Almost everyone experiences some type of anxious feelings from time to time, but if such symptoms become chronic and keep occurring frequently, it may be time to seek help in managing it. A person suffering from anxious feelings can experience feelings that are uncontrollable, overwhelming and persistent.

How big of an issue is Anxiety?

Anxiety is extremely common, and in America alone over 3 million people suffer from some sort of anxiety disorder that interferes with daily life.

The 5 common types of anxiety are identified as:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD
  • Panic Disorder
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD
  • Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder

Unlike other health issues, there are no concrete diagnostic tests to confirm that a person is suffering from anxiety. Usually, a physician makes their diagnosis by interviewing the patient.
Before the treatment of anxiety with any type of medication, there are fortunately different lifestyle and behavioral changes that may help in improving the condition such as:

  • Acknowledge that you are suffering from anxiety and seek out professional help.
  • There are a lot of stressors such as long work hours, stressful relationships, and work overload. Work with your friends and family and try to eliminate these factors as much as you can.
  • Enjoy enough restful night sleep and try to relax your body through meditation, exercise, and yoga.
  • Indulge yourself in a hobby you enjoy, such as reading a book, painting, or music therapy.
  • Avoid food options that trigger anxiety such as caffeine.

CBD and Anxious Feelings

Cannabidiol or CBD is a cannabinoid that is found in hemp or marijuana plant. Current research suggests that CBD has pharmacological abilities that may help in managing different health problems. Experts also believe that CBD may also manage anxious feelings. But is this true and if it is how? Let’s explore!

A scientific study published in 2015 found that CBD interacts with serotonin 5HT1A receptor that regulates anxious feelings and fear induced behavior. The author’s of the study also found that clinical and preclinical evidence suggest that CBD may help with following forms of anxiety:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Social anxiety disorder

Researchers evaluated in a prospective study the effects of CBD on people suffering from sleep or anxious feelings. After two months, results were mixed as 18% adults reported worsening of symptoms after using CBD and 78 to 79% adults reported improvement in anxious feelings.

In a recent study conducted in 2020 scientist observed the effects of CBD on 397 adults. Participants received treatment for cancer symptoms, neurological symptoms, pain and mental health symptoms. All individuals reported improvement after 3 weeks of CBD administration. Participants suffering from anxiety reported improvements in their ability to carry out daily chores due to reduced anxiety and pain. 9.9% of the participants experienced side effects such as vivid dreams, sedation and an even smaller portion of the participants reported worsening of symptoms.

From above discussions we can conclude that CBD may help with anxious feelings. However, be safe and discuss your condition with your physician before trying CBD for issue, including anxious feelings.