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Ever been in a bad mood? Of course, we all have days where we wake up on the wrong side of the bed but this seldom constitutes a severe mood disorder like mania, depression, and the mixture of both that is bipolar disorder.
I’ve come across many people who’ve wondered if CBD can help with mood enhancement and if it’s an effective and worthy treatment for the aforementioned mood disorders, and as you’ll soon see, the answer seems to be a resounding “yes.”
With that said, you don’t need to have a clinical mood disorder to find benefits from a natural remedy like CBD to treat an imbalance in your body and brain. One of the great benefits of CBD products is their wide application to treat a number of issues all with tame and virtually absent side effects.
How well does CBD help with mood enhancement?
Researchers have found that pre-clinical animal data suggests CBD produces anti-depressant effects and has been reported not only to reduce anxiety but also to enhance mood and cause euphoria.
Mood disorders can range from heightened moods such as mania or hypomania, lowered moods such as depressed mood or major depression, and (in some cases) moods that cycle between depression and mania, also commonly known as bipolar disorder.
People with mood disorders can have volatile mood swings. Few know that severe mood disorders can begin with periods of euphoria that then descend into deep depression. Individuals with mood disorders can find their disposition interfering with their daily lives, which can even lead to behavior that can be considered impulsive, high-risk, and (in some extreme cases) can even lead to dangerous behavior that may result in harm to oneself or to loved ones if not properly maintained.
Mood disorders can also lead to individuals forming suicidal thoughts which often compound and can severely reduce confidence, motivation, and drive a deep social wedge between family and friends.
These disorders aren’t considerate either. They don’t announce themselves once formed and can begin as early as childhood and extend into advanced age. Some mood disorders lay dormant and take hold later in life, again without any formal announcement or indications.
Doctors treating mood disorders haven’t just sat on the bench all these years. There are therapeutic aids for mood disorders that include psychotherapy, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics, and anti-depressants.
These treatments can often have a less than desirable impact on many patients and can result in negative side effects. However, scientists have found promising results from CBD, which provides a completely natural treatment for mood enhancement and therapeutic aid for mood disorders.
What exactly is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound derived from cannabis plants. It has no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which means you don’t have to worry about getting a “high” from CBD oil derived from hemp. That’s because hemp is a flowerless cannabis plant that doesn’t build up significant levels of THC—especially when they’re laboratory tested.
How Exactly Does CBD work?
Our body has a naturally occurring endocannabinoid system and a range of protein-based chemical structures attached to our cells that receive signals from stimuli. These are known as receptors.
Research has shown that CBD products interact with our CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are predominantly found in our central nervous system.
Scientists have found it difficult to bridge the gap between anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, anti-convulsant, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties that are part of the benefit structure that results from CBD treatment.
CBD also shows no adverse side effects on those who use it, which in and of itself can be a form of mood treatment as it keeps your mind at ease. After all, treatment shouldn’t contribute to stress and a change in disposition.
The anxiolytic properties of CBD are especially effective toward treating mood disorders, which is why CBD is such a strong therapeutic aid for many of them.
CBD edibles for mood enhancement
CBD products come in many forms and some have found CBD edibles, gummies, and candy as their preferred method for treating mood disorders. These edibles come in a variety of different flavors and you never have to worry about dosage.
Many enjoy the consistency that CBD edibles provide and feel that they can use CBD in public without the scrutiny and attention that sometimes comes with tinctures and vapes, so you can regulate your mood without concern.
CBD oil for mood enhancement
Another popular method for treating mood disorders is with CBD oils, tinctures, and oral sprays. Tinctures simply require you to drop your desired dose under your tongue and oral sprays work just like your favorite breath freshener.
This method works rather fast because CBD can be absorbed quickly into your system, providing efficient and effective relief for anxiety. These can also be referred to as “sublingual” CBD oils and they can help those who find it difficult to use other forms of CBD treatment.
Can CBD products help treat mood disorders?
CBD also has been shown to help combat mood disorders because CBD has an altering effect on our serotonin signals. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and keeping serotonin at a normal level will help you maintain proper mental health. Mood disorders are most often caused by an imbalance in the body which can include low serotonin levels and can lead to increased anxiety.
One of the better-known treatments for low serotonin is called a “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor” (SSRI). You may have heard of medications like fluoxetine (Prozac) or sertraline (Zoloft), which are only available from a prescription due to their significant effects on your system.
While these treatments have helped some, many have found little to no relief and the side effects can often do more harm than good.
CBD Dosage for mood disorders and enhancement
Depending on the form of the CBD product you may use, each will have their own dosage amount. That’s why it’s important to buy from a trustworthy marketplace that has clearly labeled packaging that gives you information on the proper dosage for your body type and condition.
Clinical trials have given subjects CBD doses up to 1,200 mg daily for months and found zero serious side effects. When you consider a typical bottle of tincture has 1,200 mg in the entire bottle, there’s no need to worry about taking too much CBD in one dose.
Normally, you’d take 1-3 drops of CBD oil under your tongue to treat most forms of anxiety and you can do this up to 3 times each day. Just make sure to read dosage guidelines on the packaging for each product.
What are the federal guidelines for CBD products?
Federal guidelines state that legal CBD products must contain less than .3% THC to pass federal standards and levels higher than that could result in unwanted effects and a potentially costly failed drug test.
These federal guidelines are there for everyone’s protection, because while laws change from state to state, there will always be customers who want pain relief without the need to introduce THC into their bodies.
Full spectrum vs. Broad spectrum CBD
Full spectrum CBD products contain some trace amounts of THC. They are produced using the whole cannabis plant and are considered to be the most popular because of the variety of compounds they contain.
Broad spectrum CBD contains zero THC. To produce a broad spectrum CBD product it must go one step further than full spectrum CBD by extracting any existing amounts of THC.
How to buy CBD oil online
If you’re interested in buying CBD products online, there are online marketplaces your can check out like CBDEE.com. Other ways to buy it are going direct to company websites, although the product selection would be much more limited than if you went to a marketplace with hundreds of options. Plus, a company like CBDEE also works with laboratories to make sure that every product on their platform has optimal medicinal qualities and passes federal guidelines so you know that what you are putting into or on your body is safe.