CBD is becoming increasingly popular and that is not surprising, CBD is known for its positive medicinal properties in numerous conditions. In this article, we look at what CBD can do for you if you suffer from depressive symptoms.
What effect does CBD have on depression?
What exactly is meant by depression? And how and with what ingredients can CBD oil lead to relief of your symptoms? What is depression and what does CBD do? Depression affects many people. It is a collection of serious conditions in which the mood of the affected person(s) is severely negatively affected.
Those suffering from depression have severe psychological symptoms that lead to an almost daily feeling of severe to very severe dejection, often accompanied by fatigue, lethargy, anxiety and withdrawal. If manic depression is present, periods of severe depression alternate with euphoric moments, in which the patient is elated and thinks he can take on the whole world.
CBD (cannabidiol)
CBD has cannabis as its main ingredient, but does not offer the psychological effects that cannabis does. Thus, you don't get stoned from CBD. The cannabinoid in CBD strengthens the immune system and has positive health effects. If you have depressive symptoms, they can be reduced with CBD. This is because CBD stimulates receptors in the brain, causing serotonin to be released (better) in the brain. This provides a calming effect. Several recent studies, including one from 2010, have shown cannabinoid properties that improve mood. With this, they have similar effects to imipramine, a commonly used antidepressant.
Characteristics and symptoms of depression
If you suffer from depression, you need not be envied. Briefly, depression includes two main symptoms. The first is psychological-mental. The patient is listless, negative, gloomy, dejected and may eventually become suicidal. The second main symptom is physically noticeable. People suffering from depression are often tired, do not eat and sleep or sleep poorly, have less energy and often have reduced sexual libido.
Medics distinguish three types of depression. The first is depression with a single episode, also called major depression. For at least two weeks, the patient suffers from the above symptoms. But the depression is a single episode and does not return after recovery. A second variant is chronic depression. In this, the depression returns one or more times with an interval of at least two months. Finally, there is dysthymic disorder. These are depressive symptoms that are relatively mild but persistent for a long time.
The beneficial effects of CBD
CBD primarily has a positive effect on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Research shows that the oil has positive effects on the mood of depressed people in several ways. For example, it increases serotonin and glutamate levels, leading to a calmer mood and more energy. Research has also shown that the terpenes in CBD have a positive effect. This is especially true of the terpene beta-caryophyllene, which works well to combat the symptoms of depression and anxiety problems.
