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Top 3 Major Mental Health Benefits of Using CBD.

CBD is almost as big a buzzword as self-care at the moment and is being used by millions to manage emotional and physical pain. It’s been gaining a wide following among the mental health, chronic illness and wellness world, and has been proven to produce several health benefits.

The good, the bad, and the misunderstood! Welcome to the world of CBD.

Are you looking into alternative medicine to help with your anxiety or depression? Maybe you need something to help with a chronic illness or to elevate the symptoms of cancer treatment. Or, perhaps, you’re just interested in the benefits of using CBD.

I personally began using CBD oil in May twenty-nineteen. I’d heard many stories both positive and negative, but nothing had ever swayed me before then. Quite frankly, I was afraid of CBD! My company at the time frequently drug tested and I was the point of contact for such matters. If it were to show up on a drug test, I’d be toast! I, along with so many others, was under the assumption that CBD was an illegal substance. But while THC and CBD are cut from the same cloth, they by no means produce the same effects.

At first, I didn’t feel any different but I persevered and continued to take three drops on my tongue each day. I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to come to terms with the taste, a mixture of earth and plant. After about a month I realized that my anxiety around food had dropped significantly, all without the help of additional anti-anxieties. In fact, I was able to reduce the dose myself from three to just two and, eventually, one.

But what are the benefits of CBD for mental and physical illness, and why should you give it a try?

What is CBD?

CBD is almost as big a buzzword as self-care and is being used by millions to manage emotional and physical pain. It’s been gaining a wide following in the mental health, chronic illness, and wellness world, and has been proven to produce several health benefits. But what exactly is it?

It’s one of around one hundred and thirteen cannabinoid compounds found within the cannabis plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which produces the psychoactive effect gained from smoking weed, CBD has a milder effect. It won’t get you high by any means, but for most, it produces a calming, stress-relieving reaction.

What are the mental health benefits of CBD?

Personally, I use CBD for anxiety, joint pain, issues with food, and, on occasion, skin blemishes. In the last few months, I’ve been able to reduce the number of traditional medications that I take. And it’s even worked to support me when I’ve forgotten to take my fluoxetine. I would even go so far as to say that it has helped mellow my emotional pain and grief after the difficult death of my grandparents earlier this year.

But don’t take it from me. The benefits of CBD are all over the internet. All you have to do is google CBD and you’ll come up with an infinite list of scientific explanations as to why you should try it. These are just a few.

Anxiety Relief.

“I use CBD capsules to help with my anxiety, but mostly for fibro pain. I haven’t had any for the past 2 weeks and I know it! They definitely do make a huge difference.” From The Meditative Owl.

While it’s not entirely clear why CBD may have an impact on our anxiety symptoms, various studies have proven that the relief is there. Specifically in those that use oral CBD oils, gummies, and even infused drinks. In one study in particular it was reported that CBD had positively impacted the anxiety levels of those about to undergo a public speaking event. Anxiety levels were measured using blood pressure and heart rate monitors, alongside a reliable ‘mood‘ test provided by The Visual Analog Mood Scale.

Researchers were able to determine that those who took 300mg of CBD oil reported less anxiety than those who took the placebo. Additionally, those who took 600mg reported little to no positive impacts.

This is among one of the most interesting and sought-after benefits of using CBD. For many, anti-anxiety medication comes with a list of unwanted side effects. CBD, however, doesn’t.

Can provide pain relief.

“I use both oil and topical cream. I’ve noticed that the cream helps with the pain more.” From The Chronically Unimaginable.

I personally know of many people from all walks of life, who use CBD to manage pain. Whether it’s acute or chronic, CBD has proven to help some of us cope with pain without the unwanted side effects. Traditional medications can cause addiction, disruption to gut health and can even be lethal in the wrong hands. But there are many studies that suggest that CBD may be the safer alternative.

A study from 2018 assesses how well CBD help to relieve chronic pain. This review in particular looked at studies held between 1975 to March 2018. It examined various types of pain including cancer, neuropathic, fibromyalgia, and other types of chronic pain. Without boring you with all the medical speak, it was found that CBD might be effective at managing both acute and chronic pain. However, due to various limitations, more research is needed to move that ‘might‘ to a ‘definitely.‘

Reduces feelings associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

There are been multiple studies looking into the benefits of using CBD to help manage post-traumatic stress disorder. A small study in 2018 found that out of eleven participants, ten reported reduced symptoms. Of course, it goes much deeper than that. All participants were not only subject to the administration of CBD but also underwent regular psychiatric treatment. But, the main takeaway was that the use of CBD was not only well tolerated, but also helped reduce overall symptoms for ninety percent of those who took part.

Dr. Margaret Rajnic, who is experienced in the use of both medical cannabis and CBD, places great emphasis on the importance of therapy alongside CBD. No matter what mental health condition you’re using CBD for, therapy should also be integrated into any ongoing treatment plans.

What to read more about CBD? Check out this post by Sweet Elyse.

These are only some of the benefits of using CBD.

There are so many other widely known benefits of using CBD that I simply couldn’t discuss them all in one blog article. Fortunately, I’ve written another!

If you’d like to discuss or talk about CBD in the comments, I’d love to read them. Maybe you have your own experiences that you’d like to share.

*Although CBD can be great when used alone for things such as anxiety or small aches and pains, traditional medication may still be required. This should be discussed and confirmed by your GP or Primary Care Team. Any reduction in medication should be discussed thoroughly with medical practitioners and you SHOULD NOT aim to reduce medication without the go-ahead from your own doctors.

120 comments

  1. Pingback: 5 Extra CBD Advantages you may not learn about. : Nyxie’s Nook -
  2. Pingback: 5 Things you might not know about CBD. : Nyxie's Nook

  5. I use CBD sometimes to help me sleep. It has so many wonderful benefits besides just helping me sleep and it was great to read about them here!

  7. Hehe…you probably forgot to add one more thing; “the always misunderstood”! CBD oil is so misunderstood all over the world and it’s just so sad.

  8. This is interesting, I never tried CBD before but heard of it. First time to know about the benefits though. Thank you for sharing!

  11. I’ve had several friends that have used CBD oil. I’ve never tried it. I may get some to see if it helps with my sleeplessness.

  16. I have had some great positive impacts from CBD products! Definitely helpful for anxiety at this time. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

  17. It certainly does for me. I can’t say the same for everyone but it really can help me through mild anxiety attacks.
    Thank you for reading!

  19. It is mind blowing how beneficial CBD oil is, and how new it is to the mainstream. I use it for inflammation in my joints and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for sharing this brand!

  20. CBD sounds like it has a lot of great benefits, especially for anyone who suffers from anxiety.

  24. I know so many people that use it for pains and IBD. I find it so useful for my IBS symptoms as well as anxiety [Which kind of goes hand in hand].

  25. Very interesting. I’ve heard of CBD taking the edge off aches and pains. My father uses it for this reason.
    Hope you’re staying safe and thank you so much for commenting.

  30. I would recommend trying it even if it’s just for a few months. As mentioned you won’t be able to see the benefits until about a month in, like many traditional medications, so it’s important that you’re consistent if you do choose to use it.
    Thank you for reading 🙂

  38. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment 🙂 I’m not sure about India. It’s something you may need to google before attempting to buy.

  39. Thank you so much for commenting. I do highly recommend you look into it while traveling, just be aware of bringing it back to your own country.

  40. CBD is available legally all over the world as far as I’m aware, but I could be wrong.
    I hope you get the opportunity to give them a go in the future. x

  41. I really have to recommend it. Especially at the moment. Although I have stopped vaping it for obvious reasons I’ve started taking the drops on a daily basis. I will continue to vape once the epidemic is deemed over.

  43. I’ve heard so much great stuff about CBD, I can’t believe I haven’t tried it yet!

    – Laura // afinnontheloose.com

  44. I have heard so much about CBD oil just in passing but haven’t done much research into it. I really thing I want to give CBD oil a try!

  45. I have heard about CBD products but haven’t tried them yet. I don’t think it’s available here.

  46. I have heard about CBD a lot but unfortunately it is not really common in my country (yet). I should take a look when I travel abroad where the products are available.

  47. Good to know about CBD, will recommend it to a few friends who suffer from anxiety issues. Is it available in India ?

  48. I’ve never tried CBD but I purchase it frequently for my grandmother who suffers from horrible joint pain. It does provide some relief. I may need to try it myself to calm some of this Rona anxiety.

  49. this is the first time i heard abou this CBD. it looks like an amazing and essential product!

  50. I haven’t ever tried CBD oil before, but it sounds like there are some amazing benefits to it!

  51. Very informative post. It is good that CBD is helping you. I hear so much about it and I am really being educated on it.

  52. I haven’t used CBD yet but have learned a lot about the benefits of it. I love using essential oils as an alternative!

  54. I’ve been using CBD to help with my anxiety as well as my physical pain, and it is so helpful! Thank you for sharing this friend, I hope you’re staying safe!

  55. I haven’t tried Cbd yet. I have read about the benefits, but I am still on the fence. Maybe one of these day I’ll try it.

  56. I want to try this; I need to try this!! I think it would be good for me – there’s just so much information out there. Thanks for writing this article to share your views on it! It really helps!

  58. I never heard of CBD before but I learned a lot. I cannot buy CBD as Japan is super-strict about drugs/medicines (I will be throw into jail even if I had something like aspirin), but I will share these to my North American friends.

  60. Great post. I have a 7 year old daughter with Juvenile Arthritis and along with her weekly Enbrel shots, she takes CBD daily. It really helps take edge off of the morning aches when it’s cooler.

  61. My doctor had recommended it years ago. I wish I hadn’t been so resistant. It’s been so helpful with the joint pain and internal pains I get from my Crohns.

  62. I love all of the different benefits that CBD gives, without having to deal with drug testing. I used CBD and it helped a lot. It’s great that it has helped you a ton as well. Thanks for sharing all of these different CBD options :).

    Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me

  63. I too have approached this world for a short time, discovering instead how fascinating and above all how much resources it has.

  65. I have wanted to look into CBD but it is so confusing to me with so many different strains and forms. I have restless leg syndrome and it would be so nice to get my legs to relax enough to get a good night’s sleep. For now I am using magnesium and melatonin. They work okay but they don’t get rid of the feeling.

  66. I have heard about CBD products but haven’t tried them yet. I might have to at some point. I’d try the balm on the skin for sure since I have dry skin.

  67. I too have approached this world and I find it truly incredible and functional. It is good to talk about it because there is still a lot of misinformation.

  71. My grandfather used CBD as well to help with end-stage bowel cancer. It appeared to help him too. Plus my father uses it for chronic back pain and has done for quite a while.

  72. My father-in-law used CBD oil to help him be more comfortable in the last stages of his lung cancer. He seemed to feel that it helped. Every person is different, but I think that CBD is something worth trying out to see if it’s right for you.

  74. Thank you for stopping in Tinka! I would certainly give it another go but do your research. I always research these sorts of things because you just never know. Although I have purchased off amazon in the past, I tend to only use direct companies now i.e buying off company websites rather than amazon.

  75. I’ve tried CBD oil before as my boyfriends childhood friend has bought a bottle of it and gave some to me knowing how bad my anxiety is he thought it could help. It was chocolate and mint but all I could taste was this horrible taste with a hint of mint which didn’t help.

    At the time it either didn’t work or I was far to wound up to take any notice in its workings but I have been thinking about going back to them, I just haven’t been sure where a reliable source is to buy them from we I’m aware a lot of companies sells fakes or ones mixed so it isn’t all organic and sololey CBD

    GREAT post as always! ????????

    -littletinkablee

  80. Have you been to your doctor lately and discussed this? I’ve recently opened up more to my therapist about my anxiety and it’s helped so much. Although the CBD helps, it’s not a miracle worker and my mindset has a lot to do with it too. When I’m in a better headspace the CBD has a chance to work, and if that requires other medications then so be it. It could be that you need something to calm your nerves pet.

    I hope you get sorted. x

  83. The balm is great and has really helped my partners skin. I discuss it more in a post going up in October, but I highly recommend going with Provacan. I’m also glad you found this helpful, and thank you very much for stopping in 🙂

  84. Great article! I like how you used real testimonies & I’m always looking for skincare options for my acne so I’ll definitely look more into provacan.

  85. I have some but have never really tried it! I think I am going to break it out tonight.

  88. Very educational! Thank you for sharing. I’ve always been really pro CBD, so it’s really nice seeing it becoming more widely available to people.

  89. I was the same on my medication which is why I probably went on and off it so often. I hated feeling like a zombie, unable to laugh or cry. At least on CBD I feel less anxious but also able to feel something.

  90. I’ll be talking more about the CBD balm in a later blog post. But my partner is currently using it and loves it. It’s really helped clear up his skin when used every day. The CBD Balm by Provacan smells like coconut which is a bonus!

  91. That’s a good idea 🙂 I suppose it would depend somewhat on the GP, but mine seems fairly open to things x

  93. My grandfather used it to help with his cancer symptoms, while my father uses it for chronic pain. I’ve been adamant that it’s beneficial to our health in so many ways since then. It helped my grandfather with his terminal anxiety at the very least. Thank you for stopping in and reading Britt, I always appreciate your feedback.

  94. Thank you, I’m glad it could help. I’ll be posting another about how I use it for anxiety later as this was more about the overall benefits.

  96. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading. I hope it helped you come to a decision, or at least gave you more information.

  98. It’s worth speaking to you GP about if it is something you want to try but feel hesitant about. I don’t know their stance on it, but there are clear benefits so it couldn’t hurt to ask their opinion. Thank you for popping in and reading pet. x

  99. It’s worth giving it ago. If you’re concerned, speak with your doctor before hand :). I’m glad you found this post informative and thank you for stopping by.

  100. I’m hearing lots about CBD for mental health right now, when I’d previously only ever heard of it associated with cancer treatment and chronic illnesses. What I’ve read seems to be mostly positive, I’m definitely going to try it for anxiety.

  101. I spoke with my treatment team after starting it just to let them know and for some reassurance that I haven’t done the wrong thing. They didn’t seem concerned so I just went on ahead with it. It’s a plunge to begin with, as is anything new, so it’s all about when you’re ready. And if you’re never ready, that’s okay too. Thank you for stopping by pet.

  102. I have a medication review on Monday due to my severe mood spike over the last few weeks. I’m hoping they don’t take the CBD off my treatment list (I asked them to add it a few weeks ago) in fear that it may be causing it. I know it’s grief and stress that’s causing it, but they might not see it that way. You’re better to speak to them before trying anything pet, although it is scientifically proven to have benefits, doctors sometimes see it as ‘alternative medicine.’

  103. I’ve often been a bit sceptical about CBD (possibly because so many posts are so overwhelmingly positive, and possibly because it’s semi-fashionable) so I appreciated this balanced view. I also liked that you noted that regular medicine may be required too – I think a very important point. Anyway, I am becoming less sceptical, because I’m pro-anything that helps people with MH problems or pain, and it really seems to do that for some. Thank you for the interesting read 🙂

  104. Thank you so much for stopping in and reading. I’m glad that it’s informative, I was afraid I would lose that by choosing to display real-life experience rather than the science behind it.

  106. I’m taking it but was told it’s fine with my current medication, or rather there was no indication otherwise. I have a reassessment on Monday because my anxiety has gotten so that they might request I come off it for some reason, but here’s hoping they don’t. Definitely ask your doctor first if you’re concerned about your reaction.

  107. It’s good to read both sides 🙂
    I’m interested in trying CBD at some point but it contraindicates with my current medication, and I’m a bit concerned I’d be over sensitive to it too :-/

  109. I am so glad that CBD is finally being recognized as a health benefit. I love the way you outline the many benefits of this amazing, potentially life saving herb!

  110. What a great article! CBD drastically elevated the pain from fibrocystic breast disease. I truly believe in its healing powers!!

  111. I was always keen to try CBD for my anxiety but I’m not sure whether I can now that I’m on medication as I’ve had to quit all my other herbal remedies too. Definitely something to ask the doctor about next time!

  113. Hi Nykie,
    CBD is a wonderful herb that has so many health benefits and you done a good job at outlining some of the main ones. Anxiety is one of the major which I have found it very helpful for. I think they are still learning about CBD and all its benefits. Thanks for posting this article.

  114. I’ve been debating using Cbd oil. This has been a very informative post! Thank you!

  116. Great article – I’ve want to know more, more, more about this and this article was very helpful!

  117. CBD oil has become quite the buzz in a cancer survivors group that I’m part of for all the benefits that it offers – from helping to actually fight cancer through to simply offering relief from the side effects of chemotherapy.

  118. Helpful post. Honest review. Your posts are always help people on health and wellness. Thanks!

  119. I’m glad you’ve found it helpful!

    I would think about trying it, but what you said about it mellowing your emotions might make me think twice. I was put on medication that did that many years ago and I just ended up ‘numb’ and watching life pass me by. I’m not eager for a return to that.

  120. Would love to hear even more about cbd for acne as i just started using it for anxiety but didnt think about trying it for my skin. Will have to do some research! Great post.

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