One in six people in South Africa will struggle with anxiety in their lifetime, so if you are facing this at the moment you are not alone. Living with anxiety can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of life and your ability to carry out basic daily tasks. It can also affect your ability to work and your personal relationships.
Fortunately, support is at hand. There are plenty of different methods of treatment that people use to combat anxiety and the use of CBD oil is on the rise. In fact, one study shows that more than 42% of people who use CBD do this to target their anxiety.
So why is CBD oil so popular and how can it help relieve the symptoms of anxiety? If you’re thinking of trying it out, understanding this is vital. In that case, you’re in the right place!
Read on to find out everything you need to know about how to use CBD oil for anxiety.
How Does CDB Work?
CBD (also known as cannabidiol) is a type of cannabinoid that comes from cannabis plants. Unlike THC (also found in cannabis plants) it does not have a “high” or intoxicating effect commonly associated with the use of cannabis. Because of this, it is legal to use in South Africa.
Instead, it can have a huge impact on people living with anxiety. So how does this work?
Well, your brain (like the rest of your body) has a huge number of receptors in it, known as neuroreceptors. These are responsible for receiving signals from stimuli around you. They are made up of protein.
Using CBD affects the CB1 receptors in your brain and your serotonin neurotransmitters. These interact with your central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.
Both your CB1 receptors and your serotonin neurotransmitters have a big impact on your mental health. People with anxiety or depression, for example, have much lower levels of serotonin.
By affecting these parts of your brain, CBD oil is able to lower your levels of stress and anxiety and boost your serotonin. This means that the symptoms of anxiety that you experience will subside or become much more manageable.
You can use this by itself or combine it with other treatments, such as in-person therapy to treat the causes of your anxiety. Let’s take a look at some of the conditions that this can help.
The Impact of CBD on Generalised Anxiety
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common type of anxiety disorder and can be mild or very severe. This happens when your feelings of anxiety are not centred around one specific focus, such as an exam or job interview.
Instead, they bleed into the rest of your daily life. This can be a long-term condition, which affects you on a daily basis, rather than arising in specific circumstances.
Fortunately, CBD oil helps to lower the levels of stress in your brain, which inhibits the number of anxious thoughts that you experience. This can also impact the physiological symptoms associated with GAD, such as an increase in heart rate and a decrease in blood pressure.
Uses of CBD for Other Forms of Anxiety
GAD isn’t the only form of anxiety disorder that you can experience during your life. Some anxiety disorders are related to specific events or contexts, such as:
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety-related insomnia
You may experience these alongside generalised anxiety disorder or in isolation. Either way, CBD oil can help to lower the symptoms of these disorders. This can make life with an anxiety disorder much more manageable.
CBD and Other Disorders
In some cases, your anxiety may be a symptom of another condition. This is often the result of a type of neurological disorder or disorder affecting your central nervous system.
When this happens, it is important to undergo treatment for the neurological disorder itself. However, in the meantime, CBD products can help you to manage the effects of anxiety on your daily life.
Some disorders that can cause anxiety include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Myasthenia Gravis (MG)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
So if you have been diagnosed with one of these conditions then it might be worth looking at CBD products to help your anxiety. If you are receiving treatment for a neurological disorder, it is important to discuss CBD oil with your doctor before taking it. You do not want to use a product that might counteract or mix badly with your other medications.
How to Use CBD Oil for Anxiety: Finding the Right Dosage
Before you start taking CBD oil for your anxiety, it is important to speak to your doctor about this. They will help you figure out the right CBD dose to suit you. This will depend on a number of things, including:
- How much you weigh
- The type of anxiety disorder or condition that you are treating
- Your personal body chemistry
- The concentration of the CBD oil that you are planning to use
Once your doctor decides on a dosage make sure that you stick to this carefully, especially if you are taking any other medication. If you do not think that the dosage is strong enough you can always make an appointment to discuss this. More often than not your doctor will start you on a lower dosage to acclimatise your body.
If you are planning to increase your dosage, your doctor will recommend doing this in small steps. Most people start on a very low dosage. After a week of taking this dosage, you can increase this by 5mg for the next week.
You can continue this weekly increase until you reach your maximum dosage or find that your symptoms feel under control. If you are planning to lower your dosage then it’s a good idea to do this step by step in reverse order.
To help figure out how well your CBD oil is working, try to keep a diary of your symptoms and dosage. This will help you identify which dosage is most effective. You deliver each dosage in drops either directly into your mouth or into food.
Alternative Ways to Take CBD
The CBD market around the world is constantly growing and this means that a range of different CBD products is now available. As well as oils, you can ingest CBD using:
- Gummies and edibles
- Capsules or pills
- Vaping liquid
- Mists
Oils tend to be faster acting, however, as you don’t need to digest anything first to release the CBD.
CBD can also be applied topically using creams, balms, lotions, or ointments. These can be fast-acting on the areas that they are applied to, which makes them popular for the treatment of chronic pain. A doctor is unlikely to recommend topical CBD for your anxiety.
Are There Any Side Effects of Taking CBD?
Before you start taking anything to treat anxiety, it is important to keep any possible side effects in mind. There are a number of side effects from CBD oil that you should condition, including:
- Diarrhoea
- Changes in your appetite
- Weight changes
- Fatigue
The majority of CBD side effects should be mild at worst and may settle over time as your body adjusts to the oil. If you are concerned about them then it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor.
If you are taking any other types of medication or dietary supplements then CBD oil can also react with these. So it is important to speak to your doctor about all the medication you are using before ordering your CBD. This is particularly important if you are taking blood thinners.
As we’ve always mentioned, if you are planning to lower your dose of CBD oil you should always do this gradually. If you don’t then you could experience symptoms of withdrawal such as:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Brain fog
This should only happen if you suddenly stop taking your CBD oil. Your doctor can help you plan the best way to lower your dosage in a way that is healthy.
Try Out CBD Oil to Help Your Anxiety Today
Now you know everything there is to know about how to use CBD oil for anxiety. As you can see, it can have a big impact on a range of different anxiety disorders. This could really help you break through the challenges that your anxiety poses in your day-to-day life.
Ready to try out CBD for your anxiety? Then check out our latest range of CBD oils now.
