How Does CBD Help Those With PTSD

According to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, CBD has emerged as a powerful new potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, often called simply PTSD.

Approximately eight percent of adults in the United States will experience PTSD at some point during life. The National Center for PTSD estimates that six out of every 10 men and five out of every 10 women will have trauma during life that may result in PTSD.

Even more concerning, a full 10 percent of women and four percent of men may develop a full-blown case of PTSD during life. With statistics like these, the need for effective PTSD treatments is real and urgent.

CBD is one potential treatment that is receiving a great deal of interest in research circles. In this article, learn how SUPA Naturals CBD oil can help people suffering with symptoms of PTSD.

What Is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one of more than 100 active naturally-occurring chemical compounds present in the cannabis family of plants. CBD and THC are the two best-known such chemicals.

While THC produces psycho-active (mind-altering) effects that are not always beneficial for people suffering from PTSD, CBD is not psycho-active but still offers many health benefits.

The Veterans Administration (VA) recently published information about CBD for anxiety, which is a common symptom for veterans suffering with PTSD.

With tens of thousands of veterans struggling against opioid dependence, the VA states that CBD presents an important non-addictive and safe alternative for treatment of immediate anxiety arising due to PTSD.

What Is PTSD?

Veterans may be the most publicly visible group of Americans who frequently suffer with symptoms of PTSD, but they are far from the only victims of this difficult-to-treat disorder.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), trauma of any kind can result in PTSD, which can include nightmares, flashbacks, memory impairment, feelings of guilt, apathy, depression or anxiety, intense or disturbing thoughts or feelings, avoidance of people or places, reactive outbursts and other symptoms.

People of all ages, both genders and all backgrounds can and do experience PTSD. But many people don’t realize they have PTSD and try to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. People who are properly diagnosed have an extremely limited range of treatment options, especially for symptoms with sudden onset.

CBD Replaces THC As Preferred Treatment for PTSD

CBD is rapidly becoming the preferred option for natural treatment of PTSD. CBD is replacing THC because CBD does not have the mind-altering properties that THC produces.

Because altered mental state is one symptom of PTSD, it is desirable to find a treatment that produces symptoms relief without the potential to worsen symptoms at the same time.

For this reason, while the Veterans Administration continues to withhold endorsement of THC as a PTSD treatment, it is cautiously supporting use of CBD, as Remedy Review reports.

CBD has a lot to recommend it as a PTSD treatment, but the VA cites certain specific properties that may be particularly helpful to veterans:

● CBD has anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) benefits.
● CBD has analgesic (pain-relieving) benefits.
● CBD improves brain uptake of serotonin, aka the “feel good hormone.”
● CBD has been shown to promote better sleep quality and quantity.

Perhaps most importantly, in one recent research study, CBD improved symptoms for a child suffering from PTSD, which points to a potential beneficial impact on PTSD patients of all ages.

How Does CBD Help PTSD Patients?

As Healthcare In America reports, medical researchers still do not fully understand exactly how CBD can help alleviate PTSD symptoms.

But what researchers do understand is that CBD does appear to help.

Even while the researchers are trying to sort out the mechanics of exactly how CBD improves sleep, reduces anxiety, improves mood, eases depression, suppresses pain sensations and alleviates symptoms of PTSD, the most important fact remains constant: CBD does help.

As for how CBD helps, researchers are currently looking at how this natural cannabinoid, CBD (Cannabidiol), interacts with the body’s own endocannabinoid system to enhance uptake of certain neurotransmitters (nerve messengers) while inhibiting uptake of others.

Here is an example. In one Science Daily research study, scientists discovered that people who suffer from depression, a known PTSD symptom, have lower levels of a neurotransmitter called anandamide, which is produced naturally in the body to stabilize mood.

Researchers now think that CBD may bind to the same brain receptor sites that anandamide binds to, which is how CBD can ease depression and essentially block recall of recurrent traumatic thoughts and feelings.

How to Use CBD to Treat PTSD

Unlike THC, CBD is now available as an over-the-counter product in many states (even in states where THC is not available except by medical prescription or at all).

Because laws regarding use of marijuana (THC) and hemp (CBD) products are so fluid and are subject to change at any time, the best way to find out whether you can legally buy and use CBD is to call or check online with your state department website.

If you are under a doctor’s care for any medical condition, always talk with your provider before adding CBD to your treatment regimen. If you are trying to conceive, pregnant or nursing, talk with your doctor before taking CBD. Always start with the lowest suggested dose until you see how your body reacts.

Image: unsplash-logoCristina Cerda

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