Can CBD Help Relieve Anxiety Naturally?

If you have been hearing more about anxiety in recent years, there are some good reasons for that. For one, the scientific community has discovered more on the subject. We now know that anxiety is not a single condition but rather falls along a spectrum of anxiety-related disorders.

While we all fret periodically, for people with anxiety disorders, worries and fears are far more prevalent, detracting from their daily quality of life. It is a significant issue indeed, given that anxiety disorders have the highest lifetime prevalence of any mental illness worldwide.

We clearly have a national problem given that an estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year, and with 31.1% of U.S. adults having experienced an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. The prevalence of any anxiety disorder was higher for females (23.4%) than for males (14.3%). Especially concerning is the fact that young people are among the hardest hit, with an estimated 31.9% of adolescents experiencing one or more anxiety disorders.

The spectrum of anxiety-related disorders includes:

Generalized anxiety disorder – This is persistent, excessive worry and tension that interferes with daily activities. It may be accompanied by feelings of restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and poor sleep quality.

Panic disorder – The core symptom here is recurrent panic attacks, an often overwhelming combination of physical and psychological distress. These can feel life threatening when they occur.

Social anxiety disorder – This may be characterized by significant anxiety and discomfort about being embarrassed, humiliated, or rejected in social interactions. This can lead to the avoidance of social settings, especially those involving public speaking, meeting new people, or eating/drinking.

Separation Anxiety Disorder – In this case, sufferers may be excessively fearful or anxious about separation from those with whom they are attached. Physical symptoms of distress developed in childhood often carry through adulthood.

Agoraphobia – This is fear of being in situations where escape may be difficult or embarrassing, such as public transportation, standing in line, being in a crowd, feeling contained in enclosed places, etc.

The wide variety of anxiety disorders may be caused by different objects or situations, but they all share features of excessive anxiety and related behavioral disturbances which can interfere with aspects of daily life such as work, school, relationships, personal care, and more.

What kinds of medications address these disorders?

As one study noted, current prescription drugs for anxiety disorders fall short, with associated adverse effects and low efficacy. The most frequently prescribed include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) – SSRIs and SNRIs are often the first-line treatment for anxiety and depression. Common SSRI brands are Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, and Zoloft. Common SNRI brands are Pristiq, Cymbalta, and Effexor XR. While these drugs may alleviate some symptoms, it can take up to 6 weeks to notice any changes, and side effects may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and sexual problems.

Antihistamines, such as Vistaril, are prescribed for short-term anxiety relief. Side effects may include dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision, and constipation.

Buspar is sometimes recommended to increase levels of the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters’ serotonin and dopamine. Side effects may include dizziness and drowsiness with nausea.

Antipsychotics such as Abilify and Seroquel start working within days, but they can cause drowsiness, muscle stiffness and spasms, dry mouth, and involuntary body movements/incontinence. A more serious potential side effect is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a rare but potentially life-threatening reaction to antipsychotic drugs.

Benzodiazepines – The most prescribed of these tranquilizers are Valium, Xanax, and Ativan. They offer relief, but at a price, as they are habit forming, and therefore unsafe for long term use.

Beta blockers, such as Propranolol are recommended for social anxiety. However, these can increase the risk of low blood pressure and dizziness.

There is a clear and present need for better treatment options, ideally without the troubling side effects associated with the drugs above. As it happens, one of the best solutions has been there for us for millennia−cannabis, or more specifically in this case, cannabidiol (CBD). The second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis, CBD offers an astonishingly wide range of wellness benefits without the mind-altering effects or ‘high’ associated with cannabis.

How does CBD help alleviate anxiety naturally?

Existing preclinical evidence strongly supports CBD as a treatment for generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Overall, CBD shows considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders.

A 2020 review of existing studies concludes that CBD has potential for treating anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

CBD has a wide range of therapeutic properties not only for anxiety, but also for various neuropsychiatric disorders due to the way it affects the central nervous system. These therapeutic properties demonstrated by clinical studies include anticonvulsant, anti-arthritic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antiemetic, antipsychotic and neuroprotective effects.

CBD (cannabidiol) may help reduce anxiety by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) and potentially influencing serotonin levels in the brain. Specifically, it can affect receptors in the brain like CB1 receptors and 5-HT1A receptors involved in regulating fear and anxiety. Additionally, it may increase endocannabinoid levels and have anti-inflammatory effects, potentially contributing to anxiety relief.

A meta-analysis based on numerous studies revealed a substantial significant impact of CBD in treating anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A research team in Colorado performed a randomized trial examining how CBD-rich cannabis products impact anxiety. The short-term effects were clear: CBD was associated with acute tension reduction for anxiety relief without the harm associated with commonly prescribed anti-anxiety drugs.

Does CBD have any worrisome side effects?

In a cross-sectional study which examined the impact of health status, medication use, medical supervision, gender, age, and cannabis use on CBD consumption patterns, 68.2% of participants reported CBD products were effective in relieving their symptoms. 11.2% of participants reported experiencing side effects related to CBD product usage.

As noted in the scientific journal Current Neuropharmacology, “Clinical data suggest that CBD is well tolerated and associated with few serious adverse effects at therapeutic doses both in children and adults. However, CBD may interact with other medications, such as blood thinners. Though it is often well-tolerated, CBD can cause side effects, such as dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness and fatigue.”

You may now have an expanded understanding of what CBD represents as a generally well-tolerated medicine with many positive applications and effects, especially compared with the limited efficacy and potential dangers associated with many commonly prescribed pharmaceutical medications.

When you add up the potential benefits CBD offers, working naturally in concert with your own endocannabinoid system, and the minimal potential for misuse or harm, it might be called Hippocrates Dream, in reference to the Father of Medicine and founder of the Hippocratic Oath, who deemed it the physician’s duty above all to benefit patients and avoid harm. For more information on CBD, check out our growing away of CBD FAQs.