If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you know the feelings all too well- sweaty palms, racing heart, heavy chest, uncontrollable thoughts. It’s enough to overwhelm and cripple the best of us.
You are not alone. Over 3 million Canadians have reported having an anxiety and/or mood disorder. That doesn’t take into account the people who have been dealing with it in silence and have gone unreported.
The majority of people who have an anxiety disorder have taken pharmaceutical medication to help cope with the symptoms (93%, to be precise). But, what if there was another way? What, if instead of taking medication with potentially harmful side effects, you could manage your anxiety without it?
Enter CBD.
CBD’s therapeutic benefits are tied to its ability to activate the serotonin centers in our brain.
During a study in 2019, 37 Japanese teenagers with social anxiety disorder received 300 mg of CBD or a placebo every day for four weeks. The study was shown to reduce feelings of anxiety amongst the teenagers and even encouraged nine of the teenagers to seek professional help. This is of particular interest as teenagers with social anxiety disorders rarely seek help due to the stigma of the condition and of seeking help from a therapist.
Another study conducted in 2019 reviewed 47 outpatients who had expressed concerns about anxiety. The results were overwhelmingly positive. After the first months, 79.2% of patients noted an improved levels of anxiety. After two months, 78.1% reported further improvements compared to the first month.
There is no hard and fast rule for the amount of CBD one should take, as it depends on your individual tolerance level, weight, metabolism and severity of anxiety.
As always, our recommendation is to start low and go slow. Begin with 10mg of CBD per dose. You may wish to take a couple doses per day or, after a few days, increase your dose to 20mg. You will increase as needed until you find the sweet spot where you are taking the least amount of CBD possible while reaping the greatest results. This is also the most cost effective way!
You’ll know from our previous article, “Full Spectrum CBD vs. CBD Isolate“, that you have a number of options when it comes to how you take your CBD.
Full-spectrum CBD products contain flavonoids and terpenes—ingredients that bring therapeutic benefits, along with scents and flavours— and are believed to benefit from the ‘entourage effect,’ a theory that the ingredients in cannabis work better together than in isolation.
On the other hand, CBD Isolate has removed all other compounds, including terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids. It is ideal for those who are sensitive to the taste and smell of cannabis because it is both odorless and flavourless.
Once you determine if you’d prefer Full Spectrum CBD or CBD Isolate, you can then decide what type of product you’d like. You have the choice of CBD tinctures, chocolate, gummies, tea and more! You can find all of our CBD products HERE, but feel free to email us at info@thehealingcowellness.com and we would be happy to help you select the right products!
Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive and will not make you high.
While you won’t be high, extremely high doses of CBD has been known to cause sleepiness and relaxation. It is best to use caution when figuring out your ideal dose and do so in the safety of your own home.
If you are someone dealing with an anxiety disorder who doesn’t want to rely on pharmaceutical medication to heal your body, CBD may be right for you! There is always little trail and error when trying something new, so it’s best to start your CBD journey with realistic expectations. You may not feel 100% better after your first dose, but if you stick with it, find the right dose and products for you, you may find a healthier, happier way of living!
If you have any questions, please message us on Instagram or email us at info@thehealingcowellness.com. Happy healing!