Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), an estimated 40 million adults (over 18% of the population) suffer from some form of anxiety or clinical depression. And yet despite widely available forms of treatment, less than half of those afflicted receive treatment. With such a prolific impact on our lives and the lives of those we care about, it is important that we continue to develop and provide access to a variety of means for effective treatment of anxiety.
There is now growing energy around the use of CBD as a method of treating symptoms of anxiety. CBD works by targeting receptors in the brain, particularly serotonin receptors (the “feel good” receptors). These receptors are responsible for a person’s reaction to everything from depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, to physical ailments such as pain, nausea, and withdrawal symptoms. It is believed that CBD improves the ability of these receptors to allow the body’s naturally produced chemicals to do their job, improving the ability for the body to effectively manage the stimuli causing these symptoms. These effects are not unlike the effects of THC on the brain, but without the euphoria and counteracting paranoia that can come from ingesting cannabis.
Much of the early research on the effects of CBD on the brain suggest that it works in the same manner as FDA approved SSRI Class medications included Prozac and Zoloft. Both SSRIs and CBD seem to promote regeneration of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that plays a role in both depression and anxiety.
While much of this neurological research is still in the preclinical (animal) stage, there have been recent case studies on the effects of CBD on human anxiety. In February 2020, the Journal of Clinical Psychology published a case study on a teenage patient with Crohn’s disease. The patient struggled with intense fear and anxiety over medical treatments. The authors reported the results as “promising”. Of particular benefit to the patient in question was the dual effect of treating the patient’s inflammation due to Crohn’s. Another February 2020 case study in the German publication Neuropsychiatrie found that CBD offered relief to a teenager struggling with both anxiety and harmful use of mind-altering drugs.
Don’t suffer in silence any longer! KY Girl Hemp, located in Northern Kentucky, is here to help. Contact us and let us help you find the product you need to feel your best!