Medical cannabis and cannabis extracts are gaining popularity as supportive treatments for anxiety disorders. Scientific research on this topic is also growing. Online reports regarding the use of cannabis or cannabis extracts for anxiety are contradictory: some claim that THC and CBD exacerbate anxiety, while others believe they alleviate it. It's first worth understanding how psychiatry defines anxiety disorders and what science says about the use of cannabis phytocannabinoids in people experiencing anxiety.

What is the difference between fear and anxiety and how does stress relate to them?

Fear is an important emotion whose function is to inform us of a real threat. In both humans and other animals, fear is an appropriate response to a dangerous factor in the environment. Fear mobilizes us to act: fight or flight.

Fear, on the other hand, is an inappropriate reaction – it appears in situations where there are no factors that pose a threat to us.

From a psychophysiological perspective, stress is a state in which the body reacts to changing external or internal conditions and prepares to cope with them. It is understood as a disturbance of the body's balance (homeostasis).

A stressful stimulus triggers activation of the nervous and hormonal systems. The most important "chemical components" of stress include neurotransmitters: adrenaline (adrenal glands), noradrenaline (adrenal glands), dopamine (central nervous system), and the hormone cortisol (adrenal glands).

The relationship between fear, anxiety, and prolonged stress can be described as self-perpetuating: excessive exposure to threatening stimuli will lead to a constant sense of threat, which is associated with constant arousal of the body. Chronic stress can lead to the development of various somatic diseases and mental disorders, including anxiety disorders.

Stress and anxiety disorders

Living under constant stress, according to WHO, is a risk factor for many diseases and ailments (including mental ones), the sources of which modern medicine sees in excessive strain on the body.

Stress-related ailments include:

changeable or depressed mood,
mood disorders, e.g. depression,
anxiety disorders, neurosis,
decreased immunity (negative effect of excess stress-related hormones on the immune system),
cardiovascular diseases,
digestive system ailments,
chronic or recurring pain.

Types of anxiety disorders

Psychiatry defines anxiety disorders as anxiety that intensifies into persistent, prolonged states that are not a response to external stimuli, occurring with additional symptoms of depression and somatic symptoms.

A severe form of anxiety disorder can be debilitating. There are many levels on which people experience anxiety, which is why there are several types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

A near-constant feeling of tension and anxiety, accompanied by psychosomatic symptoms such as muscle and/or abdominal pain, palpitations, choking sensations, and excessive sweating. The somatic symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder originate in the psyche, but they are entirely "physical" and "real"—they can be observed and measured externally.

Social Anxiety:

Bow For people with social phobia, anxiety is primarily associated with being judged by others, humiliated, or criticized. Therefore, people with social phobia fear social interactions, public speaking, speaking in front of large groups, or even being in a large group. Finding themselves in such situations can trigger emotions such as anxiety, fear, shame, and the somatic reactions mentioned above.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD):

This type of anxiety disorder primarily manifests itself in repetitive, repetitive activities. People experiencing OCD use this to overcome their anxiety. Symptoms most commonly seen in pop culture include constant handwashing, counting steps, and symmetrically arranging objects. This disorder can also manifest itself through persistent, catastrophic thoughts.

The most recognizable symptom is constant handwashing, which can reflect a fear of germs and illness. Obsessive thoughts, such as catastrophic ones, can also occur. The person tries to silence them by performing a specific activity.

Team post-traumatic stress (PTSD):

Anxiety and other symptoms may appear after experiencing a traumatic event, i.e., an extremely stressful event that exceeds a person's adaptive and emotional capabilities. Such events include: experiences of war, catastrophes, traffic accidents, natural disasters, assaults, rapes, and torture.

Not all people who experience a traumatic event experience symptoms of PTSD. For some, acute stress reaction (ASD) is short-lived, lasting up to four weeks. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms last longer than a month. Symptoms of PTSD include: tension, anxiety, recurring memories of the event, fatigue, flashbacks, nightmares about the trauma, and avoidance of situations associated with the event.

Panic attacks, panic attacks.

A panic attack is a sudden onset of intense anxiety that is unrelated to external factors (panic disorder) or is triggered by certain stimuli, such as a challenging social situation in social anxiety disorder. Symptoms of a panic attack can vary from person to person. The most common symptoms include: dizziness, hot flashes, sweating, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and chest pain, a choking sensation, tremors and/or numbness, and depersonalization., nausea.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders

There are many types of anxiety disorders, but there are certain symptoms that occur in most of them:

constant feeling of anxiety,
bow,
tension,
difficulty concentrating,
irritation, annoyance,
depression, sadness.

Medications for anxiety disorders

People experiencing anxiety disorders, if their psychiatrist determines they should be treated pharmacologically, usually receive one of two types of medication:

drugs for long-term therapy (e.g. SSRI, SNRI groups) or drugs for short-term use, which act very quickly but are highly addictive when used in the long term (benzodiazepines).

With long-term medications, the effect is observed after 2-4 weeks of use, though during this time, a so-called "paradoxical reaction"—an exacerbation of anxiety symptoms—may occur. Selecting the right medication and optimal dose for a given individual can be time-consuming and frustrating, but once the medication is properly selected, most people see significant improvement.

Benzodiazepines act quickly, eliminating or reducing anxiety symptoms within 15-20 minutes. They are sometimes prescribed to people in crisis or those transitioning to long-term anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications.

Recommended by psychiatrists and psychologists treatment of disorders anxiety is group and/or individual psychotherapy.

Anxiety disorders and CBD and THC

Let's look at the research on the application hemp cannabinoids in people diagnosed with anxiety disorders.

Cannabinoids work similarly to SSRI drugs – they help maintain optimal serotonin levels in the body. A similar effect of cannabinoids has been observed with dopamine.

Another study shows that high doses CBD used in people experiencing social phobia, they reduced the level of anxiety and discomfort and increased cognitive abilities in the simulation of a stressful social situation.
A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders shows that medical dried hemp reduces symptoms in patients with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Surveys from 87 individuals experiencing OCD were analyzed, including responses to questions about compulsions, obsessive thoughts, and anxiety levels. Participants completed well-being journals for 31 months, taking into account the intervals between vaping and vaping. dried hemp described their emotions and behaviors.
A similar study conducted at Washington State University involved individuals experiencing anxiety disorders keeping journals of their emotions and compulsive behaviors. Of these, 60% observed reduced compulsions during cannabis treatment, 49% experienced fewer obsessive thoughts, and 52% observed reduced anxiety.

CBD Dosage for Anxiety Disorders

Taking CBD is best Start with a minimal dose: approximately 10-20 mg per day, and gradually increase the dose until you see results. Studies have used varying CBD doses, so reviewing them can be helpful for those who want to start supplementing.