If you suffer with depression and / or anxiety, you know that it’s not always an easy journey. Once you have a diagnosis, you may feel some relief because now you know what you’re dealing with. However, finding medication to treat either or both is not as straightforward as we’d like it to be. Everyone reacts differently to different medications and trying to get back to “normal” (whatever that is) can be difficult if you’re struggling with finding a medication that works for you. It can be expensive and time-consuming if you don’t find one that works quickly.
While there are different types of depression and a wide variety of factors that cause depression, it basically boils down to prolonged stressful situations that lead us to depression and worsen anxiety in most cases. Stress comes in all types and sizes, so again, there’s no one stress fits all here, so to speak.
But there’s hope. The University of Buffalo has released new research that found that the endocannabinoid chemicals in the brain work the same way as the cannabinoids that you find in cannabis. So this reaction means you get an improved mood, which can help ease depression and anxiety.
CBD And Your Body’s Stress Response
CBD is definitely growing in popularity as a way to deal with regular or even chronic stress. But you’re probably wondering how it works. It reduces your body’s sensitivity to stress and possibly eliminates the severe effects of anxiety and depression by promoting brain function and protecting your body from damage caused by stress.
When you get nervous or anxious, your hypothalamus becomes less sensitive to cortisol. What is cortisol? It’s a hormone that regulates many processes throughout the body, but it plays an important part in helping the body respond to stress. So if your cortisol levels start to drop, you will need higher levels of cortisol to get a normal response. If your cortisol levels stay low too long, stress remains in the body for a longer period of time. CBD works with the hypothalamus to improve its sensitivity to cortisol and bring levels back to the normal range.
We all know that stress can cause damage to our bodies. When oxygen in our body splits into a single atom it’s missing an electron, which prefers to be in pairs. These unpaired electrons are called free radicals (which I’m sure you’ve heard of). These free radicals seek out other electrons so they can become a pair and in the process, they wreak havoc on our bodies, causing damage to cells, proteins, and even DNA. CBD is a powerful antioxidant and when you ingest it, it helps to counter the free radicals, which protects your body from damage.
Studies have shown that CBD can help ease anxiety in patients with a generalized social anxiety disorder, which is a common form of anxiety that impacts a person’s social life (hello, global pandemic!). When CBD was used, the study found that it helped ease stress and calmed the brain’s response to this anxiety.
As always, before you start taking any CBD products, we recommend you:
- Speak to your doctor
- Bring information on the specific product(s) you’re considering using, including product description, strength, and the recommended dosage amount (if listed)
- Ask about possible interactions between CBD and any medications you’re taking
- Make sure the products are verified by a third-party lab
