CBD for Anxiety: How does it Work? – 2024 Guide

The World Health Organization identifies anxiety as the world’s leading mental health disorder, with one in 13 people living with it. Researches show that the condition’s prevalence is going up by the day, meaning our current methods of combating it are inept, and we need to come up with new solutions.

Cannabidiol comes in right there. The cannabis extract has created quite the buzz over the past couple of years, and one of its main selling points has been an assumed ability to treat anxiety. Visit CBD Armour and learn how CBD can change your life. This article will give you useful insights into the anxiety-CBD relationship and how to use the compound to improve your mental health.

Does CBD really treat anxiety?

Since the legalization of CBD a few years ago, there have been many clinical pieces of research looking to establish the link between the compound and anxiety. Most of these researches are conducted on animals, but studies using human subjects are emerging, and there is more concrete evidence pointing towards CBD’s therapeutic potential.

In a 2019 study carried out in Japan, 37 teenagers with varying degrees of social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder were given CBD oil daily for 28 days. Later, the teenagers were assessed for a change in symptom severity. A more significant improvement in symptoms was recorded compared to what patients get from using Paroxetine, a popular anti-anxiety drug.
Another study reviewed patients at a Colorado mental health hospital, where 47 patients were found to have anxiety-related symptoms. These patients were given small amounts of CBD daily for three months to complement the official treatment plans prescribed to them.

After the first month of CBD use, the assessment showed that a whopping 79 percent of the patients had experienced an improvement in symptoms. A second assessment (after two months of use) showed a 78.1 percent improvement on the outcome of the first assessment.

However, 15.3 percent of the patients said their symptoms worsened after the first month of use, while 19.5 percent said the same on the second assessment.
These contradictions have been attributed to factors such as dosing variations and small sample sizes. There is also the negative attitude that some people have towards cannabis-derived products.

How CBD works for anxiety

Anxiety, stress, and depression are believed to be products of the brain’s failure to use serotonin properly. Serotonin is the chemical responsible for regulating sleep, mood, social behavior, appetite, memory, and appetite. By consuming CBD, you target and enhance the transmission of a serotonin subtype known as 5-HT1A. This CBD action allows for the brain’s utilization of serotonin in the synaptic space, and, consequently, regulates the user’s mood and anxiety.

The CBD world remains mostly unexplored, but many people who have used the compound to manage their anxiety say it is effective, safe, and cheaper than most conventional medications.
Most people dealing with anxiety are only against using CBD because it is sourced from a plant demonized for getting people high. Note that CBD is a separate substance from the high-inducing THC, although both are products of the cannabis plant. All hemp-derived CBD products offered at Botanicam contain less than 0.3 percent THC, and the probability of you getting high out of consuming it is almost zero.

How to take CBD for anxiety

Education is vital if you are contemplating using CBD products to improve your anxiety. You need to understand the upsides and downsides of various consumption methods to identify a suitable option for you. Below are some of the most common CBD administration techniques:

• Oils and tinctures

CBD oils and tinctures provide a quick and easy way to ingest cannabidiol, according to shape.com. With a dropper, you can accurately measure the CBD you are taking and prepare an administration plan. Tinctures are placed under the tongue and held there until all the CBD is absorbed. This method allows the cannabidiol to bypass the lengthy digestive system and, instead, go straight into the bloodstream. Results can be felt within as little as ten minutes.

• Vape oils

Vaping has been on steady growth in popularity, but the use of vape pens has come under serious scrutiny following allegations that they cause a lung condition called EVALI or VAPI. Around 2,000 people have been hospitalized due to VAPI, which the CDC has attributed to the use of unregulated THC cartridges containing tocopheryl-acetate or Vitamin E oil. To avoid these adverse effects, obtain your vape cartridges from licensed cannabis outlets.

• Edibles

CBD extracts can also be ingested as part of regular food. It is an easy and hassle-free way to consume CBD, but only a small percentage of the CBD reaches the bloodstream, and effects may take up to an hour to show up. If you want instant results, there are better methods to consider.

• Smoking

Smoking is one of the quickest ways to feel the effects of CBD. The cannabinoid goes straight to the lungs, where it enters the circulatory system. However, most users don’t find this method suitable due to the various risks associated with smoking and the difficulty of measuring intake.

CBD dosage for anxiety

Most clinicians and researchers would admit that there is no universally-accepted dosage for cannabidiol. However, there are factors that can help you develop a proper CBD dose if you want to give the compound a try. These include:

• The severity and frequency of occurrence of your symptoms;
• The CBD concentration;
• Your metabolism; and
• Your body weight.

Consider starting slow and gradually increasing your intake when devising your dose. It is improbable that you will experience adverse effects even if you took CBD in high doses, but it is more economical to start slowly and observe how you feel as you increase your dose.

This method is known as drug titration. It gives you the chance to monitor small bodily changes for a treatment whose optimal dosage and tolerance is different for everyone.

Does CBD Only Treat Anxiety?

Fortunately for the entire planet Earth, the answer to that question is “no”. CBD can be a helpful substance for different health disorders. We will highlight some of them to confirm how effective CBD is.

Living with chronic pain is one of the most annoying things. People that experienced that know how it looks. Fortunately, CBD can serve as good medicine for pain relief. The reason why it has that type of effect is simple. Our body has an endocannabinoid system. That system is responsible for controlling functions like appetite, pain, immune response, and sleeping. The endocannabinoids are neurotransmitters that simply bind to cannabinoid receptors. Those receptors are located in our nervous system.

Here comes the moment when CBD becomes your best friend. Thanks to its properties, it has the capacity to affect endocannabinoid receptor activity. In that way it can reduce the chronic pain you are dealing with.

Additionally, CBD can be good for alleviating cancer-related symptoms, reduce acne, improve the health of your heart, etc. Because of that, we encourage you to try out CBD if you deal with any of these health disorders.

In Which Form Does CBD Come?

You can find it in many products. For instance, CBD oil is the most popular one among people. Yet, it is not the only one. You can also find it in form of treats, capsules, etc. Penguin CBD analyzed that a bit better, so we recommend you check their guide.

Conclusion

If you are considering trying out cannabidiol to manage your anxiety, you have every reason to. CBD is not only safe and cheap but also exposes you to minimal side effects.