CBD for Stress, Anxiety, & depression – Does It Help?

We found that existing evidence strongly supporting CBD as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder when administered. This was researched in the Journal of Neurotherapeutics: Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Stress

CBD, or cannabidiol, has become increasingly popular throughout the last couple of years. Many CBD users claim that CBD has therapeutic effects and can help with a wide variety of ailments, like using CBD for stress relief. However, are the claims accurate, and can CBD products help a person suffering from stress-related health conditions like increased anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychiatric disorders, or any other serious medical condition?

Of all the reasons people use CBD, taking CBD for stress is one of the most popular. This is because cannabidiol, or CBD, offers sedative-like properties that can help calm your nerves.

CBD for Stressful Lives

Products like full-spectrum CBD oil, broad-spectrum CBD oil, CBD gummies, have been helping everything from post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, PTSD symptoms, blood pressure, and of course, stress.

Many Americans suffer from mental and physical health issues such as panic attacks, social anxiety disorder, depression, and stress. These conditions and their symptoms can become burdensome to a normal and healthy lifestyle.

Some research suggests that taking CBD products can be a much-needed benefit for boosting a person’s mental state of well-being. Anxiety, depression, and most often stress can make it almost impossible for a person to go about their daily lives. Many are turning to CBD as a way to relax and stay calm during stressful periods. Some people even find that it helps boost their mental state, giving them more clarity and less brain fog.

CBD can be a great way to find stress relief, calm an anxiety disorder, and let a person cope with even chronic stress symptoms. The hardest part of using CBD is finding the best variety to use.

How Can CBD Help With Stress and Anxiety Disorders?

Cannabis has been credited as a treatment for stress for a long time. But, it’s only recently that science has been exploring the exact ways the cannabis plant works to help those with a generalized anxiety disorder. Even though many claim that using products like CBD gummies for anxiety relief helped them with various illnesses, more research is needed to determine the validity of those claims.

In today’s health and wellness market, the cannabis plant (particularly the marijuana plant) is most known for its intoxicating effects from the THC content, but what about cannabis, CBD, and its anti-anxiety effects?

In some studies, CBD was actually shown to repress autonomic arousal – the nervous system’s response associated with a suddenly increased heart rate or respiration. It was found that CBD may be an ideal way to help people relax and stay calm and may even help reduce psychotic episodes affected by trauma.

All cannabinoids interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system helps regulate physical health, mood, appetite, sleep, the immune system, and many other human body functions. A bunch of different receptors located all throughout the body make up this amazing bodily system.

Research using a simulated public speaking test indicates that CBD may help reduce the amount and level of stress. Both animal models and human studies showed a drop in stress and anxiety. Although broad-spectrum options of CBD contain less than 0.3% THC, they do not contain the negative qualities associated with THC, such as the “high feeling.” However, CBD does interact with the ECS and may have beneficial ways of helping lower anxiety and reduce stress.

The best products for Stress

Anxiety

So, can CBD help anxiety? At this time, it’s not clear how CBD treats anxiety. Some research has shown that it may work by affecting serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical in your body that plays a role in your:

• Mood

• Sleep

• Digestion

• Behavior

Research suggests that increasing serotonin levels can help treat anxiety. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, work by regulating serotonin levels, and some studies suggest that CBD may work similarly to antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. Due to CBD’s rising popularity, a number of studies have examined it as a treatment for anxiety.

• A 2011 study showed that CBD reduced anxiety and discomfort during public speaking in people with social anxiety disorder.

• Another 2011 study found that CBD reduced anxiety symptoms in people with social anxiety disorder.

• A 2015 review of 49 studies found evidence that suggests CBD could help with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• A 2019 study found that out of 11 patients with PTSD, 91% experienced reduced symptoms after taking CBD.

• A study in 2019 used CBD to treat people who were struggling with anxiety and sleep. Almost 80% of people’s anxiety improved, and almost 70% reported improved sleep in the first month, but the results for sleep varied over time.

The best products for Anxiety

CBD for Depression

There are many signs and symptoms of both depression and anxiety, which can vary from person to person. Typical signs of depression include feeling sad or hopeless, having low energy, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, sleeping too much or too little, feeling anxious or restless, and experiencing changes in your appetite. If you identify with having any of these symptoms, it’s important to talk to someone about it. Depression is a common condition, and there are many treatments that can help. You don’t have to suffer in silence. There is help available, read on.

There’s some evidence that CBD may help with depression. But there haven’t been many studies on humans. More research is needed to say for sure. Researchers think that CBD may treat depression and anxiety in the same way, by altering serotonin levels.

CBD may be safe to take with antidepressants, but check with your healthcare provider first. Depression and anxiety disorders are common mental health conditions that can have lasting effects on a person’s health, social life, ability to work, and overall well-being. A doctor may prescribe pharmaceutical drugs to help a person treat or manage depression. Many of these drugs have difficult side effects, such as mood swings, sleeplessness, and sexual dysfunction.

CBD has shown promise in studies as a treatment for both depression and anxiety, and it may cause fewer side effects in some people. The findings of research may help explain why CBD could be useful in treating depression. They indicate that, in most studies, CBD appears to have a positive interaction with serotonin receptors in the brain:

Serotonin impacts a range of functions in the body, including a person’s emotional state and feelings of well-being or happiness. Keeping serotonin levels balanced is often a key therapy for people with depression.

Testing in animal models has provided some evidence for the use of CBD to help treat depression. According to the authors of the the review, results from a variety of studies indicate that CBD appears to act as an antidepressant and antianxiety compound in animal models of depression.

Authors of a recent review also noted that many studies have shown the anti-stress and antidepressant activity of CBD in animal models. The compound exhibits a clear anti-stress effect after short- or long-term use. In certain tests, CBD acted as an antidepressant. The authors also found that the compound worked without activating the brain’s endocannabinoid receptors directly, which may indicate that there is less risk of CBD becoming habit-forming, or addictive.

Researchers have even studied CBD’s potential to help reduce cravings in people with opioid use disorder. In a recent study researchers indicated that CBD has promise as a fast-acting antidepressant. Most researchers conducting animal studies of CBD call for more direct research in humans, but their initial results are an essential step toward establishing how CBD works in the body.

The best products for Depression

These statements have not been evaluated and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure disease. Please consult with a health professional when implementing with any current medical regimen.