What you need to know about Anxiety & CBD

May is mental health awareness month, and anxiety and depression are the big hitters. Diagnosed cases of anxiety in 2017 totaled around 3.8% worldwide. With pandemic isolation, job losses, deaths, and uncertainty, the number increased by 25%. Here at RVDCBD, we understand the struggle. Many of Rob’s friends in the wrestling world struggled with anxiety and depression and lost the battle. That’s why we aim to create an effective potent CBD product and avoid sugar-coating the truth about CBD. Read on to learn more about anxiety, how to recognize it, how to find treatment, and how CBD can help. 

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is an emotional disorder characterized by nervousness, compulsive behavior, and panic attacks. Anxiety is a body-mind malfunction. It is caused by external trauma, stress, abuse, and/or chemical imbalances. Anxiety can feel like a heavy burden and the severity can vary. Mild symptoms can keep you from normal life occasionally. But moderate to severe anxiety can hinder all function. 

Anxiety Symptoms May Include:

• A sense of impending danger
• Panicking about normal things
• Feeling nervous or tense
• Unable to relax
• Increased heart rate
• Breathes rapidly or hyperventilates
• Sweats excessively
• Experiences tremors and/or trembling

• Chronic weakness and fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating or letting go of worry
• Struggles with gastrointestinal (GI) problems
• Difficulty sleeping
• Avoids topics, activities, places, or people that may trigger anxiety

How CBD Can Help

Recent human trials done by Washington State University showed the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a crucial role in the body’s responses to stress and anxiety. The ECS is CBD’s pathway into the body. For more on how the ECS works, click here or here. Washington University’s published data showed the isolated compound THC decreased anxiety at low doses.

On the other hand, THC at high doses increased anxiety. Simply put, you must be careful with THC. For more information on THC, click here. The data for CBD was very positive. CBD reduced anxiety symptoms significantly without increasing anxiety at low or higher doses. There are many options for treatment. Depending on the severity of the anxiety, it may take several options to find relief. Cannabis is just one of the options on that list.

Get Professional Help

Life is full of uncertainty, and everybody needs help at some time or another. If you suspect you may have anxiety speak to your doctor. Healthcare providers can help determine if you need short-term or long-term care. Don’t hesitate to get help. Anxiety and depression only worsen if left untreated. Many individuals with a mental illness or severe anxiety and depression may develop suicidal tendencies or thoughts. We’ve put together a list of resources to help you start the uphill climb. Don’t wait! Get back to a better quality of life today. 

Short-term Anxiety Help

• Create a Safety Plan
  • Patients work with their caregiver to create a plan to first limit access to lethal means, and second, create a list of coping strategies and people that can help in a crisis.
• Schedule Progress check-ups
  • create a group of reliable people or healthcare workers that will call and really listen as suicide risks lessen.

Long-term Anxiety Help

There are 5 general areas of therapy proven to help individuals with anxiety. If you need a therapist or psychiatrist, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) can help you locate a mental health provider near you. Click here to find a mental health provider near you.

5 types of therapy

• Psychoanalysis or psychodynamics
  • takes a deeper look at how unconscious thoughts or worldview influences current behavior and thoughts
• Behavioral therapy
  • helps individuals recognize harmful behaviors

• Cognitive therapy
  • helps people recognize harmful thinking
• Humanistic therapy
  • enforces the goodness of people and explores the individual’s uniqueness
  • for more information on humanistic therapy, click here.
• Integrative or holistic
  • (aka body-centered psychotherapy) looks at the individual as a whole and uses talk therapy and other approaches, like hypnosis, breath therapy, and meditation to heal the individual

Where to Find Immediate Help?

Severe anxiety completely interferes with normal function. It can be difficult to manage worry and the symptoms that accompany it. CBD, while helpful,is not a replacement for medical help. Thus, RVDCBD strongly urges you to speak to your healthcare provider before and during CBD use. If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, get help now. Below are many of the warning signs. 

Conclusion

If you have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression, we strongly urge you to speak to your healthcare provider before CBD use. If you decide to use CBD start by avoiding THC. Consider CBD with zero THC. Click here for RVDCBD’s Zero THC product lines, available in gummies, tinctures, and topicals. And take your time in determining the right dose for you. We recommend you start with a low dose. Also, keep a journal of your symptoms and the effects for your records. If you’re unsure how to find your optimal or safe dose, click here. IF you have questions, call us. Remember, you had RVD’s back throughout his career, so we’ve got yours now. 

Suicide Help

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • is available 24 hours
  • has people ready to communicate in English and Spanish-
  • 800-273-8255
  • https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• Call your Primary Care doctor or 911
• Veteran’s Crisis Line
  • 1-800-273-8255 (Press option #1)
• Crisis Text Line
  • is available 24 hours
  • 741741