Can CBD help manage anxiety?

Anxiety is the mind and body’s reaction to stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. It’s the sense of uneasiness, distress, or dread you feel before a significant event (2).

Being anxious at times is completely normal and often helps us to stay alert in situations where necessary. However, for those suffering with an anxiety disorder, it can completely control their life.

There are several types of anxiety-related disorders (3):

• Generalized Anxiety disorder – characterized by a general feature of excessive fear or anxiety.
• Social Anxiety Disorder – characterized by a constant feeling of nervousness, self-consciousness, or embarrassment in fear of being judged by others.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders – characterized by obsessive, intrusive thoughts that trigger compulsive behaviors.
• Trauma related disorders – related to trauma or stress from a specific incident such as PTSD.
• Panic Disorder – characterized by frequent feelings of panic or terror when there is no real danger near.

You might feel anxious about everyday situations that you feel are scary, things such as starting a new job, moving house or relationship issues. Although in some instances this can be beneficial, if this anxiety becomes long term or intense, it can have a direct effect on how on how you live your life.

Anxiety can stop you from doing the small things, such as making a phone call to the dentists or ordering your own food at a restaurant, which might lead on to the bigger things, an inability to go outside or get out of bed daily. This can lead to feelings of depression.  

With the price of ongoing healthcare and medication being difficult to upkeep, individuals have been searching for alternative medicines and natural remedies to alleviate some of the negative feelings they are struggling with. This is where CBD comes into the picture.