Effects of CBD Oil on Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders

My Way CBD explores the effect that CBD oil has on mental health and anxiety disorders.

Anxiety in itself isn’t anything bad. In fact, it’s a healthy reaction that humans have developed over the course of evolution as a protective mechanism against other predators. Also known as the “fight or flight response,” anxiety can happen from time to time and is completely normal.

However, modern times are putting so much pressure on our shoulders that we are driven into anxiety on a daily basis—even though we face no life-threatening dangers. Plants and herbs are known for their relaxing properties, but cannabis plants seem extremely helpful in curbing symptoms of anxiety and other stress-related disorders.

My Way CBD explores the effect that CBD oil has on mental health and anxiety disorders.


What is Anxiety?

As mentioned at the beginning, anxiety is a normal human response to dangerous stimuli. The “flight-or-flight” response covers an array of physical reactions, such as a rush of adrenaline, sweating, increased heartbeat and sensitivity to environmental triggers. When the anxious feeling gets exaggerated compared to the seriousness of the trigger, the anxiety may turn into an anxiety disorder.

Once at that stage, the anxiety deteriorates to the point when a person’s daily function and mental health are heavily affected.

Common Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are four main types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: This is a chronic ailment in which people get anxious for no specific reasons. It’s considered the most common anxiety disorder.

Phobias: Phobias induce overwhelming fear about a specific situation or object. They often prevent people from engaging in normal situations due to that fear.

Social Anxiety Disorder: This condition usually occurs when a person is among other people. It triggers an overwhelming worry about social interactions, causing fixation on being judged.

Panic Disorder: Panic attacks strike randomly and are accompanied by symptoms like breathing difficulty, shaking, dizziness, tremors, confusion and nausea. It can last anywhere between a few minutes to an hour.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Wondering how to tell if you’re suffering from one of the above anxiety disorders? Below we share the full list of symptoms:

  • Dizziness
  • Dry mouth
  • Inability to stay calm
  • Feelings of insecurity
  • Heart palpitations
  • Panic
  • Sleep problems
  • Somatic complaints
  • Tense muscles

What Causes Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are very complex. Usually, there are several factors involved, including:

Genetics: If you have a family member diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, there’s a risk that you may develop the same condition.

Changes in Brain Structure: Suffering from a traumatic events or genetic changes of the brain may cause an overexaggerated response to potentially neutral triggers. Scientists suggest that the majority of anxiety disorders derive from compromised communication between neurons.

Environmental Factors: Certain elements of your environment can worsen your anxiety. Some of the stress-inducing factors include chronic stress at work, at school or even at home. Sometimes, things like a bad financial situation or the loss of someone who was very close to you can also contribute to this medical condition.

When you don’t get enough sleep, it can also make your anxiety worse.

Just as traveling to high altitude areas, where the brain gets affected by low oxygen levels.

Medical Conditions: Sometimes, anxiety can result from another medical condition, prescription medications or health supplements you’re taking, or any other disease than can either change the structure of your brain or cause you to suffer from severe stress.

Can CBD Oil Help With Anxiety?

Dealing with anxiety can be a real pain. Conventional anxiety treatments need to be prescribed by a medical professor/doctor, when most people are dealing with anxiety the very thought of discussing their issues with another person can be very challenging in itself. Not to mention that many prescription drugs used to manage anxiety can lead to a range of negative side effects. Don’t take our word for it, just see the list of contraindications or possible negative reactions on any popular medication, and you’ll see that it’s worse than what they’re trying to solve.

Of course, if you are on meds and they are helping you, and you don’t feel the need to make any changes, that’s fine. But some people either can’t take medications due to allergies or their anxiety just isn’t bad enough to qualify for prescription treatment. It’s no wonder that some anxiety sufferers are turning to natural resources for relief. CBD oil is one of them.

But the question is: Can CBD actually help with anxiety?

Research and a large portion of evidence from people with anxiety suggests that CBD oil may even be a better alternative to pills and shots for anxiety. Compared with those options, CBD oil has a low risk profile and the side effects are nearly non-existent unless taken in extremely high doses.

How Does CBD Work?

Why is CBD oil a good option to consider as an alternative anxiety treatment?

Because CBD regulates the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is the most important neurochemical network inside the body—it controls vital functions, such as memory, mood, sleep, immune response, cognition, appetite, pain and more.

When the body is in homeostasis—a fancy word for chemical balance—it can stay in good health. However, if there are imbalances in your neurochemicals, they may give rise to anxiety. It also works the other way round; when you suffer from a traumatic event, your receptors and neurons get out of whack, and your body starts to seek something that would restore that balance. This is where CBD starts to shine.

CBD and the 5-HT1A Receptor

CBD is a 5-HT1A agonist. In other words, 5-HT1A works a serotonin receptor and is responsible for the way your body absorbs serotonin. It’s also the target of the most popular antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, which belong to the group of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs can block the reuptake of serotonin, increasing the brain’s ability to transfer more signals, improve mood and curb anxiety. CBD has a similar effect on 5-HT1A.

CBD and Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Your hippocampus is the region in your brain that modulates several functions. One of them is the ability to regenerate neurons. CBD can help stimulate the hippocampus and thus improve its functioning. This is particularly important for patients diagnosed with anxiety, as they often show smaller hippocampus plasticity. By stimulating the regeneration of neurons, there’s a chance that fearful behaviors will be minimized.

CBD and GABA

Australian scientists have found that CBD is a “positive allosteric modulator” of the GABA-A receptor in the brain. In simple terms, GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system. It works as the handbrake for our brain to slow the nervous system down when we get too agitated. The sedating effects of Valium and other benzodiazepines are triggered by their interaction with the GABA-A receptor.

By modulating this receptor, CBD can amplify the natural calming effect of GABA and reduce anxiety.

CBD and Anandamide

Anandamide is one of the two main endocannabinoids (produced inside your body). It has almost the same structure as THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. Anandamide is also known as “the bliss molecule,” as it controls feelings of happiness, euphoria, and keeps us in emotional stability—on top of many other functions. CBD helps keep the levels of anandamide at the right level, reducing mood swings and emotional outbursts.

Final Thoughts on Using CBD Oil for Anxiety

Managing anxiety with CBD oil has become popular these days. With a growing body of evidence backing the positive effects of CBD on an individual’s mental health, it’s not surprising that more and more people are turning to CBD for help.

CBD oil is also effective in managing other functions, such as blood pressure, sleep cycle and glucose levels. It’s a good choice if you want to live a healthy and happy life. 

We hope that you’ll find this article useful for your future purchases! If you feel your contacts would benefit from this info, please feel free to share. All Natural - Always ?

Blog shared with kindness by Dee Mani-Mitchell, founder of My Way

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *