Using CBD to relieve stress and treat a post-traumatic stress (PTSD)

Imagine how hard it is to live with phobias and anxiety. This condition can control every aspect of your life. If you are the survivor of a traumatic life event or a veteran of the Armed Forces your anxiety might directly result from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anything can elicit a fight-or-flight response such as a car backfiring or the boom of fireworks. If you deal with anxiety, please don’t feel you are alone. Reports show that 30 percent of Americans cope with the problem on a daily basis and one in eight veterans return home with PTSD. The often debilitating and life-altering effects of anxiety might make you seek holistic treatments such as cannabis for abatement.

Veterans and PTSD

During the 1970s, the Vietnam soldiers returned home. Many stepped off the plane to less-than-ideal circumstances. Instead of being honored, they were often belittled for their service. Many had experienced the harshest forms of combat with face-to-face conflict and were already exhibiting varying degrees of PTSD. Unfortunately, the less than an inviting atmosphere of America at the time made it hard for many to seek any form of psychiatric care to cope with their trauma. They were faced with turning to alcohol or street drugs.

Medical Marijuana to Treat PTSD

With no access to prescription medications or any way to discuss their experiences with a trained professional, veterans self medicate. Sadly, many turned Nam vets used booze to forget their mental pain. Others opted to use hardcore narcotics such as heroin or cocaine as a way of escaping their memories. However, others used cannabis to relax. In a way, this was the start of PTSD sufferers discovering that medical marijuana helps PTSD.

Realities of War and Life After Service

Many decades have passed since the Vietnam war but there have been other conflicts around the world such as the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Nowadays, veterans are coming home with a multitude of anxiety disorders such as PTSD. Suicide rates of combat vets are astonishing. In the USA, 20 men and women who have served their country honorably take their own lives to escape the anxiety, memories, and phobias.

CBD to Treat Anxiety Disorders and PTSD

Insomnia, anxiety, fear, and phobias control every aspect of your existence. In extreme cases, you might be afraid to leave your home to shop or even walk outside to the mailbox to retrieve the mail. A child screaming on a playground, a bird singing, a dog barking, or a car horn can send you scurrying for cover, this is especially true if you are a veteran of a battle or a law enforcement officer.

PTSD and Medical Marijuana

You have probably heard that PTSD is an acceptable diagnosis to gain a medical marijuana card in states where it has been legalized. However, how are you supposed to smoke or consume weed all day that is high in tetrahydrocannabinol because you don’t want to be stoned twenty-four hours a day? Luckily, the cannabis plant is filled with beneficial cannabinoids and one, cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive but studies have shown that it is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders and PTSD.

CBD Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Whether you suffer from an anxiety disorder, PTSD, or phobias, research has shown that you probably have a low level of anandamide, which is a naturally occurring molecule in your body. CBD binds with the body’s CB2 receptor which increases anandamide activity throughout your brain and nervous system. With the boost in anandamide, your body starts to balance, your stress level lowers, you feel less tense, and you even start to feel happy. Your flight or fight response is also more easy-going and less likely to be triggered. However, the CBD in no way makes you feel ‘high’. You simply feel less stressed and more relaxed.

CBD is a natural phytocannabinoid (plant-based cannabinoid) that binds well with your natural endocannabinoid system to create amazing results. With the assistance of CBD, your entire body can start of function normally again and you will feel better.