CBD Oil for Anxiety: What You Need to Know

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CBD is becoming one of the most popular wellness products in the UK because of all the benefits people are finding from it. But, of all of the reasons people use CBD, the one that is talked about the most is CBD oil for anxiety. Especially at these uncertain times in the world.

As research continues to grow, more people are trying out CBD oil to manage their stress, and beyond that, more severe anxiety disorders. Let’s look at just how CBD oil may be able to help you with anxiety.

How Does CBD Oil Help with Anxiety?

To understand how CBD oil can help with anxiety, you need to start with some biology! Our bodies are filled with receptors everywhere. Think of them as microscopic cell phone towers. They receive signals from all over the place that allows for communication. This system is known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS) – a naturally occurring system in your body that helps you keep homeostasis or balance.

CBD interacts with the CB1 and CB2 receptors within the ECS. There’s still lots of research ongoing to understand these more, but they do think that they are related to serotonin. You’ve probably heard of that word when people talk about depression or happiness, but it’s also thought to help with anxiety.

The reason so many people are excited about CBD for anxiety is that the research to back it  up is growing. One of the more common findings is that subjects have less anxiety in response to stressful situations.

A 2010 study  found that CBD oil reduced anxiety in people with social anxiety disorder by looking at scans of their brain that showed people who had been given CBD reacted better to stress. 

It also helps people who have social anxiety related to public speaking. A study found that CBD significantly ‘reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in their speech performance.’

Research in 2019  found that CBD helped not only people with anxiety but also sleep issues. Within the first month, nearly 80% of users had a decrease in anxiety and sleep was improved in 66% of the users. Another study in 2014 found that CBD had anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects on animals.

CBD is also found to help with PTSD. In a case study, CBD proved to be an effective treatment for reducing anxiety and improving sleep in a young girl with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Anxiety vs Stress: What’s the Difference?

We’ve all felt stressed out before. It’s part of life. You have a difficult client at work. Your rent has gone up. You have a big argument with your partner. Things pop up every single day that can stress you out!

Your reaction to stress is part of your ‘fight or flight’ systems. Some of us can just take a bubble bath or read a book to de-stress, but for some, there is almost nothing that can make you feel better.  

That is why there is a big difference between being stressed and experiencing anxiety. Anxiety is when that sense of stress doesn’t stop. It’s always there and interferes with how you live your life.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, anxiety is rising. According to data gathered by the Office of National Statistics, anxiety is up in the UK since the coronavirus lockdown happened, with most people concerned about the future and their well-being.

Even before COVID-19, it was one of the most common mental health issues in the world. It is estimated that 275 million people  suffer from anxiety disorders, or around 4% of the global population. In the UK  it's estimated that over 2.5 million people have it.

And there isn’t just one kind of anxiety disorder.

Generalized Anxiety: This is where you have anxiety all of the time with lots of worries, and it seemingly was not provoked by anything. 

Social Anxiety Disorder: Experiencing overwhelming anxiety in social situations. This disorder is where you feel extreme self-consciousness and worry about doing things like public speaking or eating in front of others. 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: This is when you have recurring obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviours that provide relief from anxiety like counting or washing your hands.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: This happens after experiencing a traumatic event. You usually then feel like your re-experiencing the anxiety related to the event. You can have nightmares, insomnia or avoid social interactions.

How Does Anxiety Affect Your Body?

Remember the ‘fight or flight’ we mentioned? When your body is continuously experiencing that – it reacts in strange ways. That is why you can be affected physically and emotionally by anxiety. You can experience things like heart disease, insomnia, fatigue, depression, headaches and lots of other physical issues.

Studies have shown that ECS can be one of the central regulators  of anxiety in your body. That’s why CBD could be such a great option.

How to Take CBD Oil for Anxiety

There are many ways that you can take CBD oil, and it all depends on your preference. One of the first things you should think about is bioavailability. It’s the degree and rate of CBD absorption into your bloodstream.

CBD that is eaten or swallowed would have a low degree of bioavailability because it has to be absorbed through the stomach and then passes through the liver before it reaches the bloodstream. Vaping CBD would have a high degree because it enters the bloodstream quickly through the lungs. 

CBD Vape Oil

CBD Vape oil is one of the best ways to take CBD because of how fast-acting it is. Using a vape pen  to inhale the CBD means it enters your bloodstream quickly. You can usually notice the effect in about 5 – 15 minutes. For CBD vape oil Amphora uses CBD distillate with added terpenes to give you excellent bioavailability. Our Peace  and ZZZ  formulas are specifically designed to provide you with a feeling of calm and relaxation, to help you get the rest you need.

CBD Edibles and Capsules

When you swallow capsules or edibles, it passes through the digestive tract and is eventually metabolized by the liver. Because of this process, it takes longer to be released into your bloodstream so the effects can take anywhere from 30 to 180 minutes, but the results will last longer.

Anxiety can be mediated in a lot of different ways, but the potential of CBD is really exciting - with ongoing research, and the more we're finding out just how great it may be. Whether you're using an inhale product just before speaking in public or taking a capsule before a long flight – there is a way CBD may be able to work for you.