Can CBD help with Stress?
But first, what causes STRESS? Can it KILL YOU? Is there anything you can do to regain the “CALM”?
I am fairly certain that stress killed my father – the man I loved more than anyone in the world. He actually died in open-heart surgery, but he should not have gone then – his heart was tired and it was just too weak for surgery.
My dad had an extremely stressful career. He was the President and CEO of a very large company with hundreds of employees and hundreds of decisions that had to be made daily. Studies show that 80% of Americans describe their work as stressful, so I wonder how many others have lost loved ones to this horrible disease? And yes, stress is a disease.
So, What Actually is Stress?
“Stress” as a diagnosis can be traced back to 1936, when a Hungarian medical doctor and researcher, Hans Selye, spotted this occurrence in his patients. Labeled the “General Adaptation Syndrome,” Dr. Selye identified various physical reactions to external pressures of life including ulcers, high blood pressure, arthritis, kidney disease, and allergies. He branded this phenomenon as “stress.”
The engineering industry originally used the term “stress” to refer to the structural integrity of bridges and buildings. Similar comparisons began to correspond to the traits that Dr. Selye noticed in his patients. Why, for example, were patients experiencing physical reactions even though the body itself had no underlying biological issues? The doctor began to understand that the physical reactions were caused by psychological forces as opposed to biology.
Different Types of Stress
Luckily, we do have ways to overcome the stress we experience. But first, it is helpful to identify what kind of stress we are experiencing. The four types of stress have different characteristics and methods of expressing themselves. Once we identify the specific kind of stress, we can hopefully find a resolution.
The different types of stress are:
1. Potent Stress
2. Persistent Stress
3. Perceptual Stress
4. Pervasive Stress
What is Potent Stress?
Potent stress happens suddenly and abruptly, and the effects can be life-altering. For example, car accidents, the unexpected death of a loved one, financial setbacks, and many other events we experience on a daily basis. Although this kind of stress is shocking and painful, it is actually one of the easiest types to remedy. The empathy, encouragement, support, and prayers from those in your circle help you to slowly recover from what seems to be an unbearable catastrophe.
What is Persistent Stress?
Persistent stress is sneaky. It’s like a constant dripping faucet. It may seem harmless but when left alone, it can do serious damage. Examples include a mortgage debt that cannot be paid, chronic pain, a bad relationship that you can’t escape, helping your child overcome a learning disability or birth defect, providing ongoing care to a sick or elderly loved one, or dealing with someone who constantly points out every mistake and flaw in your personality.
This kind of stress is very damaging because of its subtlety. It can slowly take a toll on your physical health by weakening the body’s immune system. It depletes your ability to withstand pain and anxiety. It has a very negative effect on your mood and therefore, controlling it is crucial.
What is Perceptual Stress?
Perceptual stress is caused when you just can’t control a negative and pessimistic outlook on life. Often, you may believe that the world is worse than it really is. It is interesting to note that the brain does not know the difference between an imagined reality and an actual or fact-based reality. Our brains think that both kinds are real. Even though people and doctors may tell you otherwise, this type of stress is hard to overcome.
What is Pervasive Stress?
Pervasive stress is a combination of two or more of the above types of stress working on you at the same time. You may feel so overwhelmed that you’ll need to engage others to help you take defensive action.
Emotions are part of human life. But stress and anxiety can get out of control quickly and your quality of life may be in danger. Believe it or not, in severe cases, stress can even kill you. It causes hypertension, affects your nervous system, and can lead to depression.
Many people decide to ignore the symptoms of stress and hope that it will just go away on its own. I was one of the thousands who chose cigarettes to “cure” my stress. Of course, that didn’t work, and it made my other symptoms and certainly my health, much worse.
Can CBD Help With Stress?
Of course, you can take anti-anxiety medications like Xanax or Prozac, but why not try to relieve your symptoms with natural remedies with no harmful side effects – for example, meditation, yoga, and even CBD?
You’ve probably heard of CBD, but you might not know how effective it can be in managing stress. CBD doesn’t cause any feelings of intoxication or the “high” you may associate with cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)). “It’s promising in a lot of different therapeutic ways because it’s relatively safe,” said James MacKillop, co-director of the Michael G. DeGroote Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research in Canada.
Studies Supporting CBD as a Stress Reliever
A recent study by the National Cancer Institute – a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – states that overdosing on CBD is virtually impossible, and the same is true of THC and marijuana. Per the report: “Because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brain-stem areas controlling respiration, lethal overdoses from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur.”
More than 60% of CBD users are taking it for stress, according to a survey of 5,000 people conducted by the Brightfield Group, a cannabis market research firm.
Research from 2021 in the Innovare Journal of Medical Sciences analyzed 76 studies on the effects of CBD. The study concluded that CBD is a promising treatment for stress.
Because it offers sedative-like properties that can help calm nerves, CBD is also effective for anxiety and sleeplessness.
You may have heard that CBD can be taken to cause alertness or to calm you down but how can it do both at the same time? The key to using CBD to calm your nerves is the correct dosing.
Where to Get CBD
CBD can reduce stress when taken on a regular basis at the correct dosages. You may want to talk to a company like MelaMed CBD, or do some research online, to get an idea of the dosage that will be right for you.
Why don’t you visit MelaMedCBD.com where you can get their FREE dosing guide or email them at – helpdesk@melemedcbd.com and speak to one of their Certified CBD Advisers that have been specifically trained to help you select the right CBD for you and to help you figure out how much you need to take at a time.
MelaMed offers premium CBD products that have all been custom formulated to address the anxiety-related symptoms of STRESS and is a great resource for all things CBD.