Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses that affect over 284 million people worldwide. Although a mental illness, anxiety can adversely affect your bodily functions and even deteriorate the quality of your life. Experiencing breathing problems, severe irritability, loss of libido, and muscle pains are usually caused by chronic anxiety.
Therapies are now available to help people manage depression and anxiety symptoms. However, this treatment isn’t for everyone. For people who fear therapy or have unrealistic expectations of it, this treatment plan for anxiety might not work.
If you’ve been going to therapy for years but still struggle with anxiety, CBD products might work better.
What Are CBD Products?
CBD products are made from cannabidiol. Depending on the potency you want to consume, CBD products can be extracted from the buds of the cannabis plant or the entire plant itself. Contrary to popular belief, CBD products aren’t addictive and don’t cause a “high” sensation, the same way marijuana does.
CBD and marijuana come from the cannabis plant, but both have different effects on the body. Because marijuana has 50% to 80% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it can cause the body to alter its normal function. This is the reason why, over time, marijuana can be harmful to your mind and body.
CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t work this way. CBD has only 0.3% or lesser levels of THC, making it harmless to the human body. In fact, several studies were already published to prove how low concentration of THC can be used for panic attack management.
How Can CBD Products Affect Anxiety?
Feeling anxious when you’re placed in stressful and new situations is an acceptable reaction. However, if anxiety becomes too severe to the point where you can no longer function, it’s time to consider using CBD for anxiety. Science has already backed-up the claims on how effective CBD is in treating anxiety.
Here’s how CBD products work on treating anxiety:
Boost Serotonin Production
Your body naturally produces a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin is responsible for regulating your mood, appetite, learning, and memory. When it comes to bodily functions, serotonin affects your muscles and cardiovascular system.
Serotonin also affects your susceptibility to anxiety. Too much or too little amount of serotonin in the body can lead to anxiety and depression. This imbalance is usually caused by the brain’s inability to produce serotonin on its own.
CBD products work by regulating serotonin levels in your body. By consuming CBD products, your brain will be encouraged to produce more serotonin. Stabilized serotonin levels in the body will make it easier for you to ward off anxiety and its symptoms.
Improve Quality Of Sleep
More and more studies have emerged to prove that anxiety disorders can be caused by sleep deprivation. This happens because frequently losing sleep can trigger the same brain mechanisms that can make you susceptible to anxiety. The regions of your brain affected by this mechanism include emotional processing and emotion regulation.
The longer you lose sleep, the higher the chances you’ll have in developing anxiety disorders.
If you want to improve the quality and duration of your sleep to keep anxiety at bay, consider using CBD products. CBD products can create calming effects on your central nervous system and reduce the production of stress hormones called cortisol. Stress is one of the reasons why you end up tossing and turning at night, so regularly using CBD products can help you sleep easier and longer.
Aside from this, CBD products can also improve the quality of your sleep as it minimizes nightmares. Achieving a restful sleep every night can be an achievable goal if you’re not always waking up in the middle of the night because of nightmares.
Relieve Chronic Pain
Everyone is bound to experience pain. For instance, strenuous physical activities can cause your body to exert more effort than usual, leading to body pains. However, if this pain becomes too chronic that you excessively worry about your physical health or avoid treatments, you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder; untreated chronic pain can eventually lead to anxiety.
Providing pain relief from body pain is one of the reasons why CBD products are getting more and more popular. CBD products contain anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe the muscle and reduce muscle spasms. Another cannabinoid that can provide pain relief while giving you an energy boost is cannabigerol (CBG). You can learn more about CBG at https://area52.com/cbg-vs-cbd/.
By incorporating CBD products into your lifestyle or diet, you’ll be free from chronic pain, which can also translate to living an anxiety-free life.
Conclusion: Talk To Your Doctor and Your Therapist First
For people who’ve been struggling with anxiety for decades, CBD products can be a godsend. However, before you consume any, it’s best if you consult your doctor and your therapist and let them know about your plans.
The use and consumption of products that can potentially affect your health should always be approved by your doctor. Going against their orders can only result in health risks.
