Can CBD Help With My Anxiety?

Can CBD Help With My Anxiety?

Anxiety is a major issue in the United States, with The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) [1] estimating that almost a quarter of adults (19.1 percent) experienced some form of anxiety in the last year and more than a quarter (31.1 percent) of people will have some experience with anxiety during their lives.

There are many pharmaceutical treatments for anxiety disorders, but many of these have side effects and the potential for addiction. Prescription drugs, such as benzodiazepines like Klonopin and Xanax, are extensively used to treat anxiety, but their propensity for misuse is well-documented. One study published on Psychiatry Online [2] in 2018 found that of the 30.6 million adults in the U.S. who used benzodiazepines, 5.3 million abused them.

Given the real risk of misuse and the fact that anxiety is one of the most prevalent psychiatric conditions in the U.S. [3], it is no surprise that many people are looking for alternatives to prescription drugs. CBD products are filling the gap for many people, with an increasing portfolio of scientific evidence seeming to back up the claims that CBD, such as Full Spectrum CBD Soft Gel Capsules, can be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders.

 

What evidence is there that CBD could help with my anxiety?

There are many studies that claim to show a correlation between taking CBD and reduced anxiety. These include a study published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry [4] claiming that CBD reduced anxiety for people taking part in a public speaking event, and a Gallup poll in 2019 that found that around 14 percent of US adults use some form of CBD products [5], with 20 percent saying that relieving anxiety is their primary aim.

In fall 2020, The Cannabinoid Anxiety Relief Education Study (C.A.R.E.S.) was carried out by the University of California [6]. Billed as the first of its kind and a landmark study, its aim was to investigate the use of CBD as a treatment for anxiety and comorbidities such as depression and insomnia.

"Majority" of people report that CBD helps reduce anxiety

The preliminary findings of the study revealed that of the 7,312 adult participants, the majority said that CBD use helped to reduce anxiety and improve the quality of sleep. Almost one third of the people who took part also said that CBD products improved mental relaxation.

Another study on the use of CBD in relation to anxiety and anxiety disorders, which was published in 2019, found that [7] CBD had "a promising role" as a form of therapy to manage anxiety disorders, and research into whether CBD can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality [8] discovered that more than three quarters of the people who took part (79.2 percent) had lower anxiety levels within a month. A total of 66.7 percent of people also experienced better sleep quality.

How can CBD work to reduce my anxiety?

The exact way in which CBD works with the human brain is not yet fully understood, but it is thought that it alters serotonin, an important player when it comes to mental health. Many people with low serotonin levels suffer from depression, and anxiety may be another side effect. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs, such as the prescription drugs fluoxetine and sertraline, are often used to treat low serotonin levels, but it has been suggested that CBD could also play a role in this [9]. Of course, your doctor should always advise you if you have specific healthcare needs.

CBD and different types of anxiety

CBD products, such as Full Spectrum CBD Gummies, are widely used in the treatment of GAD, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that animal studies have shown a reduction in stress levels as a result of CBD use [10]. Many people believe that this effectiveness also applies to humans, as the respondents to the previous studies mentioned have shown.

CBD is an increasingly popular choice for people suffering from a wide range of different anxiety disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and SAD, or Social Anxiety Disorder. A study looking at the effects of CBD on people experiencing SAD found that a 400mg dose of CBD led to reduced levels of anxiety in the recipients [11]. Meanwhile, research into CBD and PTSD found that it could play a role as a standalone treatment for people struggling with traumatic past events and also as a supplementary option to accompany other forms of treatment, such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) or medication [12].

[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml

[2] https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573566/

[4] http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462019000100009&tlng=en

[5] https://news.gallup.com/poll/263147/americans-say-cbd-products.aspx

[6] https://wholistic.org/cares/

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31866386/

[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30624194/

[9] https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-anxiety#how-cbd-works

[10] https://archives.drugabuse.gov/testimonies/2015/biology-potential-therapeutic-effects-cannabidiol

[11] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881110379283

[12] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00502/full