In short, CBD shows promise in helping to alleviate some symptoms of some mental disorders. Much of the human-based research is still in its infancy, however, early signs are promising.

CBD Oil for Anxiety vs. Pharmaceuticals

Contrary to popular belief, having an anxiety disorder is not the same thing as simply being stressed about something. Anxiety disorders are something that people struggle with it on a daily basis and it is not just temporary stress about some important activity or event coming up.

We all know this nervous feeling – our hearts beat a little faster, our stomachs start to get unsettled, we start to breathe a little faster, and we may even start to sweat a little more. This is a completely normal emotion and feeling to have – especially when we have a big event coming up. Maybe we have a job interview or are giving a big presentation, or maybe we need to have a conversation with someone that we have been dreading. Either way, being stressed or anxious about those kinds of things is a normal part of life.

However, when we start to feel this way every day, or start to have frequent panic attacks – that is more serious. This is when we step into the territory of having an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can be due to a variety of causes such as environment, genetics, personality, and even certain medical conditions. Anxiety disorders are considered one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. Although support of mental health has been increased in recent years, it still has a long way to go.

A large majority of people still do not share their anxiety and depression because there is still a stigma around these topics. Additionally, traditional anti-anxiety medications have several unpleasant side effects that deter patients from taking them. Side effects can include drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, agitation, and sexual

dysfunction. As you can see, these can seriously affect a person’s day to day activities and quality of life.

Therefore, CBD could be a way to offer some reduced anxiety for these patients. It may allow them to decrease their dose of these medications and potentially even get eliminate them for good!

What types of CBD are there?

CBD comes in a wide variety of forms. The most popular CBD form is the CBD oil tinctures due to the fact that this form of ingestion has the highest bio-availability. However, there are other kinds such as CBD capsules, CBD gummies, topical products such as salves or creams, vaping products, CBD water, and other CBD products. CBD oil and turmeric have some amazing healing properties. When used together they take care of both inflammation and pain which make them the best dynamic duo in holistic medicine

What Kinds of Anxiety Does CBD Help With?

Research into CBD and anxiety shows that it may be able to help with several different kinds of anxiety disorders. However, a lot of this is preclinical data. This means there have only been animal studies or small studies in humans and not full on randomized placebo-controlled trials like prescription anxiety medications to support them.

Although, counteracting anxiety is one of the few health benefits of CBD that have been studied in humans so far (even if they are small studies). Most of the other reported uses have only been in cell culture or animals. The pre-clinical data supports the possible use of CBD with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Panic Disorder (PD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Bipolar Disorder. But again, further research into these areas are needed.

Some studies show that CBD does not cause anxiety at high doses, which is contrary to other anti-anxiety medications. Also, CBD is thought to counteract the anxiety that can be induced by its cousin compound – THC. Therefore, for those who can legally use THC, whether it be medically or recreationally, might want to consider adding CBD to their mix if they are prone to experience anxiety or paranoia when using THC.