You’ve likely heard a lot about the different uses and benefits of CBD and CBD-based products over the past several years, as the various segments of the cannabis market rapidly grew throughout the United States and beyond.
If so, you might wonder what CBD oil might be able to do for you, especially if you struggle with frequent bouts of anxiety.
In the article below, our trusted CBD experts from Go Botanicals will explore how CBD oil can help you reduce the effects of anxiety and provide a list of several of the best CBD oils currently on the market that you should consider trying for yourself!
CBD Oil for Anxiety: What Science Says
Anxiety has become a real problem for so many people in today’s volatile world.
According to research and statistics, 40 million American adults aged 18 and older experience one anxiety disorder or another each year. This amounts to 18.1% of the population. Of these, only 39.6% seek a psychotherapist’s insight, even though many anxiety disorders are highly treatable.
The more severe cases of anxiety are typically addressed using benzodiazepines and other pharmaceutical medications. While these medications are effective in treating anxiety symptoms, many are also sedating and often addictive, leading to people becoming dependent on them after extended periods of regular use.
The implication of this is that there’s a significant need for a natural and affordable yet effective alternative.
According to preliminary research, this could very well be CBD.
Derived from industrial hemp, CBD is a chemical compound that is touted to have numerous medical benefits. Over the recent past, doctors, psychiatrists, and other medical practitioners have suggested that CBD has more use than it’s given credit for.
This article will delve deeper into whether these beliefs are true, how to use CBD oil for anxiety, and where to find the best CBD oils on the market.
But first, the basics:
What is CBD?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a hydrocarbon found in cannabis (hemp and marijuana) but more abundantly in hemp varieties. It is one of the hundred or more cannabinoids present in the plant. This compound is non-psychoactive, meaning it won’t get you high, unlike its well-known counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
What Are The Benefits of CBD?
Even if you haven’t already tried cannabidiol, you’ve likely come across thousands of web pages on the internet dedicated to its benefits and effects.
Although the data is quite limited, preliminary research points to CBD being incredibly useful in managing chronic pain, which is a problem that close to 21% of the general population deals with.
Chronic pain makes it difficult for most people to work, exercise, sleep, and even walk. This adversely affects their productivity, along with their overall quality of life and ability to function as typical members of society.
Based on how it interacts with receptors in the brain, CBD may be able to change how the body perceives and responds to pain and may thus help provide relief against the debilitating symptoms of fibromyalgia, lupus, back pain, and more.
New statistics also show that 42% of all Americans that use CBD use it to manage insomnia, that is, the inability to fall and stay asleep.
People who have insomnia tend to have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, during the night. This hormone, which is normally released in the early morning hours, is what keeps insomniacs up at night. Studies suggest that CBD may help inhibit cortisol secretion, making it easier for people to fall asleep.
These statistics also show that a whopping 49% of people use CBD for anxiety, which will be the primary focus of today’s article.
CBD Oil for Anxiety: Does it Work?
Anxiety is a normal body response key to evolution and survival- it helps us remain vigilant and wary, ready to act if anything indeed goes wrong.
However, for many people, it is difficult to turn this ON switch OFF, leaving them in constant panic and fear of the unknown. This is common in people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Such people often turn to CBD to help calm their anxiety, but does it work? And how much CBD oil should one use for anxiety? To understand this, we’ll need to look at how CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system.
CBD and the Endocannabinoid System
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a network of receptors, endocannabinoids, and cannabinoid receptor proteins that are expressed all over the body.
Over the past few decades, researchers have discovered that this system plays a crucial role in achieving and maintaining a state of balance, called homeostasis, in the body. The ECS, therefore, plays a huge role in physiological processes such as sleep, appetite, digestion, mood, and even immune function.
Endocannabinoids are neurotransmitters- “messengers” that the ECS uses to communicate with the body- that bind to special receptors.
Since CBD and THC have a similar chemical structure to these endocannabinoids, they bind to receptors in the same way. This implies that introducing CBD to the body may help communicate certain messages to the brain and other parts of the body, thereby restoring balance.
Related: What Does CBD Do? Is It A Scam?- Why It May Not Be Working For You
Anxiety, The Brain, and the Endocannabinoid System
The brain is responsible for mood changes. When it comes to anxiety, a region in the brain called the amygdala triggers certain responses in the wake of real (and perceived) dangers.
Picture this: you’re walking home at night and see a dark figure lurking in the distance. Your stomach drops, muscles tighten, and breathing takes on a faster pace.
You become alert and, realizing you’re in danger, turn around and run. In this scenario, your brain successfully communicates the impending danger to your body, putting you in a state of fight-or-flight.
In the case of perceived dangers and false alarms, the brain often goes to the same lengths, thus triggering anxiety symptoms (unnecessarily since you’re not in real danger).
Since the endocannabinoid system helps modulate mood, it can intercept commands from the brain whenever it initiates a stress response. This explains why many patients today are using CBD oil for anxiety.
So, What Does CBD Oil Do for Anxiety?
People suffering from anxiety have been found to have higher levels of serotonin in their systems. This often brings about agitation, franticness, and pacing. By binding to 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A, the serotonin receptors, CBD is able to change how your body responds to the serotonin in your system.
Since these receptors are associated with fear and anxiety, among others, introducing CBD into your body may help ease stress and relieve anxiety. A study indicates that people suffering from generalized social anxiety disorder found it easier to give a speech after receiving a 600 mg dose of CBD.
If you suffer from anxiety and are looking for the best natural remedy, a premium CBD tincture may be the answer.
Are you searching for a top-quality source of CBD-based products to help relieve your anxiety? Check out our shop at Go Botanicals today!
What Research Says About CBD For Anxiety
Several other studies also found that CBD may help manage anxiety, and recently, clinical trials have produced promising results.
In a 2011 clinical trial, researchers used CBD as a pre-treatment for people with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), one of the most common anxiety conditions. A total of 24 patients were given either 600 mg CBD or a placebo one and a half hours before a simulation public speaking test.
The patients that received the CBD pre-treatment showed significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort during the simulation public speaking test compared to the placebo group.
Another 2019 study published in The Permanente Journal had promising results on the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol on anxiety and sleep. The researchers studied the effects of CBD on 72 adults, 47 with primary anxiety concerns and 25 with poor sleep.
After the first month of treatment, the study found that anxiety levels decreased within the first month and remained decreased during the entire study period, and sleep scores improved within the first month but fluctuated over time.
Most studies focus on CBD for social anxiety; however, it may also be helpful in other types. CBD has shown promise in alleviating generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorders.
How Do You Use CBD Oil for Anxiety?
One of the most popular ways of using cannabidiol is through CBD oil, also referred to as a tincture. But how do you use CBD oil for anxiety, and what’s the best CBD oil to use?
CBD oil can be used in several ways. It can be taken sublingually by applying CBD oil drops under the tongue or swallowed and absorbed in the stomach as oil or in capsule form.
The sublingual application provides the fastest effects compared to edibles and swallowing the oil. This is because the mucous membranes in the mouth are filled with tiny capillaries that absorb CBD directly into the bloodstream.
Swallowing CBD oils means it has to be absorbed in the stomach, which delays the effects as the CBD has to go through the digestion process.
How Much CBD Oil Should You Take for Anxiety?
Due to the young nature of the CBD industry and the fact that the FDA has only approved one CBD-based drug, it’s hard to tell just what dosage of CBD one should take.
That said, the running theory is that the starting dosage should be 2.5 mg of CBD/kg, taken twice a day. This will make it easy for you to monitor how your body reacts to the compound.
Although CBD is non-addictive and generally has no side effects, taking too much could leave you feeling dizzy, nauseated, dry-mouthed, or lethargic. In some cases, taking too much CBD oil can trigger a cannabis-induced panic attack, causing shaking, sweating, and feelings of intense paranoia or doom that you can’t explain.
Naturally, when you’re taking CBD for the explicit purpose of helping relieve anxiety, this is the last possible issue you want to deal with.
It is therefore important to make sure you get the dosage right. This is why the CBD content of all our products is indicated on the packaging.
At the end of the day, however, there is no one-size-fits-all CBD dosage for anxiety, and you’ll need to experiment to find out what dosage works best for you.
The first step in this process should usually involve figuring out how much CBD is in each serving. You can do this by dividing the total CBD concentration (the whole bottle) by the serving size.
For quality CBD oil and other CBD products made by reputable companies like Go Botanicals, the math for a single serving size should already be calculated for you and included on the label of each bottle.
Start by only using the recommended serving size provided to see how it impacts you and determine if it provides the level of anxiety relief you’re looking for.
We recommend sticking to this serving size recommendation for several days since a gradual buildup of CBD in your system will help provide more noticeable effects over the long term.
However, suppose you notice that this dosage is not providing the relief you need for your anxiety. In that case, you can start to experiment with the dosage by gradually increasing it until you can find the amount that works best for your unique needs.
Related: How to Use CBD Gummies for Pain and Inflammation
The 3 Best CBD Oil Products for Anxiety
We’ve now covered the essential basics of CBD, how it works, and how CBD oil can help relieve your anxiety. To finish this article, let’s explore a selection of the best CBD oil products currently available that you need to consider adding to your cart today!
1. Balance Blend Full Spectrum Gummies From Go Botanicals
The first top-quality CBD oil on our list is the Balance Blend Full Spectrum Full Spectrum Gummies from the passionate CBD experts at Go Botanicals.
These gummies are the first full spectrum offering from Go Botanicals. After much customer feedback and research, these gummies have become a fierce favorite from the beginning. They combine just the right amount of cannabinoids, including a legal amount of THC. These are a delicious berry flavor and a potent way to help with anxiety and stress. These CBD gummies are certified gluten free, dairy free, and fat free. They have no artificial sweeteners and are low sodium, and nut free.
The Balance Blend Full Spectrum Gummies are available in a 60 count bottle containing a total of 1500mg of CBD for $54.00 per bottle.
Go Botanicals is passionate about CBD and helping the Veteran community. Go Botanicals learned through their client base that many Veterans are taking these products to help with sleep, anxiety and PTSD. Through organizations like Wish For Our Heroes, Go Botanicals has committed to supporting the military community.
2. The THC-Free Pure CBD Oil Tincture From CBDistillery
Next on our list is the THC-Free Pure CBD Oil isolate from CBDistillery. While not as potent or powerful as our top choice from Go Botanicals, this tincture can be a decent choice for those new to the CBD realm and looking for a low-dose product to try and address their anxiety without making too big of an impact. The bottle contains 500mg of isolate CBD oil, and each serving contains 17mg of CBD.
The Pure CBD Oil Tincture is available in a 30ml bottle and is currently available for $32.00 for a one-time purchase. People who enjoy the product can also subscribe to get free shipping and save 30%, dropping the price to just $22.40 per bottle
3. Papa & Barkley Releaf Drops
The final recommendation on our list of top-quality CBD oil tinctures is Papa & Barkley Releaf Drops. Compared to our first and second listings above, this product is kind of a plain Jane, but it can still help tone down the volume of your overall anxiety levels and comes in both unflavored and lemongrass ginger.
The tincture is currently available in 15ml and 30ml bottle sizes and contains 450mg of CBD, and 900mg of CBD, respectively. They’re priced at $34.99 for the 15ml bottle and $59.99 for the 30ml bottle for a one-time purchase. You can also subscribe and save 20% on each, depending on your preferred size.
Final Factors For You to Consider
Our dedicated CBD experts from Go Botanicals hope that the above article has answered your questions and helped you to feel confident about adding CBD oil to your daily routine to help address your anxiety issues.
The basics that you need to understand To learn even more about the great benefits that CBD-based products may create in your life, please try browsing through our wide selection of other educational articles.
If you’re looking for some potent anxiety relief, consider trying out CBD oil to see what it can do for you! At Go Botanicals, we offer a wide selection of top-quality CBD-based goods.
