Cannabidiol use has been on the trend for years now. People have used it to treat joint pains, build muscle, eliminate acne—there’s so much it can do! But do you know what the majority buy CBD for? Most people use CBD for anxiety relief and pain management.

And why shouldn’t it be? On average, 19.1 percent of the U.S. citizens between the age of 19 and 28 have anxiety disorders. There’s an interesting study by NIMH you can look into.

This article particularly focuses on proven and science-backed benefits of CBD in treating anxiety, fear and depression, and improving overall mental health. So, if you don’t feel at your best mentally, this’d be a great read for you!

Why You Should Try CBD For Anxiety & Fear?

A 2015 NCBI study proves that CBD does help in treating conditions like:

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
4. Parkinson’s disease (PD)
5. Seasonal affective disorder (which is depression that comes and goes seasonally)

Also, did you know antidepressants have a chance of giving you anxiety attacks instead? Yes! A huge benefit for using CBD to treat anxiety is, unlike antidepressants, CBD consumption does not create the risk of an anxiogenic response. 

Besides that, when compared to any other pharmaceutical drug, CBD is one drug that has little to no side effects, which means you can consume it for longer periods without damaging your central nervous system. CBD is, therefore, by far the safest alternative for alleviating anxiety and other mental health issues.

How Does CBD Help With Anxiety?

Cannabidiol works with two receptors inside the brain; CB1Rs and 5-HT1ARs. The CB1 receptors are the cannabinoid receptors that are particularly designed to work with the endocannabinoids, as they belong to your endocannabinoid system (ECS). 

The 5-HT1A receptors bind with serotonin in your brain. We know that high levels of serotonin can create anxiety and depression by binding with 5-HT1ARs. CBD doesn’t necessarily reduces serotonin levels in the brain directly. Instead, CBD acts as an agonist, occupying the 5-HT1A receptors, which makes serotonin ineffective.

There are many other factors involved in CBD to brain activity. Besides pre and post clinical studies, there’s still a lack of research data that could further help us understand the mechanisms that are leading to CBD-related benefits. 

Side Effects of CBD

Consuming CBD as tinctures, oils, balms, topicals never create side effects. However, in some rare instances, if people with high sensitivity consume too much CBD, they can experience side effects like fatigue, diarrhea and a change in appetite.

We always recommend you to choose brands you can trust. At the end of the day, CBD products are non-pharmaceutical, so poor quality products may have inaccurate labeling and harmful chemical compounds.

Each one of our CBD products is naturally made and fully lab-tested. The Health Bitch is dedicated to giving you that carefree brand assurance you look for when choosing your favorite CBD retail store! Visit our store now to see what we have for you.

How to Take CBD for Anxiety and Depression?

According to a study, low-to-moderate doses of CBD (25ml daily on average) on 72 individuals had shown a whopping 80% reduction in anxiety and sleep disorders just within a month. So, we recommend starting from 25 ml and gauging your way up.

Tinctures are the fastest and most effective form of CBD if you want immediate relief from anxiety or depression. For example, if you had to perform on stage, give a speech, go to social gatherings, or join a meeting that could change the course of your life, CBD tinctures can be extremely helpful!

You just have to take a few drops of tincture, keep it under the tongue for a few minutes, and then swallow it. You’ll feel its effects within 15 to 30 minutes, so plan when you’d take it ahead of time. Moreover, even if you don’t need CBD for the day, we recommend that you still take a dose at any time of the day in one form or the other. Studies suggest that your body takes around one to three weeks to adjust to exogenous CBD.

Conclusion

CBD is an excellent anxiolytic. You can take it to treat not just anxiety but also depression, PTSD, PD, OCD and SAD. And unlike pharmaceutical anxiolytics, CBD is not habit-forming and has negligible side effects. While there are multi-faceted studies that prove CBD’s efficacy and safety, more research is needed to understand how it’s working and what are the mechanisms involved.

CBD can be extremely useful for people with social disorders and is certainly a must have for those who seek to improve their performance and productivity at work.

You can learn more about CBD through the following links!

1. CBD Tolerance: Stop Wasting Your CBD
2. Read This Before You Buy CBD Recovery Balm
3. Can You Really Trust The FDA?