CBD for Social Anxiety: Research Findings

Recent research has shown that CBD oils are effective in treating a host of clinical conditions both physical and mental. You can use CBD for social anxiety, depression, and many other conditions.

Marijuana activism is growing throughout the United States. Researchers and scientists have been trying to figure out what cannabis plants and their by-products can be used for.

In the following articles, we’ll break down how CBD can help you. We will also point you in the direction of some of the best CBD oils for social anxiety.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Different stimuli can trigger anxiety disorders. It also affects each person differently. 

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a condition in which social situations such as job interviews or friendly gatherings cause undue stress to the person.

Symptoms of SAD include increased heart rate, an inability to relax around new people, and dread of large social gatherings. These symptoms, while not uncommon, are disproportionately powerful in people with social anxiety. 

They are more common than one might think. For a long time, those suffering from social anxiety had no recourse except to consult a physician or therapist.

Since the dawning of medical marijuana, however, CBD products have become available on the open market in many states. 

What Causes Social Anxiety?

There are as many causes of social anxiety.

These causes can include a history of abuse, a lack of socialization from a young age, or even a genetic disposition toward the condition.

Someone suffering from SAD may have been made to feel inferior by their peers. They may have suffered some embarrassment that they were unable to move on from. 

But it isn’t so clear cut. Research has often shown that something as basic to a human being as the arrangement of neural pathways can contribute to the condition.

As we grow, these pathways grow as well. Their development can be affected by drug use or physical trauma. 

Whatever the cause, the condition can be debilitating and can prevent people from actualizing their fullest potential. 

What Does Social Anxiety Feel Like?

Have you ever experienced stage fright? Felt the butterflies in your stomach before picking up a partner for your first date, or not known how to react in social situations?

These are symptoms of SAD that many people experience in their lives. However, going through those ordeals does not mean that you have SAD.

Doctors or medical professionals need to properly diagnose individuals with anxiety disorders. Unless those butterflies become a debilitating problem that causes you to forego social gatherings, you don’t suffer from SAD.

Those who do are prone to feelings of embarrassment and inferiority.

The prospect of public speaking, going out in public, or interacting with peers is so dreadful that SAD can lead to depression and other mental illnesses. The end result is a person’s social engagement limited to a devastating low.

CBD products give patients a soothing feeling to help them cope with severe symptoms of anxiety. 

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How Can CBD Help?

Pure CBD can treat anxiety with little or no side effects.

Here is the science of how it interacts with our nervous systems.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a concentrated, ready-to-ingest version of a naturally occurring cannabinoid that is being tested for its potential health benefits all the time. It operates in one’s body by interacting with the neurotransmitters and receptors of the endocannabinoid system. 

As some may know, THC also utilizes the endocannabinoid system built into our brains to create the euphoric feeling of intoxication.

Though CBD products use the same neurological functions, they do not bind with the endocannabinoid system’s receptors as easily as THC. Thus, CBD does not produce the same effects as THC.

THC is highly reactive, and CBD less so. This isn’t to say that they don’t come with their own intricate pathways and their own positive effects on mental and physical health. 

SUMMARY

Our body is hardwired with an entire system of neural pathways dedicated to cannabis intake.

This system within our bodies evolved long before the first suspected use of cannabis in the human population. Its ability to interact with biochemicals produced in plant species is a boon for medical practitioners and psychologists.

Despite feelings that your social anxiety is a cloud looming over your life, many people are being proactive with their treatment plans and switching to a CBD for social anxiety.

Making decisions related to your physical and mental health is a process you should undergo with a doctor, but more and more medicine men nowadays are turning to CBD for treatment of a wide range of conditions beyond just anxiety.

Is CBD Legal? Hemp-derived CBD products (with less than 0.3 percent THC) are legal on the federal level but are still illegal under some state laws. Check your state’s laws and those of anywhere you travel. Keep in mind that nonprescription CBD products are not FDA-approved.

Published June 29, 2019; Updated February 26, 2020.