Nerves, Narcotics & Natural Remedies

CANNABIDIOL VS. BENZODIAZEPINES IN ANXIETY TREATMENT

Anxiety comes in many shapes and sizes, from generalized anxiety disorder to specific phobias, and it is the most common mental illness in the United States. Years of pharmaceutical research have done little to find a medication that controls anxiety without severe side effects, leading researchers to a natural remedy, plants over pills approach to finding an alternative.

There is strong scientific and anecdotal evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) could be the ideal natural remedy for those suffering from anxiety disorders.

TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS OF ANXIETY

The history of anxiety medication is best summed up as disastrous. In the late 1800s, doctors began prescribing opiates to patients with anxiety symptoms – for obvious reasons, this was not seen as a feasible treatment for long.

Then came barbiturates followed by the antipsychotic phenothiazines, but their risks also outweighed the benefits. Finally, in 1956, Leo Sternbach added the ammonia derived gas methylamine to a benzodiazepine compound, and Librium was born.

When the FDA approved Librium in 1960, followed swiftly by Valium in 1963, it certainly seemed like a medical miracle. Benzodiazepines quickly became the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the world, but they were too good to be true. As early as the 1970s, King’s College London began ringing alarm bells over long-term use of benzodiazepines – a warning that unfortunately fell on deaf ears.

RISKS OF BENZODIAZEPINE USE

Nearly 40 years later benzodiazepines remain the most frequently prescribed medication for anxiety disorders despite the known risks. Mild side effects include lightheadedness, confusion, memory impairment, dizziness, and reduced libido; not much different from other prescription drugs.

It’s the severe side effects that are horrifying – respiratory depression, addiction, abnormal heart rates, gravely low blood pressure, seizures, and suicide.

Many people still believe that prescriptions used as prescribed do not cause addiction, but that is not the case for benzodiazepines. Even when used appropriately, dependence can occur in a short period of time.

CANNABIDIOL VS. BENZODIAZEPINES

Oddly, the DEA only classifies benzodiazepines as Schedule IV drugs, while hemp was classified as Schedule I until December 2018. This was contrary to all available research, as CBD has not been shown to have adverse effects beyond mild discomforts.

In a June 2018 assessment, the Journal of Toxicology found CBD does not have the potential to cause toxic effects. Unlike benzodiazepines, which are high risk for everyone, especially adolescents.

Cannabidiol, on the other hand, is effective in treating patients regardless of their age. An October 2016 study found CBD helped steadily reduce anxiety symptoms in a 10-year-old girl over 5 months.

HOW CBD LESSENS ANXIETY SYMPTOMS

Anxiety is often triggered by chronic stress or fear, causing the brain enter fight or flight mode. This can cause debilitating panic attacks, the development of phobias, or suicidal thoughts and actions.

CBD helps combat this by increasing levels of serotonin, the happy chemical, by repairing CB1R receptors in the brain. Long-term use of CBD resets the endocannabinoid system, which helps to regulate mood and many other biological functions.

CBD can repair tissue loss in the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for cognition and memory. These abnormalities cause irrational thought patterns common in people with anxiety.

THE SAFER, NATURAL ALTERNATIVE

CBD has enormous potential to replace benzodiazepines in anxiety treatment. A January 2019 study found CBD was able to reduce anxiety symptoms by 79.2% within a month of beginning use.

A February 2019 review of human studies on cannabidiol as an anxiety treatment found consistently positive results. It also advised consumers to buy 3^rd party lab tested CBD, as most products are not regulated by the FDA. You can find a variety of independently tested products here.

Choosing a natural remedy is the only logical way to combat anxiety without exposure to dangerous side effects. Beginning treatment with CBD is as easy as adding a drop of tincture to your morning coffee or taking a gel capsule with your daily vitamins!