Many people suffering with anxiety have exhausted traditional medicines and have still found no tangible or long lasting relief from their symptoms. Whilst non medicinal approaches such as meditation, yoga and herbal remedies can help, a truly holistic path to beating anxiety has not been taken until sufferers have incorporated one thing – CBD.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant. For many years cannabis has been known for its relaxing effect on those who consume it and so it stands to reason that any by-product of the plant will have anxiety reducing properties. Unlike the traditionally smoked cannabis, CBD is not psychoactive which means that consumers of the product will not have any unwanted drunk or stoned feelings and will certainly not experience hallucinations. It’s also not addictive.
CBD improves the lives of anxiety sufferers by offering an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, such as antidepressants and relaxants, which often come with a host of unpleasant side effects. Offering a much more natural substitute, Herbonaut CBD interacts with the human body’s endocannabinoid system which helps to regulate much of a person’s feelings including pain, mood, sleep function and much more.
Composed of hundreds of receptors, the human body is set up to respond to outside stimuli and in the case of anxiety, it is the 5-HT1A receptor which plays a role. It is a serotonin receptor and the common SSRI drugs readily dispensed to anxiety sufferers, such as Prozac, Zoloft and Fluoxetine, are actually designed to target this receptor. SSRIs work by suppressing the absorption of serotonin within the brain, which in turn enables the brain to reduce anxiety and increase the overall mood of the person taking them.
CBD does the exact same thing however it does so in a much more natural way with less (to no) side effects and works much quicker than traditional medication.
Anxiety is one of the most common complaints seen by doctors today and can be incredibly limiting on the sufferer. Being much more than low mood, anxiety can manifest in overwhelming, unreasonable fears, can cause insomnia, obsessive behaviour and extreme panic. Those suffering from anxiety will likely be willing to try anything to get better, however pharmaceutical medicines prescribed by doctors can cause unpleasant side effects such as;
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Trouble with coordination
- Memory loss
- Digestive complaints
- Slurred speech
- Nausea
Patients can also become dependent on these medicines and may need to take stronger doses over time to see the same results they once had from taking much lower doses.
CBD is misunderstood
You may be wondering why, if CBD is such a great alternative to medication, it isn’t used more regularly in the treatment of anxiety. The sole reason for this is that CBD is misunderstood. Its relation to marijuana has given it an unfair reputation which has been hard to shake, though numerous PR campaigns are now doing great work to shake the stereotype and reveal what could be a life changing product for anxiety sufferers.
If you’re unsure what to look for when shopping for CBD, just remember that it should contain either no or very low THC. THC is the part of the hemp (cannabis) plant which is psychoactive. It can have instant and long lasting cognitive effects such as the inability to control impulses and it’s largely illegal worldwide. THC is the reason that CBD has received unfair criticism however it is easily separated during manufacturing and is readily available to purchase as a stand-alone product.
If you have been unfortunate enough to experience anxiety and the effects is has on a person’s life, you’ll know that it can be hard to see a future without your symptoms and this is largely why anxiety is so difficult to deal with – it can make you feel hopeless. The rise of CBD now brings hope to those suffering in silence who with regular, controlled usage, may finally feel the dark cloud of anxiety lifting and can finally look forward to a future with less worry, fewer panic attacks and a much better quality of life.
