We all know that anxiety and stress can manifest differently for different people.
But did you know that there are a few different categorised types of anxiety and stress? And that studies have found CBD to be helpful in treating all of them?
You can check out our range of products for treating these disorders and other anxiety-related concerns here.
1. GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)
GAD is one of the more common of these conditions, characterised by chronic anxiety and persistent feelings of excessive worry and stress - often seemingly without a direct cause.
CBD is able to help alleviate such feelings due to its calming effects on the central nervous system.
Similar to some anti-anxiety drugs, CBD is also understood to activate a type of serotonin (the chemical believed to be linked to happiness and wellbeing) receptor in the brain, which is why one of its best known benefits is as a mood enhancer and alleviator of anxiety.
In terms of GAD, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says that CBD has been shown to reduce stress in animals such as rats.
After CBD was administered, the study's subjects were observed to have lower behavioural signs of anxiety, and physiological symptoms, such as increased heart rate, were also found to have improved.
A study from Vanderbilt University even found that cannabis can actually cut down connections between parts of the brain known to activate general anxiety.
2. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)
Traditionally characterised by recurring unwanted thoughts ('obsessions') and repetitive behaviours ('compulsions'), OCD is a particularly destructive form of anxiety.
Compulsive behaviour can manifest as anything from skin picking to cleaning and organising, pulling out hair, counting and repeatedly checking on things.
These repetitive actions are a way of helping to temporarily banish obsessive thoughts, while not performing them serves to significantly increase the anxiety for the person.
In a study from 2020, researchers looked at the effects of cannabis on a group of 87 people suffering from OCD and found that patients reported the results of treatment as being:
- a 60% reduction in compulsions
- a 49% reduction in intrusive thoughts
- a 52% reduction in anxiety
In addition, cannabis with higher doses of CBD appeared to lead to a larger reduction in compulsive behaviour.
3. PANIC DISORDER
Panic disorder is characterised by spontaneous and recurring episodes of intense fear. This is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest or abdominal pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness, and these occurrence are commonly referred to as 'panic attacks'.
In a study examining the anti-panic effects of CBD, the cannabis compound was found to have significant anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) outcomes for human subjects placed in traditionally panic inducing situations, such as simulated public speaking tests.
4. POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
PTSD, is a kind of anxiety disorder that can develop after an experience of trauma in which harm was threatened or a person's physical wellbeing was jeopardised.
These kinds of PTSD-inducing events can include personal assaults, natural or (human-caused) disasters, accidents, acts of murder or violence, or military combat.
A 2016 study on a 10 year old girl suffering from PTSD as a result of sexual abuse found that while pharmaceutical treatments were short-lived and had serious side effects, doses of CBD provided her with long-lasting anxiety relief and a consistent improvement in her ability to sleep.
5. SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER (SAD)
Social Anxiety Disorder, or Social Phobia (agoraphobia) is characterised by acute anxiety and self-consciousness in everyday social situations.
This anxiety can be specific to certain situations or certain behaviours (such as eating or drinking in front of others), or it can be as severe as to arise for an individual almost every time they are in the presence of other people.
A 2019 study focused on a group of teenagers suffering from social anxiety disorders utilised the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale to make the assessment that CBD had profound anti-anxiolytic effects for test subjects, and it was also noted that many of the participants treated with CBD became more positive in their overall attitude toward seeking treatment.