Ever since the dawn of humanity, chronic stress and
anxiety have interfered with peoples’ abilities to deal with the ups and downs
of day-to-day life. The fact is that
many people believe that stress and anxiety are the same thing. However, they’re actually different, as we’ll
explain in this article.
If you’re dealing with chronic stress or an anxiety
disorder, you likely spend the majority of your day worrying about whether or
not you’ll ever find relief. Of course,
that sort of thinking pattern can just create more stress and anxiety in your
life. While there are certain
medications that can be taken to calm the mind, they’re not for everyone.
For those looking to refresh and ease their mind in a
natural, holistic way, there’s CBD. New
studies find that this cannabis-based compound may be able to provide
tremendous relief to those who are suffering with anxious and stressful
feelings. If you want to give this
cannabinoid a try, this guide is for you.
The
Difference Between Stress and Anxiety
Here is a breakdown of both conditions/disorders
Stress
Stress is a normal part of life. When things don’t go our way, we feel
stressed out. Despite the fact that it’s
normal to feel stressed, chronic stress can be quite taxing on the mind and
body and even lead to illness. When
we’re stressed, our brain releases a hormone known as cortisol that revs up
that adrenaline and puts us in “fight or flight” mode. When we’re chronically stressed, our body is
always in that mode, meaning that other crucial bodily processes are not being
properly cared for.
Unlike anxiety, stress results from
circumstances. For instance, someone who
is going through a divorce or a recent job loss is likely to experience severe
stress due to their current conditions.
With stress, there’s always a clear trigger as to why the person is
feeling the way they are.
Anxiety
Unlike stress, anxiety is a classified psychological
condition. Those who have anxiety will
tend to feel stressed out and worried even when they’re not confronted by an
apparent trigger. In other words, people
with anxiety seem to always be in that “fight or flight” mode even when their
life and circumstances seem totally fine.
Anxiety symptoms can worsen when a person is under
stress. However, stress tends to go away
once the circumstances have changed in the person’s favor. Anxiety, meanwhile, tends to stick around
unless the person finds a way to treat it, either by taking certain
medications, making certain lifestyle changes or working with a trained
professional.
It’s widely believed that anxiety develops as a result
of trauma, often during childhood. If a
person is in an environment in which they feel unsafe, anxiety symptoms will
like manifest, often later in life.
Long-Term
Effects of Stress and Anxiety
When a high amount of cortisol is released by the
brain, the entire body responds. The
immune system perceives excessive cortisol as a threat, causing the body to go
into a state of inflammation. Meanwhile,
digestion slows down while things like heart rate, rate of breath and body
temperature go up. Sustaining this state
is very hard on the human body. Over
time, severe stress and anxiety can lead to cardiovascular problems, severe
fatigue, hormonal problems and chronic inflammation. Stress and anxiety can also manifest as
chronic physical pain.
How
Stress and Anxiety are Treated
Typically, a doctor will recommend that a person who
is extremely stressed or anxious see a therapist or another trained professional
who can help a person learn coping mechanisms.
If the condition is severe enough, he or she may prescribe certain drugs
that inhibit he production of cortisol while promoting the release of GABA, a
neurotransmitter known to slow down the nervous system while easing racing
thoughts.
The issue is that commonly prescribed anti-anxiety
medications such as Xanax, Valium and Klonopin are highly addictive. They are not meant to be taken over a long
period of time as they can cause a person to develop a tolerance and
potentially cause cognitive damage.
Withdrawing from these medications can be quite dangerous and even
deadly.
Ways
CBD May Help with Stress and Anxiety
New studies show that hemp-derived CBD may have what
it takes to ease symptoms of stress and anxiety. It seems that this compound has a unique
calming effect on both the mind and body, slowing down the nervous system,
reducing instances of racing thoughts and helping the body feel relaxed. Unlike popular anti-anxiety medications, CBD
does not seem to be addictive. Nor does
it seem possible to overdose on it as the body simply stores excessive amounts
for later use.
CBD’s potential ability to ease stress and anxiety has
a lot to do with the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system, which was only discovered about
twenty years ago, produces cannabinoids that attach themselves to cannabinoid
receptors throughout the nervous system, brain and other parts of the
body. The purpose of this bonding process
is to stimulate homeostasis, a state in which the mind and body are regulated
in terms of their various processes.
The endocannabinoid system is believed to control the
balance of neurotransmitters in the body.
This means that it acts as a gate, preventing too much cortisol from
being released. The issue is that many
people don’t naturally produce enough cannabinoids to give this system the
ability to do its job. So, that’s where
hemp comes in.
CBD is a natural cannabinoid that is one of many in
the hemp plant. When a person takes CBD,
they’re basically giving the endocannabinoid system exactly what it needs to
get to work. Therefore, it’s safe to say
that CBD might be able to naturally regulate the production of certain
neurotransmitters that can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.
In fact, various
case studies have demonstrated that CBD has a unique effect on anxiety
disorders. It seems that
people who take CBD daily can see an incredible improvement in their state of
mind. In fact, one
study found that CBD can improve symptoms of PTSD, a condition that’s known to
lead to chronic anxiety later in life.
How
to Take CBD for Stress and Anxiety
If you wish to take CBD to treat your anxiety, speak
to your doctor first. Then, purchase a
CBD product that’s highly potent. Take
it daily in order to allow the compound to build up in the body. It’s important to stay consistent as some
people need at least a couple of weeks to feel its effects.
Keeping
Calm with CBD
CBD may be able to provide incredible relief to those
dealing with stress and anxiety. It’s
widely believed to be capable of calming the mind and body in ways that few
other compounds can. If you want to try
it for yourself, invest in a high-quality product and start taking it daily.
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