Anxiety can manifest itself in many ways. Much like the feeling of nervousness we experience regularly, it often presents itself as a trigger, alerting you that something could be wrong. Feelings of anxiety tend to be more pronounced in women – with more than 1 in 5 experiencing feelings of distress and struggling with underlying mental health conditions. This article examines whether CBD can help with anxiety and how best to utilize it as part of your overall wellness routine.
Anxiety can be a vicious cycle
Worrying about the future and the unprecedented events going on in the world can easily upset a woman’s mental health and take a toll on her well-being. Oftentimes, women experiencing mental health challenges find themselves developing symptoms of depression without even knowing it. It can be a debilitating situation that can affect everyday life, both personally and socially. Plus, the stigma associated with mental health often leads women to hide their condition from their loved ones which can turn into a vicious cycle of isolation and increased anxiety.
How to recognize the symptoms of anxiety in women?
Anxiety symptoms are varied and can get trigged at different points in a woman’s life. Symptoms can manifest themselves in the form of phobias, panic disorders and generalized anxiety disorder amongst others. If you’re struggling with anxiety, you may find yourself loathing public gatherings, loud music and you could develop irritability to almost anything. It’s possible to find it hard to stay focused or think clearly or feel a decline in productivity. It can be quite debilitating – the more people you let in, the more judgment you may feel and the less productive you may become.
Parental anxiety can impact your daily life
Mothers struggle with anxiety at a disproportionate rate. It can be triggered almost immediately after the birth of their first child. Sometimes it’s because of a simple change like a reduction in sleep or changes in the body (or your self-image). Other times the root cause of anxiety is much more complex. The feeling of having a living human being entirely dependent on you can make a woman question her own independence and self-worth. It can lead to an existential crisis that often goes undiagnosed. They often hear the same refrain from friends and family: “Of course you are stressed and anxious – you just had your first kid! You are barely sleeping. It will get better, I promise”. But what happens when it doesn’t?
The relationship between a mother and her child is eternal and the underlying feeling of anxiousness can sometimes fester and worsen. Going back to work, finding time for friends or even finding time for one’s self – a mom’s job is never over, and it can be overwhelming.
It can start to have a physical impact
Anxiety starts mostly as a psychological ailment, however, if it remains untreated it can start to manifest itself physically, birthing new issues or exacerbating existing underlying health conditions. But this works both ways – diseases like epilepsy, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, obesity, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular dysfunction can trigger a sense of helplessness and aggravate anxiety. That is why self-care is so important. And this goes beyond just buying a few vitamins – it is opening up to those around you, identifying that there might be something wrong and finding ways to care for oneself.
CBD oil for anxiety: A new self-care option
When faced with life altering anxiety, therapy can be a great first step. But while therapy is extremely beneficial, it can often be a long, tedious and expensive process. Self-care should be rooted in a holistic approach – pairing therapy with lifestyle changes and products that are intended to improve one’s feelings of self-worth. Recently, women started turning to CBD oil as a potential tool in the self-care kit.
While marijuana has been used for millennia for medicinal purposes and its therapeutic value is well understood, its THC contents can often lead to unsustainable, short term benefits when used to treat anxiety disorders. Gratefully, science has evolved to understand that some of the medicinal compounds in cannabis are also found in hemp, which contain high levels of CBD and much lower levels of THC than its counterpart, marijuana. CBD extracted from hemp plants has become popular as of late partly because CBD hemp oil elicits the calming effect native to cannabis plants.
CBD oil has been in the spotlight in recent years, touted for its beneficial effects in treating those anxious feelings and other underlying health conditions. Many women are now informing others about its usage and have gone so far as to label it as ‘CBD oil miracle’. However, a consistent theme has emerged regarding CBD benefits – it’s ability to help with stress and anxiety.
Treatment of Anxiety and other health issues with CBD oil
On days when women took CBD hemp oil, they noticed the absence of both panic and anxiety – especially after enjoying improved sleep which is an added benefit of CBD. It has also shown to alleviate obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety and PTSD. Health care professionals are going so far as to recommend CBD for treating anxiety and depression in women as an alternative to prescription medication.
It’s no wonder that women are growing more and more fond of CBD products, as they have a wide array of benefits. Aside from mitigating stress and anxiety, CBD topicals tout anti-inflammatory effects which can be effective in reducing chronic pain. CBD products can even benefit women suffering from other painful conditions such as post-chemotherapy neuropathy or fibromyalgia.
The list doesn’t end there. CBD hemp oil has been studied to inhibit some activity of oil-producing glands which can have remarkable effects on the skin and acne, which allows women to feel more comfortable in their skin. Promising therapeutic effects of CBD oil is helping more and more women maintain their calm, beautiful state of mind. It’s something we could all benefit from.
