According to many surveys, one in four Americans suffers from anxiety disorders. It is one of the most common mental disorders all around the world. Anxiety disorders also have adverse effects on your physical health. If not treated properly, anxiety disorders will take a heavy toll on both your physical and mental health.
The current treatment for anxiety disorders is not sufficient to cure them permanently. Most of the anxiety medications are ineffective and sometimes causes severe side effects. Recently, studies have found that CBD can be an effective treatment of different types of anxiety disorders.
In this article, we will look at how CBD helps in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
What Is Anxiety?
To put it simply, anxiety is the natural response of your body to physical and mental stress. All of us feel some sort of anxiety in our life in several situations like our first day at school, giving a speech in front of a large crowd, or going for a job interview. This type of anxiety is not severe as it wears away when the stressful situation is over.
But sometimes you do feel anxious even in normal situations and it may last for months. This type of anxiety is severe and needs immediate treatment. If it starts to interfere with your daily life, then you have an anxiety disorder. They are the common form of emotional disorders that affects anyone at any age. But still, many studies claim that women are more likely than men to be affected by anxiety disorders.
Types Of Anxiety Disorders
Panic disorder is the most common type of anxiety disorder. A person suffering from panic disorder experiences panic attacks at unexpected times. Social anxiety disorder occurs during social situations. Separation anxiety disorder is the fear of being away from your home or loved ones. This anxiety disorder is very common in dogs. Another common anxiety disorder is PTSD, which is caused when you experience a traumatic event like accidents or the death of loved ones.
Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders
The most common symptoms of anxiety disorders are:
- Rapid breathing
- Elevated heart rate
- Inability to concentrate
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
What Is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of the 113 known cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis plant. Even though it is also found in marijuana, CBD is mostly extracted from the hemp plant because of its low THC content. CBD is becoming very popular all around the world because of its therapeutic effects. CBD can be an effective treatment for many of the health problems that affect the human body, including anxiety disorders.
CBD Oil For Anxiety Disorders
There are several studies that point out the benefits of using CBD oil for the treatment of different types of anxiety disorders. Several studies are going on to find the effects of CBD on generalized anxiety disorders. According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, CBD is very effective in reducing stress in animals such as rats. The results of the studies were encouraging. All the test subjects showed lower behavioral signs of anxiety.
Recent studies have shown that CBD is also effective in treating other forms of anxiety, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, and they also help in treating insomnia caused by anxiety disorders.
A study in 2011 looked at the effects of CBD on people suffering from a social anxiety disorder. All the participants were given an oral dose of 400 m of CBD and observed that all the participants experienced reduced anxiety levels. A 2010 study found that CBD could reduce social anxiety disorder symptoms. The results of the study showed that CBD changed the blood flow pattern in the regions of the brain that are linked to anxiety feelings.
CBD can be effective for PTSD also. There are several clinical studies that prove it. CBD is able to reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as having nightmares and replaying traumatic memories. Most of the studies looked at CBD as a standalone treatment for PTSD and also as a supplement to traditional PTSD treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and medications.
It is important to note that most of these studies are conducted on animal subjects and some studies used THC along with CBD to find out the effects. Therefore, more human studies are needed to conclusively suggest CBD as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders.
CBD Oil Dosage For Anxiety
There is no recommended dosage of CBD for reducing anxiety. In a study conducted in 2018, the subjects received an oral dose of 300 mg and that dose was enough to reduce anxiety in the test subjects. It is best to start taking CBD oil in small doses and gradually increase the dosage until you experience the desired effects. Consult a medical professional to determine the best dosage of CBD oil for you.