Is CBD the Ultimate Cure for Depression?
An estimated 17.3 million adults in the US have had a depressive episode in their life. Depression is a mental health disorder associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Depression is a considerable risk factor for substance abuse, suicide, and impaired functionality.
One of its characteristics is a flattening mood, retardation of thoughts and movements, and a loss of emotional expression. Individuals with depression have a depressed mood, loss of interest in activities they previously enjoyed, loss of energy, and a reduced ability to focus and think. Therefore, if CBD is indeed the cure, imagine the millions who will be grateful for it.
Patients with depression have sought out different home remedies. For instance, St. John’s wort increases the amounts of serotonin in the body correlating to the improvement of symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout improve these symptoms.
These remedies sometimes work as temporary fixes. CBD, however, provides a cure like no other. Here is what you need to know as a cure for depression.
CBD Oil as a Cure for Depression
CBD is a naturally occurring chemical compound, which is a product of a hemp plant. It is one of the many compounds of cannabinoids naturally occurring in hemp. While the body can produce these naturally, CBD is an industrial extraction from the cannabis plant separated from the other cannabinoids.
What Is CBD?
CBD is a phytocannabinoid, which helps stimulate the process of regulating the central nervous system. CBD helps supplement the effects of the endocannabinoids in your body. It regulates appetite and mood, functions of the immune system, sensation, and keeps your body working normally.
CBD oil comes from hemp plants. It is legal in the US, and available in various forms including concentrates, capsules, sprays, tapes, and tinctures.
It is often confused for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another cannabinoid also found in the hemp plant. Both of them are the commonest compounds found in the plant. They, however, are quite different.
Will CBD Make You High?
Unlike CBD, THC has an intoxicating effect resulting in euphoria and a high. It gives marijuana users the “high” effect. CBD is not a psychoactive substance and works in different biological pathways from THC.
CBD does not get you high, unlike THC, that does. It is a non-psychoactive form of cannabinoid, which does not interfere with the brain’s cognitive function.
The CBD oil is a product of the hemp plant, which is a close cousin of marijuana. CBD from hemp lacks THC. In fact, CBD counters the effects of THC, including issues to do with appetite, paranoia, and weight gain.
Is It Legal?
CBD is not addictive, and it has no potential for addiction. It is therefore safe with minimal potential for toxicity. It makes use of terpenes, using only those that occur naturally.
If you are wondering what they are, they are volatile, unsaturated hydrocarbons used for multiple medicinal purposes and therapies. They occur naturally in cannabis and hemp and contribute to the scent, flavor, and effects of plants.
It also has no known effect on fetal development, along with other bodily functions.
However, one should be extremely careful with its interactions with other drugs you co-administer with it. CBD from the hemp plant is legal in 50 states. CBD does not have a psychoactive effect.
Therefore, no legal concerns influence its use.
How Does CBD Cure Mental Illness?
CBD oil helps manage mental illness. While it is yet to be legal in all states in the U.S, it is difficult to ignore its effect on mental illness. Here are some of the ways that CBD help people with depression.
1. It Alleviates Stress
One of its main benefits is that it helps reduce stress levels. Stress is the underlying factor for many mental illnesses, exacerbating the effects of these illnesses. High levels of stress cause depressed individuals to have increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, and an accelerated heart rate.
The body of a depression patient produces an excess of the hormone cortisol, which is the hormone responsible for giving people the energy to fight the stressors. When ingested, CBD oils release cannabinoids into the bloodstream. This system is then responsible for the regulation of their appetite, sleep patterns, and mood.
CBD oil stimulates the system to release more endocannabinoids along with other enzymes and hormones that induce a calm feeling in the body. It also limits the production of cortisol and takes the body out of the out of flight and into the homeostasis. People with anxiety disorders also prevent panic attacks through ingestion of CBD oils.
2. CBD Can Promote Cognitive Function
Mental illnesses like depression depend on the imbalance of chemicals in the brain. In their interaction with the nervous system, CBD promotes healthy nerve function, while stimulating healthy neuron firing and interaction. Ingesting CBD can cause a person to experience clarity of mind and rational thinking.
CBD can also foster self-awareness, which is critical for people who feel at the mercy of their depression.
3. CBD Helps Manage Sleeping Patterns and Digestion
Depression damages regulatory processes like sleep and digestion, causing people to either eat too much or not get enough sleep either too much or too little. Because sleep is invaluable to the growth and regeneration of your body, disruption of sleep can cause you to have impaired function, and be unable to process emotion.
Cannabidiol works with the body’s endocannabinoid system to regulate your sleeping patterns and promote long uninterrupted sleep. It also triggers the release of stomach enzymes and regulates the digestive processes, to promote healthy functioning of the gut.
4. Helps Navigate Triggers
People with depression encounter triggers that can result in panic attacks, mood changes, and exacerbated symptoms. CBD oil can help you navigate such triggers and reduce their impact. CBD oil interacts with the brain, the nervous system, and the endocannabinoid system to help the body come to homeostasis.
This can help optimize the body and mind to make the user feel grounded, and in control of the situation. Over time, the consumption of CBD helps individuals to recognize their triggers and manage them healthfully.
CBD Oils Are a Cure for Depression
Mental illness can completely take over a person’s emotions, psychology, and physical life. The cures and treatments of depression are constantly emerging. A natural remedy like CBD, which is safe for consumption, is an important cure for depression patients.
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