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Many people suffer from some form of mood disorder either mild or severe. Cycling between mania (elevated moods) or depression can be exhausting and can negatively affect a person's life.
People with mood disorders are often prescribed medication to help stabilize their moods and keep them level-headed, but CBD products can also be used as an effective mood stabilizer.
What is a Mood Disorder?
Mood disorders can be defined as hypomania, followed by bouts of severe depression. People suffering from mood disorders, like bipolar disorder, cycle between mania and depression regularly, making their behavior and mood highly unpredictable.
Mood swings are caused by neurochemical imbalances that occur in the limbic system comprised of the hypothalamus, hippocampus and the amygdala. These areas of the brain are involved in regulating emotions. If the limbic system is imbalanced, anxiety, depression and irritability can result.
Furthemore, the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine are also involved in mood regulation. If too much or too little of these chemicals are produced, a person's emotions and sense of well-being can be affected.
People suffering from mood swings are often prescribed medications such as antipsychotics and antidepressants. They may also participate in psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy in an effort to deal with their mood swings. But while these may be effective, there may be other natural and safer options to consider that may be just as effective — if not more.
If you're dealing with bothersome mood swings that are impacting your life and are looking for an alternative solution, CBD might be something to consider. Many people have been finding it to be effective treatment option, but you should consult with your primary care physician before incorporating into your daily routine.
How Can CBD Stabilize Your Mood?
There is growing evidence to suggest that pure CBD oil may be helpful in treating mood swings and stabilizing emotions that comes down to how pure CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS is associated with several bodily functions including appetite, sleep, pain and mood. In fact, it plays a key role in these processes. The endocannabinoid system incorporates a network of receptors and cannabinoids that work in harmony to establish and maintain homeostasis or balance in the body. When there is an imbalance in the body, a person's health can be negatively affected.
Naturally produced cannabinoids in the body allow the ECS to function properly and communicate with their respective cannabinoid receptors — this is how the body is able to maintain homeostasis. But the endocannabinoid system can also be impacted by external cannabinoids, such as CBD. This hemp-derived cannabinoid impacts the ECS by interacting with CB1 and CB2 receptors of the ECS.
As such, keeping both the ECS and limbic system balanced and healthy is important for ensuring that mood is regulated and mood swings don't occur. However, when there’s a deficiency in cannabinoids, an imbalance occurs.
Taking CBD can help to give cannabinoids naturally found in the body a boost. This helps the endocannabinoid system to balance itself out again. Not only does a healthy and balanced ECS help to reduce pain, improve sleep, and regulate appetite, it can also help to regulate mood disorders.
Studies Support The Effects of CBD on Mood Disorders
Studies have found that CBD can be even more effective than conventional pharmaceuticals and don't come with the usual side effects of these medications. Others found it to be an effective supplement to prescribed medication and even helped patients reduce the amount of lithium needed to deal with mood swings, if prescribed.
CBD mimics drugs like antipsychotics and antidepressants by activating the 5-HT1A receptors to alleviate some symptoms of anxiety and depression.
A study published in the journal Neuropharmacology confirmed that serotonin and dopamine impact mood regulation and endocannabinoids have direct control over the production and maintenance of these chemicals. Researchers associated with this study found that CBD can help to combat the effects cannabinoid deficiency may have in the body and brain.
CBD can also help protect the brain from free radicals and oxidative stress thanks to its neuroprotective properties. Mood disorders like bipolar disorder are associated with oxidative stress whereby free radicals are produced in the brain. CBD's anti-oxidative and neuroprotective properties can help to protect the brain and hinder the production of free radicals.
Why Use CBD to Stabilize Your Mood?
If you suffer from mood swings, CBD might be an effective supplement that can help improve your symptoms. When using CBD mood stabilizer, it's important to consider factors such as the CBD strain and appropriate dosage. While more studies are needed to establish CBD's effects on mood disorders, there is already plenty of science out there that supports CBD's impact on regulating mood.
1 comment
I’m hoping you can help me. I don’t know a ton about CBD (or even weed) but I do believe it has many healing properties. I have a 19 year old daughter that just had a suicide attempt. She is a daily weed smoker (dabbing). (usually multiple times a day, plus regular vaping) She is immune compromised and now she is on two inhalers due to a decrease in lung function. We would love for her transition from smoking to using CDB oils/capsules or whatever. Can you give me some background on where to start and if this thought process make sense? Thanks so much!