Anxiety is an epidemic of sorts that’s sweeping the world. More than ever, individuals are plagued with negative sources of information—hopeless news reports, falsified social media claims, and even cyberbullying from sources unknown. It’s no wonder that anxiety has become the sixth leading cause of disability in the world.
There are many treatments from anxiety, whether you’ve been diagnosed with generalized anxiety or if it’s simply situational. There are cognitive behavioral therapies and lifetime adjustments that are associated with treating anxiety, but the more common solution health care providers give is medication.
The list of medications is very long, most of them falling into the category of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). SSRIs are commonly used as a treatment and even a prevention of anxiety disorders. In many cases it’s an effective treatment, but it usually comes with a long list of side effects including nausea, vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, insomnia, dizziness, sexual problems, and so much more.
As a result of the many problems with traditional anxiety treatments, many anxiety patients are turning to CBD to calm their anxiety, improve their mood, and help them face the world head on. In fact, CBD has become the replacement substance of choice for prescription anxiety medications by half of those who use CBD for anxiety.
CBD gummies are a great choice for those who have anxiety because they’re tasty, easily accessible, and totally inconspicuous—so if you have anxiety about someone seeing you use CBD, you’re safe! Best of all, you can buy CBD gummies online and have them shipped to you anywhere in the U.S.
But a good anxiety treatment is about more than just the delivery in a cute, gummy-bear package. It’s about what the active ingredient, CBD, can do for you. Let’s take a closer look at how CBD gummies are changing the lives of those prone to anxiety.
CBD Reduces Anxiety Hormone Production
The use of CBD for treating anxiety has been somewhat of a phenomenon in the medical community. As such, there has been a great deal of research on its effectiveness. Right now, the biggest consensus of research points to CBD’s ability to reduce anxiety-related hormones through the activation of the endocannabinoid system.
Your endocannabinoid system contributes to hormone production and regulation throughout your body, thanks to the presence of naturally occurring cannabinoids. When you increase the number of cannabinoids in your body, it activates the endocannabinoid system and helps it reach homeostasis.
An endocannabinoid system in homeostasis does not produce stress hormones like cortisol. Getting a perfectly stable endocannabinoid system is an exact science that’s hard to master with your daily dose of CBD, but it can be done. At the very least, you can get your system close to balance to significantly reduce the production of negative hormones. With fewer stress and fear hormones in your brain, you’ll experience significantly less anxiety.
CBD Can Help Both Chronic and Situational Anxiety
If you think that CBD isn’t for you because you only experience occasional or a very specific type of anxiety, think again. CBD is good for all kinds of anxiety, even if it only hits you once a month or less. In fact, CBD may be a better tool for combatting occasional anxiety because you don’t need a prescription for it. Better yet, you don’t have to take it consistently and wean yourself off of it to avoid side effects.
For generalized anxiety disorder, the most common type of chronic anxiety, it’s best to eat your CBD gummies daily. A consistent dosage in your system will get your endocannabinoid system and all the components it controls in tip top shape for combatting this kind of anxiety without letting it run out of your system. If you need to stop taking it however, you can without worrying about withdrawal symptoms.
CBD may also be used for panic, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Many of the reactions and hormone imbalances for these types of disorders are similar and can be treated with CBD.
If you have an occasional or situational anxiety disorder, it can evolve into a chronic disorder. This is based on genetics, the number of events you experience, and the amount of day-to-day stress that permeates our lives. Getting ahead of situational anxiety with a tool like CBD is one of the best things you can do to avoid a chronic diagnosis.
CBD Can Treat Side Effects of Anxiety
Along with combatting your anxiety at the root, CBD could also help you control many of the symptoms associated with anxiety. Its ability to target many symptoms at once could be what makes it so effective at treating anxiety overall. Here are some symptoms CBD can help control:
Sleep Problems: It’s believed that the best CBD gummies can help a person fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer by inducing drowsiness and helping to regulate their circadian rhythms. Better sleep equals less anxiety.
Muscle Aches and Tension: Anxiousness can cause the body to tense up, particularly in the jaw, neck, shoulders, and back. The result is inflammation and muscle aches throughout the body, and CBD is believed to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reliever.
Digestive Issues: Your gut is often affected by your anxiety, but with CBD gummies, you can help to target these digestive issues on the spot. Eating a couple of gummies could reduce the inflammation and stress that affect your digestive tract, calming your physical symptoms and promoting an overall feeling of health and wellness.
Acne: Constant worry can cause your cortisol hormones to surge, leading to an over production of sebum in the pores. Anxiety is also often associated with eating poorly and not working out. CBD has been used in many acne medications, creams, and lotions to target the inflammation and sebum to reduce infection.
Evidence of CBD’s Effectiveness in Treating Anxiety
The claims surrounding CBD’s ability to treat anxiety quickly, efficiently, and long term has garnered some attention in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. Research is growing at a steady rate to show how CBD could help reduce anxiety.
One study from the National Institute of Drug Abuse showed that CBD effectively reduced anxiety in rats. When subjects were exposed to stressors, those using CBD were less likely to react anxiously.
Another study looked at the way CBD affected those with seasonal anxiety disorder. Some patients were given 400 mg of CBD and others a placebo. Those on CBD had significantly lower levels of anxiety.
There’s also growing research to show how CBD affects those suffering from PTSD. Many studies looked at the effects of CBD on reducing nightmares and negative flashbacks in PTSD patients with impressive positive results.
The research goes on; meanwhile, patients suffering from anxiety continue to eat CBD gummies and enjoy the benefits of lessened anxiety.