Anxiety: Problems and Solutions
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to observe the complicated, often silent challenges mental illnesses pose. This year especially, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has added to the pile of unexpected stressors for nearly everyone navigating through the unknown. Further, it has offered a widespread picture of the contrasting ways people manage stress and anxiety.
Studies conducted prior to the pandemic showed over 19 percent of U.S. adults suffer from mental illnesses, with anxiety disorders among the top-cited.1 Anxiety can be caused by a multitude of external and internal factors including low serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter that regulates your mood and energy levels. Studies suggest that CBD may alter serotonin receptor signaling to positively impact functions that reduce feelings of stress.2 While additional research is needed to identify the exact mechanism, the 20 percent of CBD users who cite decreased anxiety as a reason for CBD use is a promising statistic.3
Within the pharmaceutical industry, the most common prescription treatment for low serotonin is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).4 To inhibit reuptake is to block serotonin from being reabsorbed by a nerve ending after it has performed its regulatory functions, thus maintaining a higher level of the feel-good chemical in the system. Imagine water being poured into a bowl with a few holes that allow it to slowly drain. If your body isn’t receiving enough water in its metaphorical bowl to maintain regulatory functions, then blocking a few of the holes, or “nerve endings,” can help you retain more water.
While SSRIs prove a successful anxiety treatment option for many, they can still cause a range of side effects while using as well as temporary withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation.5 For those seeking a natural alternative to SSRIs, research shows CBD has the potential to ease symptoms of anxiety.4 Pairing CBD with serotonin-inducing activities like aerobic exercise and time spent outdoors – thereby naturally “increasing the bowl’s water supply” – could help effectively manage anxiety for those partial to a lifestyle of natural wellness.
CBD Research
A 2018 study on CBD’s impact on social anxiety disorder showed a moderate dose of CBD oil taken 90 minutes before a public speaking activity was effective in reducing speakers’ anxiety.4 Additional research is needed to identify effective dosages among a wider population, but we would suggest beginning with a 1 mL dose of 500 mg or 1,000 mg CBD oil, which respectively equates to 16 mg or 33 mg, to gauge its impact on your body.
CBD has also shown efficacy in lessening symptoms of PTSD as well as improving multiple measures of stress and anxiety. 2 This data is exciting for the CBD community and provides tangible tools to utilize in a broader push for natural wellness, especially for those suffering from anxiety-related disorders. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and as a wellness-centered business, we are driven to create products that are safe, natural, and effective.
Our Take
After farming multiple types of produce as a family for generations, we have learned and practiced one of the most basic ethical standards: If we don’t feel our products are beneficial to our own family members, then we don’t produce them. Similarly, our mission as a vertically integrated CBD company is to benefit our local community and beyond with CBD oils, topicals, and capsules that improve mental and physical wellness naturally while abiding by high ethical standards. This doesn’t make us anti-prescription medication, but rather pro-natural lifestyle changes.
We hope this National Mental Health Awareness Month you’ll take the first step in your natural wellness journey with Farmulated CBD.
References:
- Mental Health By the Numbers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/mhstats
- The Biology and Potential Therapeutic Effects of Cannabidiol. (2015, June 24). Retrieved from https://archives.drugabuse.gov/testimonies/2015/biology-potential-therapeutic-effects-cannabidiol
- Brenan, M. (2020, April 8). 14% of Americans Say They Use CBD Products. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/263147/americans-say-cbd-products.aspx
- Cherney, K. (2020, April 4). Can CBD Oil Help Reduce Anxiety? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-anxiety#how-cbd-works
- Connell, P. (2020, March 24). How to Avoid Withdrawal When Stopping SSRI Antidepressants. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/ssri-discontinuation-syndrome-378682
