Ease Your Anxiety, It’s as Easy as CBD

Posted by mistyjhones on December 7th, 2020

 

Today, public health actions, such as social distancing, working from home, wearing a mask and not being able to socialise with friends and family can make people feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. But, these actions are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

Stress and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen both short and long term can be overwhelming. While fear and worry are adaptive responses essential to coping with threats to survival, if experienced over a long period, they can create a tremendous emotional strain which can lead to mental health and physical problems. Finding effective ways to manage stress in a healthy way is more important than ever. And this is where CBD benefits may be able to help you.

What is CBD?

CBD (Cannabidiol) is a natural and active compound found in the Cannabis plant. CBD does not produce the psychoactive effects that make you feel "high", unlike THC, the other crucial compound in hemp and marijuana plants which can amplify your senses. Instead, emerging science has hinted that CBD may actually ease anxiety, and therefore, makes you less likely to have an anxiety or panic attack.

For this reason, CBD oil has become a popular choice for people looking for a natural alternative to help treat various conditions such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, epilepsy and other mental disorders.

How can CBD help with anxiety?

Even before the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO),reported that 1 in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety. The WHO says that anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide with major depressive disorder, specific phobia and social phobia being the most common anxiety disorders.

Preclinical and clinical studies show CBD possesses a wide range of therapeutic properties, including antipsychotic, analgesic, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, antiemetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic and antineoplastic effects. So whatever the cause of your anxiety, be it chronic pain, insomnia, illness or even skin conditions, CBD could give some relief.

Boosts your mood

If you are in a good mood, your mind will be more open to creative thinking. You won't experience the levels of euphoria that a THC high would bring, but chewing a few CBD gummies or taking CBD tincture may help you generally feel more at ease and better able to deal with the obstacles of day to day life, allowing your mind to focus on the good stuff.

Controls appetite & nausea

While it won't quite give you the 'munchies' that you might experience using THC cannabis products, many people do say that CBD can improve your appetite. Cancer patients have also reported that they feel less nauseous after chemotherapy when using CBD. You need food to feed your brain, and without it, your creativity will dwindle, so if this is where your problem lies, CBD may help.

Eases chronic pain & inflammation

When you are in pain, it is tough to focus on anything but, so your creativity is bound to take a bashing. Using CBD oil for pain as well as various topical products can offer a safe way to help address your discomfort and clear your mind.

Improves your sleep

Sleep deprivation can make you incoherent, confused and forgetful, so it is almost impossible to be creative and on the ball when you're feeling tired and foggy. CBD has been found to assist the endocannabinoid system to work more effectively, which in turn allows your mind to rest, and plays an essential role in getting you to sleep at night. If your insomnia is due to pain or mental stress, CBD could be the relief you need.

Enhances mental fortitude

Fear and worry can affect the performance of even the most confident individuals. Public speaking can be such a daunting experience that your mind shuts down, and you're unable to think clearly. Studies have shown that CBD can relieve the stress that some social interaction may bring, allowing you to clear your mind and keep you focused.

No intoxicating effects 

Conventional pharmaceuticals prescribed to boost brain function can often make you drowsy or have other unpleasant side effects. CBD however, does not do that. It is a natural mental unblocker with no intoxicating properties, improving your cognitive function without side effects or even the jitters that caffeine can bring.

Even the most chilled people may benefit

Even those who are so laid back, they are almost horizontal have been affected by the pandemic or its roll-on effects such as the threat of job loss, money worries, concern for relatives and parenting 24/7. Many people have found that they have lost their creative energy; instead, confining themselves to a small space watching the rolling news. It's no surprise to learn then that CBD can also help you find your missing spark.

Creativity is that spark that helps us solve our problems in the best ways possible. But achieving this isn't easy. Often, our worries and what is happening around us, throw obstacles our way, keeping us from tapping into our creativity.

Treatment for Covid-19

There is even some early suggestion that CBD may help people infected with Covid-19. The research was conducted at the Dental College of Georgia (DCG) and Medical College of Georgia (MCG) where scientists demonstrated that CBD has the ability to improve oxygen levels and diminish inflammation and physical lung damage connected with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). 

This study has demonstrated the mechanisms behind these results, showing that CBD normalises levels of a peptide named apelin, which is known to decrease inflammation. Levels of this peptide are low during a COVID-19 infection.

It is very early days, however, and so far these are only the test results of animal studies. CBD at this stage should not be considered a treatment for Covid-19. Of course, more research needs to be done - particularly more research that tests this theory on human subjects with COVID-19 related ARDS. 

While we will have to wait for more research before this is being used as an active treatment for COVID-19, this study gives some hope that CBD might eventually be used to help fight ARDS. At least we know that it can assist greatly with the anxiety felt around the Covid-19 pandemic, and that can only mean good things for the health and wellbeing of people across the world.

Like it? Share it!


mistyjhones

About the Author

mistyjhones
Joined: July 2nd, 2020
Articles Posted: 4

More by this author