Being an introvert is different from having social anxiety.
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While it is normal for introverts to feel exhausted from social interactions, social anxiety is actually a type of mental illness that causes a person to experience fear in social situations. Also known as social phobia, people who suffer from this condition experience severe fear and fear whenever they have to do something with other people: it can be public speaking, making a presentation, attending a party, or even a simple one. family reunion.
What is otherwise considered normal for the rest of us, such as making eye contact, talking to people, and interacting with others, is extremely difficult and destroys the nerves of social anxieties. These can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate, tremors, dizziness, upset stomach and brain fog. With about 7% of the U.S. population suffering from social anxiety disorder, it is more common than we think, but treatment and diagnosis are needed to prevent it from escalating into depression or substance abuse. .
Currently available treatments are not always successful. The data show that only 30% of anxious patients undergoing treatment show improvement, but it is also not helpful for pharmacological treatments to have negative side effects.
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How CBD can help
Cannabidiol, one of the two main cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, is a non-psychoactive compound that has been shown to be tremendously effective in treating many different forms of anxiety. Generalized social anxiety disorder is one of them. While using cannabis with psychoactive THC may be helpful for some, it is also known to cause paranoia that can further worsen anxiety in others. For these reasons, CBD may be the best option.
A 2011 study of a small group of people diagnosed with a social anxiety disorder compared them to healthy control participants. He was commissioned to do a mock public speaking test, one of the usual methods used to test for anxiety. The researchers found that when CBD was given to people with social anxiety, their discomfort and nervousness were reduced much less than it was comparable to people in the control group.
In 2019, another study was conducted on Japanese adolescents. The researchers tried to understand the effectiveness of CBD for those teens who suffered from an avoidant personality disorder and a social anxiety disorder through a double-blind study. They were given 300 mg of CBD, although others in the control group received a placebo every day for four weeks. The researchers measured the symptoms of social anxiety disorder at the start and end of treatment, the Liebowitz social anxiety scale, and the negative fear assessment questionnaire. They found that CBD was effective in reducing anxiety, as both tests show.
The researchers tracked the adolescents 6 months after treatment, but in this case none of the researchers still knew which of them had been given CBD or placebo treatment. They were excited to report that CBD did not cause any negative secondary treatment and it was also interesting to note that 53% of those who received CBD oil continued treatment taking Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Medications, while none of those who received CBD oil continued treatment by doing cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication. the placebo group did. This was significant because it showed that those taking CBD felt that they had the courage to seek the help needed to overcome their anxiety by talking to a therapist and taking other complementary medications.
In 2020, a group of researchers analyzed 8 studies investigating the impact of CBD on different anxiety disorders. They found promising results suggesting that CBD is effective when used alone or with complementary medications to treat social anxiety disorder, as well as PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder.
Also in 2020, a research team conducted clinical trials among patients with social anxiety, who were given a single dose of CBD, either 400 or 600 mg. They were also commissioned to do a public speaking simulation. “Preliminary evidence from human studies shows that CBD can reduce anxiety in healthy participants and patients with social anxiety disorder. It is important to emphasize that this data is preliminary and requires further research,” said Madison Wright. principal investigator.
Although these studies focused on social anxiety disorder, the use of CBD for anxiety in general has been extremely positive and well tolerated. Anyone struggling with this condition can understand how debilitating it can be, and keeping in mind that isolating yourself is not a viable solution. CBD is available in a variety of forms and can be taken safely to help overcome social anxiety.
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How to use CBD for anxiety
Medical experts and scientists have not yet developed a standard dose of CBD for anxiety, it has been shown in studies that 300-600 mg of CBD has been an effective dose.
However, the dose of one patient may vary greatly from one to another because it will depend on the severity of their symptoms and how they take their CBD. There are many forms of CBD available, such as groceries, capsules, oils, vapors, flowers, and more. Taking CBD orally throughout the day can be beneficial for people with extreme cases; it can calm you down enough and give you the energy you need to face the day and all the necessary social interactions you’ve lined up.
The fastest way to benefit from the calming effects of CBD is by vaporizing or smoking CBD oil. This can help you build the courage you need to make a speech or a presentation in advance.
Conclusion
We already have a wealth of evidence that cannabis and CBD in particular are powerful in treating anxiety safely. These studies only continue to grow as researchers delve deeper into their impact on specific anxiety disorders that affect millions of Americans, sometimes so badly that it affects our ability to function in a normal day to day life.
