CBD and anxiety disorders
CBD to reduce anxiety ?
Anxiety disorders are a group of psychological disorders that manifest themselves in a wide variety of ways, both physically and psychologically. Anxiety affects women almost twice as much as men. Adults under the age of 50 are among the population most affected by anxiety and its various forms. What are the different anxiety disorders ? How can CBD help you fight them ?
What is anxiety ?
Anxiety is an emotion that we rarely find pleasant, yet it can be normal and useful when it draws our attention to a danger. However, when it becomes excessive and persistent, generating great stress that is highly disruptive to life, it is no longer the same. A doctor or a psychologist will be able to make a diagnosis as soon as the anxiety is too pervasive, causing significant suffering, whether or not it is continuous.
The main anxiety disorders.
- Social anxiety: also called social phobia, it is characterized by an intense fear that manifests itself in certain social situations. This disorder provokes in patients the fear of being perceived as strange, repulsive, too big, too small, etc. Social anxiety can cause patients to isolate themselves socially for fear of not being able to overcome this ordeal.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder : also known as GAD, it affects about 5% of the population and is characterized by anxiety and excessive stress about everyday events.
- Phobia : phobia is an unreasonable fear of something in particular (spider, person, place, situation).
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) : these are repetitive behaviours that patients cannot control. (repeatedly checking that the door is locked, checking that every object is perfectly in its place, etc.).
Treatment
Anxiety disorders are treatable, and it is therefore possible for patients to regain control of their lives. As with many illnesses, the earlier the treatment is carried out, the better the results. Treatment is based on psychotherapy and/or medication.
Anxiety disorders and CBD
CBD (cannabidiol) is a substance derived from industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa). It is important to understand that the psychotropic substance of cannabis is THC. Cannabidiol (CBD) on the other hand is not psychotropic, which is why its sale and consumption are perfectly legal. Cannabis is a family of plants that includes 3 main subspecies.
- Cannabis Sativa : more commonly known as industrial hemp, rich in CBD and very low in THC (less than 0.2%).
- Cannabis Indica : rich in THC (psychotropic), poor in CBD
- Cannabis Ruderalis : low in CBD, low in THC
CBD, which can be consumed in different forms, such as CBD oil, CBD e-liquid, capsules, etc., comes exclusively from industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa). For several years now, CBD has been the subject of numerous scientific studies due to its great therapeutic potential. Here are the studies that have looked at the effects of CBD (Cannabidiol) on anxiety and various disorders.
- Two 2012 studies (CAMPOS et al, ELBATSH et al.) showed that CBD has calming effects on anxiety in both animals and humans.
- In 2013, a study on 48 patients suffering from anxiety disorders highlighted the anxiolytic effects of CBD, even at low doses.