CBD Oil and Mental Health

CBD Oil and Mental Health

A lot of the global population suffers from mental illness. A national survey on Drug Use and Health says approx 21% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2020. This translates into roughly 52.9 million people or 1 out of every 5 individuals suffering from one or any other type of mental illness. 

Mental illness can be treated from a range of medications depending upon the type of illness and symptoms. Most people are moving towards alternative medications such as CBD products like our favorite CBD Gummies these days. These products have several benefits, including the much-hyped anti-inflammatory and pain relief. 

Interest in CBD has grown very much in the last few recent years. People are trying to know the potential benefits of CBD in mental health. A 2019 research of JAMA Network Open says search queries on Google have increased by 126%. Moreover, more than 6 million search requests on Google in Apr 2019 alone. 

What is CBD oil?

Cannabidiol is a natural compound extracted from cannabis or hemp plants. The compound belongs to an interesting category of chemical cannabinoids. Interestingly, our body also releases certain types of cannabinoids. These cannabinoids act as “feel good” molecules when they interact with the body’s cannabinoid system.  

The cannabinoid or endocannabinoid system helps maintain a good environment inside the body. It does so by ensuring the activities of the stomach and intestines are on track. Similarly, it also helps reduce inflammation and pain, and mood uplift. 

Here are some of the mental disorders in which CBD may help: 

Anxiety: 

Anxiety is a common mental disorder that affects the masses. The National Institute of Mental Health(NIH) data estimates anxiety disorder affects over 19% of the American population every year. Studies suggest CBD may also help reduce the symptoms of social anxiety disorder. 

 In a 2015 study published in the journal Neurotherapeutics, CBD was effective in various anxiety disorders. The study analyzed the results of available preclinical data on the use of CBD in some mental illnesses, such as 

  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Panic disorder 

Depression: 

The NIH says depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting the American population. It estimates depression affects around 17.3 million adults per year. While effective anti-depression treatments are available, such as psychotherapy and medication. Antidepressant drugs also have several side effects, due to which people are looking towards CBD. 

Experts believe CBD is potentially helpful in depression-like conditions. Like some anti-depressant, CBD also acts on the serotonin receptors present in the brain. The low serotonin level causes depression; while CBD doesn’t increase serotonin levels, it affects how the brain responds to serotonin. 

Sleeping problem: 

Sleep is vital for mental health and overall well-being. An irregular sleep cycle may cause many problems, including irritation, high stress, chronic heart problems, and weight gain. It also has adverse effects on the body’s metabolism, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes. 

The Center for Disease (CDC) reports that one-third of the American population doesn’t get the required amount of sleep each night. According to the CDC, adults need 7 or more hours per night. 

Research conducted on adult patients suffering from anxiety and insomnia concluded that 25mg of CBD daily might help improve the sleep quantity in most patients. Though these stats fluctuated over time, there needs to be more research on the potential effects of CBD in sleep management. 

Post-Traumatic stress disorder: 

Around 6.1% of American adults have PTSD, most of them are war veterans. PTSD is characterized by nightmares of traumatic events and avoidance of things related to the trauma.

Research suggests CBD may help in reducing PTSD-related symptoms, including nightmares. Researchers have found that an oral dose of CBD and regular psychiatric medication for PTSD can alleviate the symptoms in another study is CBD Oil and Mental Health. 

Epilepsy: 

CBD oil is quite beneficial in the treatment of neurological disorders. It helps in decreasing the frequency and severeness of seizures. Sometimes, neurological disorders such as Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) don’t respond effectively to the anti-seizure drugs. Due to this, doctors find it hard to treat these patients. 

However, CBD oil may help in treating this kind of patient. Even the FDA has licensed a first-of-its-kind, pure CBD drug, Epidiolex, to treat Dravet and LGS in children over 2 years. Similarly, another medicine (not approved by the FDA), Sativex, an equal mixture of CBD and THC, is used in many European countries to treat Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.). 

Alzheimer’s disease (A.D.): 

CBD has shown amazing results in the treatment of A.D. Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia say CBD in high doses can restore the abilities of some proteins in the brain. These proteins help maintain logical ability. Moreover, it also reduces inflammation, oxygen buildup, and brain cell death due to A.D. 

A 2016 study of the NIH says activating CB2 receptors of the brain may help in increasing blood flow to the brain. These proteins also help clean up dead cells in the brain that causes A.D. By accumulating in the brain, these dead cells hinder the communication between neurons. Moreover, CBD is also effective in the treatment of vascular dementia. 

Should you try CBD for mental health: 

CBD is a natural product, and there is no apparent risk in consuming it. While there is evidence supporting CBD, they are promising but insufficient. Though most experts believe CBD oil is safe, some people are sensitive to it. These people may face fatigue or diarrhea after taking CBD oil. 

Conclusion:

CBD is popular as an alternative treatment for many ailments, so, if you are looking for treatment using CBD, it’s wise to get a clinical opinion on it. However, the neuroprotective properties of CBD are strong and seem enough for a healthy person.

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CBD Oil and Mental Health

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