Anxiety and anxiety disorders have become increasingly common these days. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, with about 40 million adults affected.
Anxiety disorders can cause multiple symptoms and other anxiety-related conditions, including depression, insomnia, and even chronic pain. Due to how intense anxiety disorders can be, quite a few people have turned to using cannabis to treat anxiety in their daily lives.
Since its near-global legalisation, cannabis has been growing in popularity and used medicinally. Cannabis has been used to help fight against chronic disorders such as insomnia, depression, and chronic pain. Cannabis is widely used to help one to relax, prevent stress, and lower anxiety because of its calming effect.
Cannabis has long been used to treat anxiety, and there are many different ways to consume it. One popular method is to smoke or vape the plant material. Smoking can be done by using a bong, for which you’ll need a bong bowl to control the dosage. Vaporizers are somewhat easier to handle and are considered a healthier alternative.
However, both allow the anxiety-reducing compounds in cannabis to enter the bloodstream quickly, providing relief within minutes. Cannabis can also be consumed as edibles, tinctures, or topicals. Edibles take longer to take effect than smoking or vaping, but they offer a more prolonged period of relief.
Tinctures are another popular option, as they can be easily added to drinks or food. Topicals are applied directly to the skin and are especially effective in treating anxiety accompanied by physical tension.
This article will discuss how cannabis can help you with anxiety and anxiety disorders.
1. It Prevents Severe Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks can happen to just about anyone under a great deal of stress or anyone with an anxiety disorder. The symptoms may vary from person to person, but generally, an anxiety attack causes chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, chills or hot flushes, shaking, headaches, and even nausea, among many other symptoms.
Anxiety attacks can happen with seemingly no cause, but in most cases, they are brought on by trying to deal with something you fear or are distressed about. It is best to contact a doctor for advice if you have anxiety attacks. Because of the calming ability that cannabis has, you may find that this will lessen your chances of an anxiety attack and enable you to remain calm.
CBD oil has also been used as a relaxant in animals struggling with stress to help them remain calm. While this may not work for everyone, cannabis can give you a feeling of euphoria and even make you feel safe.
2. It Improves Your Mood
Anxiety disorders often result in one feeling out of sorts, depressed, demotivated, and of course, anxious. It is not always easy to get to a state where you can say that you feel better, but cannabis may be able to help you with this.
Depending on the strain and dosage, cannabis can make you feel much more relaxed and even happy. This is primarily because of the psychoactive chemical that resides in cannabis. THC can give you a feeling of euphoria, which means you’re less likely to become angry while using. Cannabis may also give you temporary depression relief in some cases.
3. Helps With PTSD
PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD can be caused by any traumatic event, whether it’s war or the loss of a loved one. This disorder is very serious and difficult to manage, given that even something seemingly unrelated to the trauma may trigger an anxiety or panic attack.
In the past, people have used cannabis to self-medicate for PTSD. Because cannabis has a euphoric psychoactive effect, this may lessen the effect PTSD has on you and provide you with some temporary relief. Cannabis cannot cure PTSD but may be able to help deal with the symptoms.
4. It Improves Your Mental Capacity
Anxiety and anxiety disorders can and will inhibit concentration and mental functions. Along with anxiety disorder, you may find other conditions such as insomnia and depression. These disorders can cause lethargy and poor concentration, preventing you from focusing on your work and responsibilities.
Cannabis can help with all of the factors mentioned above, with some strains even specialising in giving you a mental boost to hold your concentration for longer. Cannabis can also help with sleep patterns, allowing you to get a better night’s sleep and concentrate better in the morning.
5. Helps You Relax
It’s important to find ways to relax when you have anxiety disorders, especially when they result in insomnia. The primary effect of most cannabis strains is to relax you. The THC in cannabis often results in a calm and relaxing sensation. If you have difficulty relaxing due to anxiety, cannabis may be able to help you.
