CBD Oil For Anxiety – Does Research Stand Up To The Hype?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. They affect 40 million adults – that’s over 18% of the U.S. population.

People with anxiety disorders are as much as 5 times more likely to go to the doctor, and 6 times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders. And despite the fact that anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.

Is CBD oil for anxiety the solution? Can it help those suffering with an anxiety disorder?

Research On CBD Oil For Anxiety

Scientists now know that anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors. Things like genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events can all result in the development of anxiety.

Some of the most prevalent anxiety disorders in the U.S. include:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Panic Disorder (PD)
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
• Obsessive–compulsive Disorder (OCD)

To date, significant research has been done on CBD oil for anxiety. And that research proves that CBD holds great promise for those dealing with it.

For example, in 2015, researchers set out to review all existing research on how CBD can help with the various types of anxiety disorders. Based on numerous studies, the researchers concluded that evidence proves CBD’s efficacy in reducing anxious behaviors associated with different disorders.

What’s more, the study also notes, “Human experimental findings support preclinical findings, and also suggest a lack of anxiogenic (anxiety causing) effects, minimal sedative effects, and an excellent safety profile.”

A more recent study mirrored those results. After looking at CBD oil for anxiety in a large sample of patients over a 3 month period, the study found that anxiety decreased within the first month in 79.2% of patients. It remained decreased by the end of the 3 month study.

Not Just Anxiety In General

The research goes beyond anxiety disorders in general. And that’s good, especially because generalized social anxiety disorder is one that can have a major impact on everyday life.

2010 research found that CBD reduces anxiety in those with generalized social anxiety disorder. Researchers studied the brain activity of patients who received CBD compared to those given a placebo. The results were clear; CBD significantly decreased subjective anxiety.

A 2011 study narrowed the field by looking at social anxiety caused by public speaking. Participants were either given CBD or a placebo 1.5 hours before public speaking. Researchers found that “Pretreatment with CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort in their speech performance, and significantly decreased alert in their anticipatory speech.”

A 2016 case study shows that CBD works for PTSD specifically. The patient, a 10 year old girl, was suffering from insomnia and anxiety as a result of childhood trauma. Pharmaceutical medications provided only partial relief, and there were major side effects. With CBD however, her anxiety decreased and there was a steady improvement in the quality and quantity of her sleep.

Final Thoughts

CBD works. We’ve tried it. We’ve heard it ourselves, from countless friends and family members. You can find personal accounts all over the internet. But for some, that anecdotal evidence is just not enough.

And sure, we’ll admit, when it comes to some of the claims made about CBD, clinical research may be somewhat lacking. But that’s definitely not the case with CBD oil for anxiety. There is research. A great deal of it. And it all seems to say the same thing: when it comes to CBD, anxiety has a formidable opponent.

By The CBD News Team