Can CBD Help With Anxiety?

I wonder if CBD can help with anxiety? I intend to figure that out in this post! What is CBD anyway since it’s so popular? CBD stands for cannabidiol. Accordingly, it’s one of many chemicals found in cannabis sativa plants, a species that includes hemp and marijuana. Many, but not all, CBD products are extracted from hemp plants.

Even more, research suggests that increasing serotonin levels can help treat anxiety. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, work by regulating serotonin levels. Some studies suggest that CBD may work similarly to antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications.

I have tried CBD for my anxiety and found no help from it. But that’s just me. When they’re side effects, I get most of them and when it’s supposed to help, it doesn’t with me. It may work for you though.

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”—Yoko Ono

How to Shop CBD for Anxiety

There are several important considerations when shopping for CBD, such as:

COA: People should only buy products from companies with an accessible and current COA. Therefore, some companies may display the COA on their shopping page, whereas others may require a person to scan a QR code.
Third-party testing: Some companies send their CBD products to third parties for laboratory tests. Hence, this ensures that the products contain the type and amount of CBD the company advertises.
Type of CBD: Companies can legally sell full- or broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate. Full-spectrum CBD contains up to 0.3% THC, whereas broad-spectrum and CBD isolate contain trace or no amounts of THC.
CBD strength: People new to CBD may wish to start at a lower strength of CBD. By and large, everyone should always start with the lowest possible dose of a product and gradually increase it as necessary.

“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” —Goethe

How to Use CBD for Anxiety

So, how canFin you use CBD to help with anxiety. Without clear FDA guidance, optimal CBD use for anxiety varies from person to person. Therefore, you may find one method works better for you over another. You can consume CBD in the following forms:

Firstly, oils and tinctures, which come in dropper bottles and are consumed by mouth
Gummies, which are chewable, sweet and often fruit-flavored
Sprays, which come in bottles with a nozzle to be sprayed in the mouth
Fourthly, capsules, softgels or tablets, which are taken individually by mouth like a pill
Vapes, which heat CBD oil without igniting it, resulting in an inhalable vapor
Flowers, which are dried hemp plants that are typically ignited and smoked
Creams and gels, which introduce CBD topically (through the skin) as a more localized treatment
Lastly, you may have to try different forms to determine what works best in addressing your anxiety. For instance, when it comes to the absorption of CBD in your bloodstream, vaping and smoking are more effective than edibles like CBD gummies for anxiety.

“Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”—Harriet Tubman

CBD Dosage for Anxiety

Finding the right dosage for CBD to help with anxiety is up to the individual. Due to this, experts suggest starting small and working your way up depending on how your body reacts.

Many clinical trials jump right to testing high doses. Given that, successful doses evaluated for anxiety relief specifically include:

600 milligrams in patients with SAD in a speech simulation
300 milligrams in male patients in a speech simulation

However, other trials suggest much lower doses are also quite effective in treating anxiety.

25 to 75 milligrams for generalized anxiety and/or sleep problems
33 to 49 milligrams a day for PTSD, in addition to routine psychiatric treatment

Another study involving hundreds of patients noted success with doses from 40 milligrams to 300 milligrams a day. Therefore, this further supports the idea that CBD dosage varies significantly, depending on a person’s symptoms and physiology.

“Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.”—Tupac Shakur

Potential Risks and Side Effects of Using CBD for Anxiety

Consequently, some side effects of CBD ithat helps with anxiety may include:

drowsiness
diarrhea
changes in appetite
changes in mood

CBD can also interact with other medications, sometimes in ways that can lead to adverse health effects. Therefore, it is important to always talk with a healthcare professional before using CBD to make sure it will not cause any negative effects when taking it alongside medication.

In addition, CBD can interact with warfarin (Coumadin), a medication that helps to prevent blood clots, and it has the potential to interact with quite a few other drugs, including:

Antidepressants
Benzodiazepines
Antihistamines
Opioids
Antipsychotics
Lastly, Calcium channel blockers

More research is needed to understand the extent to which CBD interacts with other medications.

“At any given moment, you have the power to say: this is not how the story is going to end.” —Christine Mason Miller, author

Conclusion

So, what’s the verdict, are you going to see if CBD really helps with your anxiety? It’s worth a shot. Kudos to you if it works (did I just date myself with that). Subsequently, I used to use the vapor for my anxiety, but I felt it was making the anxiety worse. Although I wasn’t addicted to it, I felt that if I kept taking it, my body would get used to it. No such luck. It just steadily became worse, so I stopped. I was really disappointed because I had heard all these great things about CBD. But, like I said earlier, my body is weird.

These results are generally positive, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, many of these studies have small sample sizes (even the ones with negative results). So the results don’t necessarily represent the general population. Second, these studies don’t look at the long-term effects of taking CBD for anxiety. This means we aren’t sure if taking the drug over time consistently reduces feelings of anxiety.

Well, I’m going to go out and enjoy this weird weather in March (70*). I hope you have a wonderful day and I’m out of here. Until next time…