You may have read other blogs or information on CBD oil and anxiety but this one will be a little different from what you are used to. The reason for that being that this is written by someone who has suffered for many years now with anxiety and who has for the most part beaten it without seeing doctors or taking anti-depressants etc. My method may not be right for all but it really has worked for me and CBD has been a very important part of the healing process for me personally, but does it cure anxiety and is CBD oil and cannabinoid consumption right for you?
Firstly, if you are reading this it may be because your worn out, tired and pissed off with being at the mercy of something so debilitating. So you are searching the internet reading different blogs designed to get traffic rather than really help you. This is why this particular blog and us as a business in general are very much different from the norm. Yes we want your clicks etc too, but really what we want more than anything is to help people who feel trapped by their mind, attain some peace naturally. I understand that people have many different types and variations of anxiety and it is by no means a one size fits all scenario so please note this is not a definitive guide but my experiences with anxiety and panic disorders and what I have done to help combat it.
Its very important for the anxiety sufferer to remember this simple mantra you are not to blame for these feelings. You need to understand you are not alone and many people around the world suffer with anxiety at different levels for large periods of their lives. Many go without help and suffer in silence but you don't have to. Please read on for my story of how anxiety effected me and what I did to combat it and yes CBD oil did play a part, but not perhaps how you think.
Anxiety was something I used to scoff at. I thought of it as being a situation people could avoid or were just being weak-minded and I find many people who have not encountered anxiety feel this way. That becomes a great leveller of a person, you go from being mentally strong and stable (hate that phrase but its apt) to questioning your sanity very quickly and it can spiral out of control faster than you would've thought.
My personal experiences of anxiety stem from what I now know are the result of my life, family death and personal struggles that have gone unresolved. But at the moment of my first panic attack, this was not known, I just assumed I was having a heart attack, something many people report as being what they think is going on when really your not having a heart attack, you are in the fight or flight mode and the body is dealing with the increases in adrenaline, etc that make everything very disorienting and uncomfortable for the sufferer while the panic attack is ongoing. Once it's over you feel exhausted and drained both mentally and physically.
What do my panic attacks feel like? So suddenly it starts from out of nowhere, a feeling of tightness in the chest and then what feels like the closure of my airways instantly starts off the panic which gets gradually worse, a feeling of not being able to swallow also exists but not before I spend 10 - 20 mins battling it in my mind. Telling myself it will be okay etc and that it's just panic and I can get through this. If you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks long term you will likely know what I mean when I say there sometimes feels like a grace period and if you are lucky you can talk yourself down but it is not always possible and it's like your mind will just not stop and it just gets faster and louder till you feel like giving in, honestly. When it is bad you will do almost anything to make it stop. This also creates a feeling of desperation which further feeds the anxiety. In short, it sucks and I would not wish it on my enemy.
What will cure Anxiety? This question is a very highly searched term on google and probably for good reason. If you suffer from anxiety you will be looking to try & stop it as soon as possible and like many people the first port of call is your local GP, I know mine was. Unfortunately the GP's are becoming less fit for purpose when it comes to dealing with anxiety as they are in a rush to move you on and see the next patient. I think you should definitely see them first before trying alternatives but remember they are not experts on anxiety and every person is so very different that its likely than can only offer a sympathetic ear and refer you for CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy) or hypnotherapy and pills.
If you end up seeing your doctor a lot for anxiety they may recommend you go on antidepressants and will have no trouble prescribing you something that may affect you very badly in other ways for example you may end up with no anxiety but hooked on the pills which many people say effects them adversely. This will be down to you to personally to make a choice and judgment on how you wish to treat anxiety and I knew that I did not want to take pills regularly for the rest of my life to combat the panic. I wanted a more natural approach too. In essence, I would trade in whom I was as a person for relief with the only winner being the pharmaceutical companies. I was offered Diazepam (Vallium) and sent home.
How did you beat your anxiety? This was by far one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life and I have lived through some tough stuff but the feeling of hopelessness from the anxiety was all consuming and relief at the time felt a long way off. So I decided one day that I had, had enough of feeling like this, and I was not living my life fully to its potential. I have spoken to other people who suffer with anxiety, and they often agree, and I can confirm from my own point of view that the sufferers mind often looks for the path of the least resistance. So for example if you suffer with social anxiety and being in social situations was a trigger for you, I bet you started to remove as many social situations from your life as possible. Please note that what I am about to describe as to how I beat my anxiety may not be right for all and I recommend you try any and all options available to you, we are all different. I am just about to explain what worked for me.
I decided that I was not giving in, and I was not about to let my mind keep me from living my life to its full potential. I decided to not bother with CBT or therapy and having tried hypnotherapy before knew it did not work on me (some people have a great response to both of the above) and I knew I did not want to take the pills long term either so that left me with a few options of which I have bullet pointed what I did daily to beat my anxiety
1. Fight the anxiety - never give in, never back down and remind yourself daily that this is not who you are and not who you were and this is not how you will live out your days, playing second fiddle to your errant mind. This sounds easy and I can tell you its not, fighting something so difficult can seem futile but if you persevere you will find that you will get relief in time. And I found that by taking this stance mentally you will start strong and continue on the same path. You almost need to batter your own mind into submission and reclaim ownership. I didn't get to this frame of mind for at least a year but when I did make the switch, everything else also fed into the recovery from the anxiety and it was a big help I believe. This can be very difficult to do and should only be tried if you want to, please do not put yourself in any stress or hassle if you know this will only make you worse. For me it helped kick start the change but you are not me, and we all are at different levels with how we suffer from anxiety and panic disorders.
2. Put yourself in situations that can trigger it - this was my worst thing to do, as a lover of eating out in restaurants, getting anxious in public places was a curse for a time, it stopped me doing what I love and made me start making changes to my life to try and avoid the anxiety. After a year of not doing what I wanted and shortly after starting to fight the anxiety as mentioned above, I would start going to restaurants again and have a really hard time. It felt like I was being crushed at the table in full view of everyone and all I could think of was running away. I even did run away a few times. As time moved on it became easier and easier each time. I implore you to take the time and effort and challenge yourself and the anxiety, this point is very similar to point one but there is a difference. You can tell yourself you are fighting it and that's a great start but the real fight begins when you move into putting yourself back into harms way by entering situation that make you feel uncomfortable. I do realize for many people this will seem impossible and easy for me to say but harder for them to implement but I assure you within reason, start small, with the easiest thing and build on it. Its all about the small gains you make on a daily basis.
3. Diet effects on anxiety - this will be of little surprise but you really are what you eat and if you suffer from anxiety and eat a bad diet of processed foods heavy in sugar, salt and fats you can be sure you will not be aiding your anxiety. Same goes for what you drink and your drug habits. So alongside the daily mental exercise of fighting your anxiety in point 1, you will need to try to incorporate healthy eating and living practices on a daily basis. So lots of water, cut coffee and caffeine right out (don't worry you can drink coffee again later on in your recovery) and alcohol. This may be hard and some may rely on alcohol as a coping mechanism for anxiety so if you do use alcohol in this manner see your GP for advice on how to cut it down and then out. But for the majority of us, you will be able to stop drinking if you wish to and what better incentive do you need than to take back control of your life and free yourself from anxiety and panic attacks. I cut down dairy as much as possible and incorporated more fresh foods into my diet. I cut out takeaways and instead got interested in what I was consuming. You can have treat days and you don't have to go cold turkey from treats but 85% of what you consume must be clean food and this usually means organic veg and a plant based diet.
4. Exercising for anxiety - not a personal favourite but you need to get fresh air daily and get your body moving. You will decide what and how you do this, but at least 30 mins exercise everyday - this combined with the healthy eating is going to radically change your life on its own without a doubt and once you push past the annoyance of exercising, many people grow to like it and it becomes part of the daily routine. I got into walking and HIIT, high intensity interval training so short hard routines lasting 15 -30 mins which gradually get tougher. The goal is not to lose weight or get ripped, the goal is to get your blood pumping and feel good, if you get ripped as a side effect of cutting your anxiety out, you won't mind. I found that 3 times a week was a good start and that after 2 weeks i felt lighter mentally and better off than if i did not do anything. If you dont like going outdoors, do it in your living room. This alone is something we all should do, anxiety or no anxiety, its good positive step that make you feel good.
5. Stress & Anxiety go hand in hand and if you suffer from stress its likely you will also either suffer from anxiety or you are laying the foundations for future issues. A large proportion of stress comes at most people from their job and family life which unfortunately is just the way life works some times and is expected and normal to a certain degree but did you know you may be feeling stressed as a result of your use of social media. Looking at people pretend to be either rich, famous, successful and happy or all of the above constantly will only leave you feeling hollow and worthless and the saddest part of social media is the people posting it are as sad and lonely and scared of death as we all are. Its all pretend nonsense and in many ways one of the most detrimental things you can do in modern life. Its hard enough keeping your head above water financially anymore, never mind having to articulate why you will never be rich or famous no matter how hard you try. Of course you cant opt out that easily from social media these days so tailor it to suit your well being. Dont follow vacuse people or things, unfollow anyone that projects narcissism and keep your accounts limited to those that know and love you.
6. CBD Oil for Anxiety - Finally, you probably thought I had forgotten about it but CBD oil for me personally was a very positive experience. I must start by saying though that I work in the CBD industry so this is not exactly unbiased and I want you to be clear that using CBD oil is not right for everyone and also not a cure for anxiety, I think its very important that that distinction is made. CBD is not a cure for anxiety or anything else. It is however a positive and beneficial natural food supplement that I personally found to help take the edge off my anxiety and panic attacks. But how did you use the CBD oil? I used it in conjunction with all of the above points, I do not believe that had I just taken CBD oil that I would of cured or helped my anxiety as the source of the problem for me was mental and until the issues, stresses and trauma got dealt with I think it was unlikely that I was going to find the peace I wanted. Its for that reason that I think CBD oil is a really valuable tool in my arsenal of anti anxiety techniques but not the defining factor in my healing but it made the whole process much easier. I took 3 drops of a golden full spectrum CBD oil 3 times a day and I took it everyday without fail and mentally it helped take the pressure off.I found that the grace period of talking myself out of a panic attack increased and this gave me a boost which any sufferer of anxiety can probably relate to is a small victory as we mostly just feel bad and guilty for feeling that way and it soon becomes a cycle of violence for the victim.
- Fight the anxiety - Push back against it mentally
- Engage the anxiety - Put yourself in situations you may not like
- Eat away the anxiety - Eat right, feel right, detoxify naturally
- Exercise for anxiety - Getting active regularly makes you feel happy
- Eradicate Stress - Anxiety loves stress, dont feed it.
- Try supplements - people report positive things, try for yourself
Buying CBD Oils in the UK for anxiety - Dont buy CBD oils for anxiety, buy them because you are ready to accompany changes to lifestyle, thought process and environments with a great food supplement. Buying solely to cure anxiety will likely not give you the results you seek long term. When it comes to sourcing the CBD oils we are but one of many sellers in the UK but have one of the best selections and we don't do medical claims or promises of quick fixes. As you can see from our blog style and also from our verified non incentivised reviews, we do things the right way. Even if you don't buy anything from us I believe my experience can help others and if people get any help from this blog, my work is done, in that as a fellow sufferer of anxiety, I do not wish others to either go through what I did and not get the help they need which can sometimes be different from what is ussually on offer.
Conclusions through my time selling CBD oils and having anxiety - Anxiety from my experience never really fully goes away, I am sorry to say it but I think it's one of those things that once you have it its always a risk but it does become a distant memory in a sort of way that allows you to get on and live a life free from much of the hassle associated with the condition. Please note we are all different and this is just my experience and what I did over a period of time to help me, is nothing radical and some will vibe with it and some won't. That's the brilliantly impossible dilemma of anxiety in that we are all different and there is no quick fix or cure all and it's for this reason if you see CBD oil marketed as a cure or proffered by self ordained CBD Gurus alongside medical advice they are not fit to disseminate then steer clear. Money, not your sanity is the goal there. We implore you to read as much as possible and from various sources about CBD and anxiety, you will see you are not alone and many places online and offline exist to provide help for people also in a state of flux internally. We do hope this has been of help. Continue to fight it everyday, you are guaranteed it will be long and hard and painful at times but compared to the alternative which is giving in and letting the fear anxiety and panic consume you for the rest of your life, hopefully it will in the long term have favorable results. Peace.