Better Mental Health to Combat Anxiety

Oh my gosh. When I woke up this morning, still lying in bed, I took a close look at my calendar schedule after answering emails. It just stressed me out. I have 6 calls, 3 articles, a dentist appointment and about 12 punch list reminders. How am I going to get it all done? I was grateful that my daughter, who climbed into bed with me around 2 am, was still asleep and giving me a chance to at least think. I looked over and saw my dropper of CBD oil on my nightstand and put about 6 or so CBD oil drops under my tongue.

It’s not like the CBD oil drops had any sort of immediate effect. I have been taking CBD gummies, CBD oil and CBD edibles for a while now.

My stress levels are normal, I think. For someone who has a full time job, kids and needs to fit in a fairly rigorous workout routine throughout her week, I think some stress is to be expected. However, other people have strong chemical imbalances that can result in a variety of anxiety classifications. People struggle with:

• General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - Characterized by 6 months or more of unfounded chronic worry and tension
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) - Characterized by the fear of social situations and interactions with other people
• Panic Disorder - Characterized by frequent debilitating anxiety and fear without reasonable cause
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Characterized by stress due to experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Characterized by obsessive thoughts and urges which manifests in repetitive behaviors

Researchers are puzzled about how exactly CBD interacts with the body in general. They probably would have a clearer understanding of it if they could have started their research 50 years ago, but again, all well.

We have talked about the endocannabinoid system in our bodies that can be found in the brain, spinal cord, our limbs and in the stomach and intestinal regions. However, as it turns out, CBD does not connect with the CB receptors in our endocannabinoid system. Instead CBD connects to other systems which triggers the production of our naturally occurring cannabinoids. So called, endogenous cannabinoids, are what connect to CB receptors. It is all apart of regulating our bodies’ systems and bringing balance to how we feel each day.

CBD may also promote the production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter in our bodies that promotes feelings of well being. CBD may do all of these things, but even if it can accomplish regulating one of these biological functions, then I think that is pretty remarkable. Scientists continue to drill down into the effects of CBD, but it is complex.

Now for us girls, anxiety seems to be different than it is for men. According to a study published by NCBI, girls have more metacognitive beliefs about anxiety than boys do. In other words, we overthink about stuff that is out of our control. The study involved 50 teenage males and 50 teenage girls with general anxiety disorder. For every one guy that struggles with GAD, 2 women contend with GAD. I personally hate these findings, I don’t overthink anything. I think about everything just the right amount. So what if I looked at some of the mean replies on my IG page yesterday and they made me nearly cry? They were mean comments from mean trolls that I have never met. So, why should I care?

One study I read said there are more than 65 targets for CBD throughout our body. I take CBD everyday as part of my supplemental routine, in part for healthy brain habits. I can tell when I am having an unreasonable thought or obsessing about something that doesn't really need that much attention. Stress frustrates me beyond belief, which makes me even more stressed.

I don’t know if it will help you, but if your endocannabinoid system needs some regulating, then CBD seems to be the attorney general. Roughly 42.5 million Americans struggle with their mental health and natural remedies like saffron, St. John’s Wort and CBD have been used for generations.

After 5 hours of my day has gone by, I am finally calm now. I checked off a bunch of the items on my calendar for today, and while I still have a lot to do, I can see myself completing all of my tasks and picking my kids up, helping them with homework, making them dinner and putting them to bed on time. I think I will even get my workout in. I feel focused and productive, but I remember those days before changing my routine, where I would have accomplished a fraction of what I have today and would be obsessing about how I was going to finish my day. That’s not to say all stress has just gone away. I was stressed this morning. But, I suppose stress does serve a purpose in our lives, just not too much of it.