Anxiety is a general term used to describe a variety of characteristics such as worry, apprehension, and nervousness. Common life elements like work, family, money, and politics exaggerate anxiety and often determine whether an individual is likely to take a "fight or flight" response to stress and anxiety.

Anxiety disorders involve nature just as much as nurture and include conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD, Panic Disorder, PSTD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Social Anxiety.

Pharmaceutical Solutions:

Anxiety not only causes emotional and physical discomfort it promotes or possibly brings on life-threatening conditions. These conditions include high blood pressure, heart disease, serious digestive conditions, and even cancer.

Often the emotional or physical distress caused by anxiety requires treatment and medication to be able to cope on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry has come up with several offerings to help anxiety sufferers' lead healthy lives. Unfortunately, these drugs come complete with adverse side-effects.

Some examples of these pharmaceuticals include:

• Benzodiazepines, which include Xanax are often used short term for conditions like Social Anxiety. Examples of Social Anxiety include stage fright and fear of intimacy. Side effects include drowsiness and loss of balance.
• Buspirone is used both short and long-term or for occasional anxiety-filled events or inherited conditions such as Panic Disorder. Since buspirone affects chemicals in your brain, it sometimes causes dizziness, headaches, and nausea.
• Paxil, Zoloft and other antidepressants often cause nausea, dry mouth, dizziness and even sexual dysfunction.
• Tricyclics are explicitly used to treat OCD but often come with constipation and weight gain.
• MAOIs have an array of side-effects and also have stipulations on what kind of foods your diet permits.

CBD Solution:

CBD or cannabidiol is a cannabinoid from the hemp version of the cannabis sativa plant. The cannabis sativa plant is also the source of the marijuana plant. The primary difference between hemp and marijuana is that to be considered hemp a plant must have less than .3% tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC is the cannabinoid responsible for the euphoric high or "stoned" feeling.

Like recreational or medical marijuana, CBDs are smoked, taken in pill form, or consumed as oils or edibles.

How CBD Works:

Both marijuana and hemp work with the body's endocannabinoid system or ECS. The ECS was discovered in the 1980s as part of research to determine why cannabis treatments worked on so many different ailments.

The ECS is made up of endocannabinoids throughout the body. These endocannabinoids are molecules made up of arachidonic acid, anandamide, and arachidonoyl glycerol. The overall purpose of the ECS is to achieve homeostasis or balance.

CBD and other forms of cannabis work exceptionally well with the ECS because the cannabis plant has the same type of system or phytocannabinoids to promote the growth and protect the plant. 

Though the THC in marijuana is often used to alleviate anxiety or depression, it does come with some adverse effects such as lack of motivation and impaired motor skills. Adding CBD to the mix helps to minimize these side-effects making the THC treatment more effective.

CBD oil has been shown to help anxiety on its own. Through the ECS system, it works at the cellular level to target the system or area needing attention, including the brain and nervous system.

Using CBD for anxiety comes with little or no adverse effects. Even better, it also helps to alleviate the symptoms of conditions which stress exacerbates. Including other healthful practices such as exercise, proper nutrition, and meditation with the CBD treatment increases its results. Make sure to check with a healthcare professional to see if CBD is right for you.

For more information on CBD Oil for anxiety, click here!