CBD has demonstrated beneficial therapeutic effects in studies, but it should be kept in mind that it’s not a panacea. CBD was approved by the FDA as an FDA drug under the brand name Epidiolex to mitigate seizures associated with two rare conditions.
One study demonstrated how CBD helped people overcome anxiety before public speaking. Another demonstrated its ability to decrease cravings for alcohol and heroin among treatment patients.
Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. It often co-occurs with depression and may lead to gastrointestinal distress, sleep issues and suicidal thoughts – symptoms which CBD has proven its ability to alleviate.
CBD works to soothe the nervous system by directly engaging receptors responsible for managing stress and anxiety in the brain – without producing psychoactive effects like THC does – without psychotropic side effects, studies have also confirmed its antidepressant properties.
However, it is important to keep in mind that CBD can interact with certain medications and alter how the liver metabolizes them. If you are taking any medications, it’s a good idea to discuss CBD with your physician prior to beginning use; start slow and go slow if possible in order to minimize side effects and get acquainted with how exactly the dose of CBD will impact you. Tinctures or capsules offer more precise dosing.
Depression
Depression affects millions of people worldwide, manifesting itself in numerous symptoms including low mood, feelings of hopelessness, loss of enjoyment in activities or people they previously enjoyed, sleep disturbances, weight changes and difficulty thinking clearly.
Animal studies have demonstrated the antidepressant properties of CBD oil, showing reduction in depressive behaviors and increases in serotonin levels, along with reductions in inflammation as a common symptom of depression.
CBD should not be seen as a treatment for anxiety or depression; rather, it should be seen as an adjunctive strategy that may supplement psychotherapy and other treatment plans. Before beginning CBD usage, consult a doctor and track any responses carefully; select high-quality products which have been third-party lab tested for safety and purity before trying them.
Pain
CBD is an anti-inflammatory cannabinoid that effectively relieves chronic discomfort from arthritis and fibromyalgia. CBD’s interactions with CB1 and CB2 receptors help ease inflammation-based pain relief.
Studies on CBD’s effects on pain are limited, yet those that exist demonstrate its anti-emetic and analgesic properties. One research project demonstrated this fact by showing how THC-CBD oral spray combined with opioid medications reduced pain symptoms more efficiently than just opioids alone.
Another method for alleviating pain is topical CBD products applied directly to the skin. Their efficacy may vary due to other ingredients like menthol and capsaicin that could also have their own effect on pain relief.
Note that CBD takes longer to take effect than standard OTC pain relievers; therefore, using it as a pain relief option could involve trial-and-error for many individuals.
Insomnia
Studies of CBD’s sleep-promoting effects are limited, but it may interact with receptors that control anxiety and sleep disorders to promote restful slumber. Anxiety may disrupt sleeping patterns while inadequate rest can heighten anxiety levels as well as pain perception.
European Psychiatry conducted in 2022 concluded that CBD could be effective at alleviating insomnia symptoms; however, more research must be conducted using validated subjective and objective measures in order to confirm this finding. CBD seems to improve REM phases while having no discernible impact on non-REM stages of sleep cycles.
Studies have demonstrated how CBD can aid sleep disorders by engaging the receptors that control certain chemicals and the sleep-wake cycle, while decreasing nightmare risk that contributes to insomnia. One such study assigned participants either CBD or placebo treatment groups and had them take 3ml dosing syringes with each oil 60 minutes prior to bedtime every night via opaque 3ml dosing syringes at their respective testing centres, with each treatment indistinguishable through participant visual examination and smell, both treatments being stored safely within their designated groups thereby aiding with insomnia symptoms and contributing to insomnia symptoms in another study involving participants being assigned either group and taking 3ml dosing syringes with opaque 3ml dosing syringes from another treatment group or placebo; both treatments were safely stored securely within testing centers during tests at testing centers during tests;
