Depression is a health disorder known to trigger its victim to contemplate harmful thoughts like committing suicide or lead to drug and substance abuse, states Everyday Health.
It also usually leads to reduced functionality.
Evident habits associated with individuals suffering depression include:
anxiety
loss of interest in human activities
low mood, loss of energy and even lack of appetite
It also causes an individual to lose focus and not to think clearly.
Several medications and even psychotherapy measures have been conducted to try to cure depression.
One remedy that notably stands out and steadily improves the health of depressed victims is the use of Cannabidiol oil (CBD).
Cannabidiol oil is naturally occurring and extracted from the cannabis plant.
It constitutes industrial hemp and marijuana (cannabis).
It is the second most abundant oil component in cannabis, after THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
CBD is generally safe and preferred for its medicinal value compared to THC, which is responsible for one getting high (Business Insider).
It has increasingly become popular over the years as being an effective alternative to pharmaceutical medication.
You should, however, note that CBD is not medical marijuana and has to be differentiated from high-CBD strains of medical marijuana (Usually dominated by THC).
Treatment of Depression Using CBD
Cannabidiol oil does not cure depression.
However, it helps improve the individual’s depressive symptoms.
There are certain cannabinoids produced in our bodies called endocannabinoids (Scholastic).
They help in the regulation of certain body conditions like mood, pain sensation, appetite, and sleep.
These substances are bound to specific points of brain cells called receptors.
By doing so, they trigger the actions of a particular element called serotonin.
Once triggered, serotonin improves the victim’s mood and reduces stress by binding to its receptors in the brain cells.
The chemical substances trigger a series of events in the brain cells as progressive improvement begins to take place.
In essence, CBD oil helps to gradually and, significantly better the depressive symptoms of the victim.
This effect is possible by modulating the actions of the endocannabinoids.
Hence, the endocannabinoids trigger the effects of serotonin by enhancing the activity of the receptors unto which serotonin binds.
Conditions CBD Controls
Depression comes with emotional and physical symptoms.
The emotional ones include:
anxiety and restlessness
irritability over minor things
extreme concentration over things that have gone wrong (both in the present and past)
symptoms of bipolar conditions
The physical symptoms include:
- fatigue
- weight loss
- increased or decreased appetite
- difficulty in decision making
- pains, and aches
Children that are known to suffer from depressions characteristically, exhibit signs of refusing to go to school.
It is particularly challenging to note depression in adults.
Their symptoms may be having sleep problems or are commonly withdrawn.
Related Conditions Cured By CBD
With depression, other associated problems occur.
Depression may lead to reduced physical health, due to a massive drop in the immune systems.
CBD oil activates the brain’s receptors responsible for immunity, thereby, making the individual feel better.
Additionally, depression often results in a loss of appetite.
Patients sometimes go for days without eating.
CBD oil restores one’s appetite gradually until one resumes normal eating behavior.
Depression is typically associated with anxiety.
CBD Oil helps the victim feel calm within 90 minutes of use.
Curing Effect
A study conducted in 2006 showed that those who occasionally consumed cannabis had reduced levels of depressive symptoms than those who did not.
CBD notably changed the individual’s response to negative emotions by potentiating the Endocannabinoid System in the brain.
Patients’ moods tended to stabilize and their stress alleviated.
CBD also induced hunger frequently giving them the urge to eat more.
Some even claimed that it helped boost their focus more by gaining an unusual interest in music.
Further studies are however being conducted on CBD oil to determine the permanency of individuals rehabilitated behavior.
The CBD study is further being undertaken to help determine the dosage period, up until one resumes his or her usual day-to-day behavior and is free of depression.
Recent findings presented at the 2015 International Cannabinoid Research Society reported the use of CBD as beneficial for kidney fibrosis and inflammations, as mentioned on projectcbd.org, as well as metabolic syndrome.
In conclusion, patients suffering from depression are assured tremendous depressive symptoms improvement, with the intake of CBD.
We also share these 7 proven health benefits of using CBD if you’d like to continue learning.