The Effects of CBD for Anxiety

The Effects of CBD for Anxiety

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has become widely used to treat conditions such as anxiety and depression. It works by connecting to your body’s natural receptors in order to promote healthy moods.

Anxiety and depression are serious mental health disorders that can have a significant impact on your life. Common symptoms include excessive worry, dread of the future, panic attacks, social withdrawal, low motivation levels and poor productivity. Although certain medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help relieve some symptoms associated with anxiety or depression; however they come with potential side effects and may become addictive in nature.

Studies have demonstrated that CBD can have anxiolytic effects in models of generalized anxiety. These effects depend on activating specific receptors and are largely mediated by CB1Rs and 5-HT1ARs in various brain regions. Microinjecting CBD into dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG) and bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) decreased anxiety-related behaviors and fear-related behaviors in rats; similarly intracisternal CBD reduced anxogenic consequences from restraint stress in rats.

Preliminary evidence suggests that CBD’s anxiolytic effects may involve restoring DNA methylation levels at aberrantly regulated genes. De novo methyltransferases (DNMTs), which restore methylation to specific DNA sites, have been known to play an important role in anxiety-related behaviors; expression of DNMT3a was found to decrease global DNA methylation in adult mouse prefrontal cortex, which was associated with increased anxiety-like behaviors.