memory, anticipated to occur in the future, or standing directly in front of you.

Once the alarm sounds, your body remains in a state of high alert until the alarm is diffused. The longer your body stays in high alert, the longer it will take for symptoms to resolve. The effects of unresolved anxiety can have a considerable impact on your overall physical and emotional health.

The Medications Commonly Prescribed for Anxiety

Researchers today believe anxiety disorders are the result of chemical imbalances within the brain triggered by genetics or environmental factors. Although doctors can prescribe anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) medications to alleviate symptoms, many doctors are hesitant to prescribe these medications for long-term use. That's because anti-anxiety medications can have a sedating effect along with a high risk of chemical abuse or addiction.

While anti-depressants are a viable alternative to anxiolytic medications, it can take several weeks for symptoms to improve. Potential side effects can include digestive disturbances, dizziness, weight gain, and suicidal thoughts.

The Anti-Anxiety Potential of CBD

Research shows that CBD, a non-psychoactive component in cannabis plants, has anxiolytic properties that work similarly to many prescription medications without the long list of potentially serious side effects. Most of the CBD available in retail stores and online is extracted from industrial hemp, a cannabis plant that does not synthesize enough THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to cause intoxication.

CBD works by interacting with the receptors of the largest regulatory system in your body, the endocannabinoid system. Your endocannabinoid system regulates everything from cardiovascular function to your moods and emotions. It's the interaction with this essential regulatory system that explains CBD's anxiolytic, analgesic, antiemetic, antispasmodic, and neuroprotective properties.

Research Supporting the Therapeutic Potential of CBD for Anxiety

Although most studies investigating the therapeutic potential of CBD are based on laboratory tests, animal studies, and preclinical trials, the evidence supporting the benefits of CBD for anxiety is quite promising. Consider the value of the following observations:

• In a 2011 study, 24 test subjects received either CBD or a placebo before a public speaking engagement. Test subjects receiving CBD reported fewer anxiety symptoms, less cognitive impairment, and significantly less physical discomfort than test subjects receiving the placebo,

• In a 2010 study, researchers determined hemp-derived CBD reduced the symptoms of social anxiety. Brain scans of study participants revealed that CBD caused changes in blood flow regulation to areas of the brain believed linked to feelings of anxiety.

• A 10-year-old diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder was given hemp CBD after experiencing side effects and only partial relief from symptoms with prescription medications. During the CBD trial, anxiety symptoms diminished, and sleep quality was shown to improve over time.

CBD is also shown to interact with several non-endocannabinoid system receptors, including your serotonin, dopamine, and GABA receptors. Activating these key receptors is believed to play a significant role in modulating anxiety symptoms and calming overexcited nerve impulses.

To alleviate anxiety symptoms with a full-spectrum or THC-free CBD tincture, CBD infused orange blossom honey, or hemp pre-rolls, visit Sunny Grove CBD. At Sunny Grove CBD, our mission is to help people with safe, natural hemp-derived health and wellness products. All Sunny Grove CBD products are third-party tested to ensure product quality, purity, and potency.

Additional Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319622.php#cbd-oil-and-anxiety