Mental Clarity: Improving Mental Health With CBD

Tough Times

Millions of people around the world struggle with being able to think clearly every single day. If you are feeling like your mental clarity is not where it needs to be then you are not alone. 

A lack of mental clarity can be attributed to a variety of different reasons. It is possible that you have a mental health issue and need either professional medical or psychiatric help. Don’t underestimate this possibility and please be sure not to rule it out. 

It’s more likely, however, that the many outside distractions and pressures from everyday life are clouding your brain and not allowing it to function at its peak level. Scores of people have turned to CBD products to help improve their brain health and increase mental clarity and mental health. Can it actually work and should you give it a shot? Read on to find out more information.

What Is Mental Health

It has been said that there is no health without mental health. If you have ever experienced mental health issues then you would agree that is a true statement. Mental health really is the foundation for your overall health and well being. 

According to the World Health Organization “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” And to take that even further, mental health is more than just someone not having a mental disability or disorder.

Good mental health is really a state of well-being. It is when a person is able to deal with and cope with the daily stresses of life. Sometimes life throws us curve balls that we are not expecting but the world keeps on going. Mental health is when you are able to continue being productive in your activities whether that be at work, home, or in your community.

Good mental health allows you to be able to hold a job, earn a living, interact with others, take care of your family, and enjoy your life. Mental health really is integral to every aspect of our lives which is why it is so incredibly important. There really is no true health without mental health.

Could CBD be an Answer to Mental Health?

CBD is thought to help with so many different things that it sometimes seems too good to be true. That’s one reason that it is sometimes referred to as ‘the boy scout molecule’ because it seems to do the right thing no matter what situation it is put in.

We want to be very careful in saying that CBD is the ‘answer’. When it comes to mental health there are just so many different factors that need to be considered. And it constantly varies from person to person.

On top of that there is still not enough research to show any sort of long term effects of CBD on mental health, or even one’s physical health. As of now we don’t know of any negative long term risks from using CBD but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any either.

On the other hand a vast number of CBD users report that they regularly experience less anxiety from using CBD products. For these people, less anxiety leads to an increase in their daily mental health and well-being. So while it’s not proper to say that CBD is the answer to mental health issues there are many people who are finding CBD helpful when it comes to their mental health.

Mental Health Issues That CBD May Help With

Depression

Depression plagues an astounding number of people. In fact, it’s reported that depression impacts more than 264 million people worldwide. That truly is a staggering and frightening amount of people that are dealing with a very serious illness. 

Depression is also something that can compound itself very quickly. When you are depressed you are not functioning well and your mental clarity is not as good. Depression leads to problems at work, relationship issues, and the list goes on. These issues can lead to even more depression and it can be a vicious cycle.

Prolonged and severe depression can then lead to suicide in some cases. One suicide is too many but unfortunately there are almost 800,000 people who take their own lives every single year. It is actually the leading cause of death for ages 15-29. 

We know that low serotonin levels in your brain can lead to dealing with depression. CBD studies on animals have indicated that CBD may actually impact how your brain responds to serotonin in your brain to help alleviate depression. It does not appear that CBD actually helps to increase the serotonin levels themselves. This is an area of ongoing study and really does need to be further researched but initial findings do show some positive signs. 

Anxiety

Anxiety is defined as your body’s natural response to stress. Every person reading this can attest that they have some level of stress in their lives. This can manifest itself differently for different people but stress is a part of life.

The level of anxiety that each of us feels is different for everyone. For example, public speaking is stressful for almost everyone in some way. But the level of anxiety about public speaking varies greatly for different people. It can cause some people to be incredibly anxious. To the point where they have a difficult time functioning leading up to the speech.

Anxiety is such a common problem in today’s society that it is estimated that 19% of adults in the United States are affected by anxiety on some level. That’s almost 1 in 5 adults! It’s no wonder that people are looking for safe and effective ways to help ease their anxiety. That is why they have turned to using CBD for anxiety.

In a nutshell, studies have shown that CBD seems to definitely have the potential to treat various anxiety disorders. It is important to note that even though early research has shown some positive results there is still more research needed for conclusive evidence of the effects CBD has in decreasing anxiety.

Epilepsy and Neurologic Disorders

There has been strong evidence showing that CBD may help in the treatment of epilepsy and especially pediatric epilepsy. Recently, the FDA has even approved a medication called Epidiolex, which contains CBD. Epidiolex is used to treat certain types of childhood seizure disorders.

There are video clips on the web of testimonies of people who claim that CBD has alleviated seizures for their children. It seemed outlandish at first but subsequent research has seemed to back up these types of claims. One study that focused on CBD as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy even found that CBD helped to reduce the frequency of seizures by as much as 50% for patients.

Sleep Difficulties

Most of us have been sleep deprived to some degree at one point in time or another, whether it was your choice or not. If you have tried to function on a lack of sleep you know just how difficult and painstaking that can be. If you happen to suffer from insomnia then those effects are multiplied because it is a common problem in your life.

Sleep is absolutely critical to our health. Without sleep for a prolonged period of time our bodies will die. Not getting enough restful sleep on a nightly basis can wreak havoc on our health. Not only your physical health but your mental health as well.

You may be aware that lack of sleep is linked to physical ailments such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. But it is also linked to mental issues such as depression. Be assured that a lack of sleep will contribute to a decline in mental health and mental clarity.

One central cause of people not being able to sleep is because of anxiety. There are so many things going on in our world right now that many people are scared, worried, and anxious. They sit around during the day and lay around at night thinking and worrying. Not only is that mentally unhealthy it also causes them to not be able to get to sleep or fall asleep.

Because CBD has shown that it may be able to ease anxiety it has also shown that it may be able to help people sleep. Many have reported falling asleep faster and being able to stay asleep longer when using CBD.

Simplistic Science Behind the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

It seems as though CBD has a ton of potential to help us with improving mental health and mental clarity. But you might be wondering how this cannabinoid from a cannabis plant can actually help and how does it work?

It is made possible by what is called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS. The ECS is found within the human body and is responsible for things like body temperature, appetite, pain perception, immunity, mood, and more. 

The ECS contains receptors. These cannabinoid receptors interact with the CBD by stimulating biochemical communication within the body. CBD interacting with these cannabinoid receptors can help to regulate and even improve the functions and regulation in our bodies. It is through the ECS and its cannabinoid receptors that allows CBD to have its beneficial impact.

Is It the CBD or Other Ingredients That Help

We have touched on how and why CBD can have a positive impact on mental health and mental clarity. There is no question that there is ongoing research needed to determine the full impact of CB on mental health. At a minimum it would seem that CBD helps with things like mood and anxiety which in turn helps reduce anxiety and improve your mental well-being.

So, is CBD considered a nootropic? If you are unfamiliar with the term nootropic it is basically what people consider a ‘smart drug’. It is something that is supposed to increase your cognitive brain function. Now, there are a set of 5 requirements for something to be considered a nootropic but we will stick with the basics that it provides cognitive enhancement for now. 

There is evidence that CBD helps with mental health in various ways and that it can provide help with mental clarity. However, calling it a nootropic is a stretch at this point. For example, one of the criteria to be a nootropic is that it must help enhance your memory. While CBD may be able to help you step back and think more clearly, we are not aware of valid evidence that suggests CBD actually enhances one’s memory.

There are some various CBD products out there that would be considered nootropic stacks. These products contain other nootropics (smart-drugs) mixed into CBD capsules. Many people have found these nootropic CBD stacks to be incredibly effective for them. The nootropic does help increase cognitive function and they find the CBD to help them handle the stress of the day. The combination of the two has been very effective thus far.

Is Taking CBD for Mental Health Safe?

Short term – research and millions of users have shown that the short term use of CBD products is generally considered to be safe. There are some side effects that are possible but they are generally not severe and oftentimes nonexistent. These side effects would include things like low blood pressure, drowsiness, and dry mouth.

Long term – Determining the long term effects of CBD usage is not as easily quantified. A major part of the reason for that is that there have not been enough long term studies conducted to give a scientific view. There are, however, many people around the world who have used CBD daily for multiple years without negative side effects. Hopefully, these folks don’t discover negative impacts years down the road but we simply don’t have enough data at this point in time.

Ages – Some parents have found CBD to help their children with anxiety or hyperactivity issues. As with adults, there are possible side effects. The biggest factor to pay attention to is mixing CBD with other medications. This is where it could have the most negative impact on kids and adults. There really have not been long term tests done to determine the ongoing safety of CBD for children.

How About THC

THC is the main psychoactive compound that is found in cannabis. THC can also be found in full-spectrum CBD products. In the US, full-spectrum CBD products can contain a maximum of 0.3% THC. At this level, there is really no chance that THC will get you high. If you are concerned at all about a drug test you would be safer choosing a broad-spectrum or CBD Isolate product. These do not contain any THC.

Characteristics of the Best CBD Brands

When you are searching for the best CBD brands there are a lot of things to consider. Here are a few tips to help you find a trustworthy CBD brand along with the best CBD products.

  1. Find a trusted and reputable CBD brand
  2. Determine the type of CBD product you are looking for. That would include CBD oil, gummies, capsules, etc. But also whether you would like the full-spectrum, broad-spectrum of CBD isolate.
  3. Compare the pricing of similar products from different brands
  4. Know where the hemp is grown
  5. What other ingredients are in the CBD product? Is it an all-natural product?
  6. Do they offer free shipping?
  7. Is there any money-back guarantee?

We could keep going with things to look for but it can get overwhelming. There are 7 good tips above to get you pointed in the right direction to finding the best CBD brands and products for you.

A lot of people who are not familiar with CBD are wondering if it is legal. We would like to just say yes and move on but it deserves a little more explanation than that. 

In the United States CBD became legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. The main stipulation to this is that the products must contain less than 0.3% THC. This also means that the industrial hemp that the CBD is made from must contain less than 0.3% THC. The caveat to this is that each state can set its own laws and guidelines relating to hemp and CBD. Because of this, it is important to understand your state and local laws regarding CBD. 

Laws in countries around the world are changing regularly in regard to cannabis, hemp, and CBD. It can be difficult to keep up with all of them but it is always a good idea to double check the laws wherever you are prior to purchasing CBD. 

A Final Word From The CBD Guru

Feeling and being mentally healthy and having mental clarity is priceless. You know when something just doesn’t feel right and you aren’t performing at your best. There can be a ton of reasons for it but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it.

Oftentimes the reason can be from stress and anxiety. As we go through life it’s not hard to understand how the various pressures and stresses can cloud your mind and get you down. It’s possible that CBD can help. For example, there are CBD products for anxiety that may help put your mind at ease and even help you sleep better at night.

If you are new to CBD or if you are having ongoing mental health issues it is imperative that you speak with a doctor first. You want to be able to rule out any serious issues that you could be having as well as better understand the impact of CBD.

FAQ’s

  1. Is there any concrete evidence that CBD helps to improve mental health and mental clarity?

    CBD is used by many people to help with mental health and initial studies have shown some positive signs. Recently, CBD product Epidiolex was approved by the FDA to help treat seizures.

  2. What type of CBD should I take to help improve my mental health?

    That depends on your preferences and what specific goal you are hoping to achieve. You will be looking at very different products if you are looking for help sleeping as opposed to CBD products to help increase your cognitive function during the day.

  3. Does CBD help with anxiety?

    Millions of people are taking CBD because they feel it helps calm their anxiety. However, there are not enough consistent, long-term studies to unequivocally say that CBD lowers anxiety as well as determine any long term effects of CBD.

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