Anxiety is a daily occurrence for most of us. You might feel anxious before a meeting, an examination, or a big event. However, what is not natural is feeling extremely and excessively anxious with no relief. While chronic anxiety is well-known and documented, medical solutions to chronic anxiety do not work for some. And when the solutions work, there are negative side-effects to contend with in the near and long term. Increasingly, there are calls for CBD use to overcome, or at the very least, deal with anxiety.
Understanding Anxiety
Stress is small dosages is good as it helps us prepare for a fight or flight. However, prolonged stress can lead to anxiety, which is damage our body and mind as you are constantly in a state of panic. Chief among the negative side effect of anxiety is change to the brain structure and chemistry, resulting in neuron damage, neuron connector damage, and much more.
Chronic anxiety can also cause heart diseases, a weakened immune system, chronic headaches, digestive problems, depression, and much more.
What Is CBD
CBD is a type of cannabinoid that occurs naturally in cannabis plants. Unlike the chemical component Tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, CBD does not cause a high. CBD binds with the endocannabinoid system in a way that does not produce a high. The most effective CBD for anxiety will help relieve those unwanted anxious feelings.
How CBD Helps To Combat Anxiety
The first thing to note on this subject matter is there is isn’t a large body of research on anxiety treatment using CBD oil. At least not as much we have with regards to epilepsy treatment. That said, the preclinical and limited clinical evidence bodes well for positive findings.
While we do not have the full understanding of how CBD helps deal with anxiety, there is evidence to suggest that CBD bines with 5-HT1A receptors, part of the serotonin receptors. By binding to the receptors, CBD yields an anti-anxiety effect, similar in effect as the anti-anxiety drug buspirone as it attaches to the same receptors.
Another way in which CBD helps users deal with stress is by helping remote the balance in the endocannabinoid system. When severe under stress, the endocannabinoid system becomes imbalanced, thereby becoming unable to produce the right amount of endocannabinoids. CBD complements the naturally produce endocannabinoids, thus negating the overstimulation of the system, which in turn helps the body deal with stress.
CBD helps the brain deal with the dilapidating effects of pf anxiety and stress. As mentioned above, anxiety, along with stress, are known to damage the neurons and their connections. Aside from alleviating anxiety, thereby halting the occurrence of negative side effects, CBD has been shown to help the brain make new connections and help certain parts of the brain grow. For instance, this study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4543605/) suggests that CBD helps neural regeneration in the hippocampus.
While more research is needed to increase our understanding of CBD and how it works, our limited understanding CBD use for dealing with anxiety suggests that it can help. And given that lack of (or limited) negative effects of CBD use, in some cases, it is a good alternative or complement to chemical-pharmaceutical solutions .
