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Anxiety and CBD

Unlike the much shakier status of marijuana proper, CBD is widely legal, and widely available.

By Casey ChesterfieldPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Anxiety disorders are the most common forms of mental health issues in our country. For around 40 million American adults, the debilitating physical and mental symptoms of anxiety are a daily reality that can cause stress and unhappiness, erode productivity, and destroy important relationships. However, between professional help and medication, you do have options.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Not all anxiety disorders are the same, of course. Generally, speaking, there are five different types of anxiety disorders. They include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia), among others.

Depending on the sort of anxiety disorder that you suffer from, you may have trouble functioning at work, attending or hosting parties, going on dates, or supporting your loved ones in fulfilling, healthy relationships. There are a lot of important things in life that anxiety can turn into real challenges.

Anxiety isn’t the sort of thing that can be completely cured by just a pill. But it is the sort of thing that can be treated.

Addressing Anxiety

Living with anxiety means controlling the symptoms of your disorder, and developing strategies to address the challenges that anxiety creates. The things that anxiety does will still happen, but you can gain greater control over how you react to the impulses, fears, and even physical symptoms that anxiety can trigger.

Controlling anxiety begins with the decision to work with a mental health professional. You can look one up with the help of your health insurance provider, or you can ask your primary care provider for a referral.

A psychiatrist will be able to diagnose your issues, and may prescribe medication. A psychologist or therapist is more likely to focus on talk therapy, and other non-medicinal treatments. Talk therapy can be invaluable for those of us with anxiety issues, as it can help us examine the ways in which we think (and the ways in which anxiety affects our thought processes) and develop ways to counter negative thinking, and other potentially damaging things that our minds can do to us.

Your lifestyle matters, too. Living a healthy lifestyle, complete with good nutrition and regular exercise, can have a measurable impact on your mental health, and help you control anxiety. So can regular medication. And supplements that you can get over the counter may help, too–which brings us to our next section.

Where does CBD come in?

CBD is a natural health supplement that could help you with your anxiety issues. It’s derived from marijuana; it’s one of more than 100 cannabinoids, or active chemicals within marijuana.

Marijuana’s cannabinoids are responsible for its many effects, but not all cannabinoids are part of every effect. For instance, THC is primarily responsible for marijuana’s famous “high,” while CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning that it won’t get you high on its own.

But CBD can, some studies suggest, ease symptoms of anxiety. That makes CBD supplements popular choices among folks with anxiety. CBD can be taken in all sorts of forms, from pills and tinctures, to infused edibles and drinks. It’s easy to take, perfectly safe, and can work in conjunction with other treatments.

Is CBD a substitute for professional mental health care? No, of course not. But it can be a great addition to your anti-anxiety strategies, and a valuable part of your happy and healthy life.

Fight back!

You deserve a happy life. You deserve a fulfilling career. You deserve to attend social events, and your friends and family deserve to have you there. You deserve to be able to throw your kids parties, and your kids deserve to have them. You deserve to go through your day happy and optimistic, not fearful and stressed. And to do any, and all, of these things, you need to fight back against anxiety.

So seek treatment, build a healthy lifestyle, and consider CBD, too–it just might make a difference in the way you, and your mind, get along.

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