Does CBD help people with social anxiety? What the latest medical studies say!

Being an introvert is different than having social anxiety.

While it’s normal for introverts to feel drained from social interactions, social anxiety is actually a type of mental illness that causes a person to feel anxious in social situations. Also known as social phobia, people suffering from this condition experience great fear and anxiety whenever they engage in anything with other people: it could be public speaking, giving a presentation, attending a party, or even a simple family gathering.

What is otherwise considered normal for the rest of us, like making eye contact, talking to people, and interacting with others, is extremely difficult and unnerving for the socially anxious. These can lead to physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate, tremors, dizziness, upset stomach and brain fog. With about 7% of the American population suffering from social anxiety disorder, it’s more common than we think, but treatment and diagnosis are necessary to prevent it from escalating into depression or substance abuse.

Currently available treatments are not always successful. Data shows that only 30% of anxiety sufferers who undergo treatment show improvements, but it also doesn’t help that pharmacological treatments have negative side effects.

How can CBD help

Cannabidiol, one of the two main cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, is a non-psychoactive compound that has been shown to be extremely effective in treating many different forms of anxiety. One of them is generalized social anxiety disorder. While using cannabis with psychoactive THC can be helpful for some, it has also been known to trigger paranoia, which can exacerbate anxiety in others. For these reasons, CBD may be your best bet.

A 2011 study of a small group of people diagnosed with social anxiety disorder compared them to healthy controls. They were tasked with conducting a simulated public speech test, one of the common methods used to test for anxiety. The researchers discovered that when CBD was administered to people with social anxiety, their discomfort and nervousness was so much less that it was comparable to that in the control group.

Another study of Japanese teenagers was conducted in 2019. Researchers attempted to understand how effective CBD was for these teens suffering from avoidant personality disorder and social anxiety disorder through a double-blind study. They received 300 mg of CBD, although others in the control group received a placebo every day for four weeks. Researchers measured social anxiety disorder symptoms at the start and end of treatment using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire. They found that CBD was effective in reducing anxiety as evidenced by both tests.

Researchers continued to follow the teenagers for 6 months after treatment, but in this case none of the researchers still knew which of them had received the CBD or the placebo treatment. They were thrilled to report that the CBD did not result in any adverse side treatment, and it was also interesting to note that 53% of those given CBD oil continued treatment using cognitive behavioral therapy and medication, while none of them did this placebo group did. This was significant because it showed that those taking CBD felt they had the courage to seek the help needed to overcome their anxiety by speaking to a therapist and taking other complementary medications.

In 2020, a group of researchers analyzed 8 studies examining the effects of CBD on various anxiety disorders. They found promising results suggesting that CBD is effective when used alone or with complementary medications to treat social anxiety disorder as well as PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder.

Also in 2020, a research team conducted clinical trials in patients with social anxiety who were given a single dose of CBD, either 400 or 600 mg. They were also commissioned to conduct a public speech simulation. “Preliminary evidence from human studies shows that CBD can reduce anxiety in healthy participants and patients with social anxiety disorder. It is important to emphasize that these data are preliminary and further research is needed,” said Madison Wright, principal investigator.

While these studies focused on social anxiety disorder, the use of CBD for anxiety in general has been extremely positive and well tolerated. Anyone struggling with this condition can understand how debilitating it can be and given that self-isolating is not a viable solution. CBD comes in a variety of forms and is safe to take to overcome social anxiety.

How to use CBD for anxiety

Medical experts and scientists have not yet developed a standard dosage of CBD for anxiety, studies have found that 300-600mg of CBD was an effective dose.

However, one patient’s dosage can differ greatly from the next, depending on the severity of their symptoms and how they take their CBD. There are many forms of CBD including edibles, capsules, oils, vapes, flowers and more. Taking CBD orally throughout the day can be beneficial for people with extreme cases; it can calm you down enough and give you the energy you need to face the day and any necessary social interactions you have planned.

The quickest way to benefit from the calming effects of CBD is by vaping or smoking CBD oil. This can help you gather the courage you need when you need to give a speech or presentation at short notice.

Conclusion

We already have a mountain of evidence that cannabis, and CBD in particular, is effective for treating anxiety safely. These studies only continue to grow as researchers dig deeper into their effects on certain anxiety disorders that affect millions of Americans, sometimes so bad that they interfere with our ability to lead normal daily lives.

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