CBD is gaining a lot of attention in the past few years, with more and more people using it to find relief for different ailments to great success. It has also inspired many scientists to devote their time and knowledge to researching the actual health benefits of CBD and its mechanism of operation.
CBD has been shown to help with many conditions, ranging from pain management, help with inflammation, epileptic seizures, to help with anxiety, depression, PTSD, stress, and mood swings. Here I’ll take a deeper look at how CBD can help people better deal with mood swings and manage the underlying conditions behind it.
What is CBD & Can It Help Mood Swings?
Cannabidiol or CBD is a compound derived from the hemp variety of the cannabis plant (see glossary page for the full definition). This compound has a very similar composition and structure with the naturally occurring endocannabinoids in the body, and due to these characteristics, it can help restore the natural balance within the body.
CBD is obtained by extracting it from the hemp plants, in which case, the extract contains a complex blend of cannabinoids and terpenes and is known as a full-spectrum CBD extract. It has many beneficial effects on the body because not only the cannabinoids but also the terpenes bring their beneficial influences.
CBD acts on the CB receptors in the endocannabinoid system, acting on the regulation of appetite, pain management, immune response, stress and anxiety response, restoring the natural dopamine balance within the brain, and more. It also helps manage seizures, has a strong neuroprotective role, and helps with psychological conditions like depression, PTSD, and more.
What Causes Mood Swings?
The mood is an internal, subjective emotional state, and it is generally described in a positive or a negative manner, or good and bad mood. The change in mood or mood swings can be caused by external stimuli like an experience or occurrence or can be caused by internal disorders like depression or bipolar disorder.
Every person is prone to experiencing mood swings, no matter how or where they live. Many times mood swings can be the result of some daily event gone wrong, poor financial state, sickness or death of a family member or a friend or due to some other unexplained reason, and can significantly lower the quality of life, impairing everyday life.
Still, there is a difference between normal, everyday mood swings and severe mood swings that are caused by some underlying condition. For the small, everyday mood swings, all you need to do is take a breather, calm down and relax, and you should feel your body getting back in the good mood. For severe mood swings, modern medicine prescribes medicine that is addictive and can cause other problems within the body.
How Can CBD help?
There is a natural remedy that can help deal with mood swings and help improve the general wellbeing, and it comes in the form of CBD: CBD oil, CBD capsules, CBE edibles (most commonly gummies), CBD vapes, and via other delivery methods. Still, the most popular way of taking CBD supplements is CBD oil.
The main link between soothing the disorders of mood and CBD is the endocannabinoid system. This system is one of the main controllers or emotions in the body, and if something knocks it off balance, the body will most definitely feel it, as the ECS is also responsible for the control of sleep, appetite, pain response, and mood.
Depression, Mood Disorders and CBD
The main internal cause of mood swings is depression. On a molecular level, depression is the result of a neurochemical imbalance in the brain, more specifically in the limbic system that is responsible for the emotional responses. This part of the brain is governed by the ECS, meaning that a steady treatment with CBD can improve the condition.
Taking CBD is not a cure for the mood swings, but it is an effective treatment for the cause of these. The medical researchers don’t fully understand the mechanics of acting of CBD, the ECS, and the general mood of a person, but what they know is that it works. It is a complex mechanism, as CBD acts on many different receptors in the brain; the CB receptors are only a part of a much bigger picture.
The good thing about taking CBD for dealing with depression or bipolar disorder that can cause severe mood swings is that there are virtually no side effects. You can’t overdose on CBD, and if you do take a bigger dose, it will not affect your everyday life, which is something that can’t be said for the medication that is usually prescribed for severe mood swings such as strong antidepressants, which, in the long run, cause more harm than good.
Wrapping up: CBD Can Soothe Mood Swings
Mood swings can happen to everyone, with mild mood swings caused by everyday life and severe mood swings that can be the result of a bigger medical problem. The simple mood swings are a part of everyday life can and should be relieved by simple relaxation, getting away from the stressors, and making some changes in the way of life.
The severe mood swings are usually caused by some sort of psychological disorder, usually depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. These are managed with antidepressants, and impair the quality of life. To find relief from these, people have turned to natural remedies like CBD, and many have found that taking CBD on a daily basis can greatly help with the quality of life, and can even curb depression, anxiety, and stress.
There are no psychoactive properties to this compound, and CBD products are legal in all 50 US states. Not to mention the increased number of clinical research and the FDA’s approval of Epidiolex, the first CBD-based treatment for seizures, it is becoming evident that CBD is going to be the next big thing in modern medicine, and rightfully so.
