A month ago I developed extremeeeee anxiety. I got some CBD oil and started taking it. Here's what happened.
My name's Karen. You may know me as the effervescent personality behind such blog posts as Boys have Dinks, crowd favourite Snail Mucus Moisturizer or the classic And the OTHER Thing About a Brazilian Wax. I'm a fundamentally happy person who's rarely in a bad mood. If someone repeatedly tried to cut my toenails while I slept, that would put me in a bad mood I think. But that's about it.
My perpetual good mood disappeared last month AFTER I had my breast cancer scare. Not during. After. In the days after I found out I was in the clear, I developed ANXIETY.
I had the kind of anxiety you'd expect from someone who lied about being a great singer and was then pushed onstage (naked) to sing Opera in front of thousands of Simon Cowells.
I felt short of breath, my heart was beating rapidly, I woke up 10X every night and I just felt like a nervous ball of tangled scribbles. For no reason. I wasn't afraid the test results were wrong, I wasn't worried about breast cancer at all, but THAT initial scare triggered some switch in me and I had constant anxiety.
Other than that, how did I know I had anxiety?
In the course of one week I convinced myself I had:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- a brain tumour
- Parkinson's
- Ovarian sarcoma, anddddd
- Rabies.
Soooooo I'm definitely going to chalk this anxiety up to some kind of post traumatic stress after my health scare.
I tried all the things I would normally try if I found myself anxious or stressed out. Breathing exercises, going for a run, meditation, telling myself to calm the hell down you lunatic NOTHING is wrong. All of it worked a bit, especially the meditation, but the anxiety came back.
By day 2 I started looking into other ways to get rid of my imaginary anxiety because it was cutting into the energy I liked to devote to my real anxiety. The day-to-day anxiety. The anxiety you get when you're waiting to pull into a parking spot and you suddenly see someone else heading for it too.
Pills are very helpful for anxiety. But I already take pills.
I take the smallest dose possible of an anti-anxiety drug. I have for years. It works so well that I constantly think I don't need this stupid pill, I don't even have anxiety, I'm just going to stop taking it.
And then I remember those people who decide to go off their meds because they haven't eaten anyone's face in a long time and 2 weeks later they go and eat someone's face. So I stay on my anti-anxiety drug.
I know this particular bout of anxiety is reactionary though. It's like a skipping record and I just need someone to bump into the stereo to get me back on track. Yup. I just need a little bump to get me through it.
Enter CBD Oil.
Table of Contents
What is CBD?
CBD is one of many chemical component of marijuana. It doesn't get you high. THC gets you high. CBD doesn't.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is when the CBD compound is mixed into a "carrier oil". Something that's edible like Grapeseed or Olive oil. You can also make CBD butter which is a Cannabutter but you make it with CBD instead of something with a high THC. I also now make my own cannabutter with CBD I grow.
What does CBD Oil do?
Everything from curing anxiety to healing bones apparently. Here's a list of research studies that lists all the conditions CBD may be therapeutic for. It sounds a bit snake oil to me but I was willing to give it a try.
Is CBD Oil Legal?
Yes. Unless you live in Idaho, Nebraska or South Dakota. Everywhere else in Canada and the United States, CBD Oil is a legal form of medical marijuana.
Is CBD Oil Dangerous or Addictive?
Nope. In fact it's quickly growing in popularity among both children and the elderly population as the go-to drug for many ailments like anxiety, osteoporosis (CBD stimulates bone growth), insomnia and ADHD.
So I got me some CBD oil and took it for two weeks. Here's what happened
My Two Weeks of CBD.
Day 1. Approximately 35 seconds after squeezing the CBD oil drops into my mouth I was convinced that I was getting high. Completely and totally high. I was flyingggggg!!!! I was not. I was fine. Anxiety is a tricky bitch.
Day 2. My anxiety felt kind of the same I think. No big change and I still felt like I couldn't get a deep breath.
Day 3. I might feel better, I'm not sure.
Day 4. O.K. my anxiety is definitely better. I noticed two things on day 4. When my heart started to beat faster (which would normally lead me into hours of a pounding racing heart) it would just stop. Not completely because then I'd be dead. It just stopped pounding. I'd have a few hard thumps and then it was over. Also, by day 4 I realized I could breath again.
Day 5. Pretty much the same as day 4. I wouldn't say my anxiety was magically completely gone but it was a lot better. Manageable. Like I didn't need to worry that if I went out for dinner I might scream and run across the tabletops heading for the door. I'd prefer it the anxiety were completely gone though.
Day 6. I was really counting on sleeping better and again, I am sleeping better, I'm just not sleeping the way I used to. I still wake up at night, WIDE AWAKE, just not as many times.
Day 7. All my major anxiety symptoms are reduced by about 85% I'd say.
Week 2. Same as Day 7. So my symptoms are less they just aren't completely gone.
Conclusion
It is SO hard to say if CBD oil has "cured" me of anxiety. Yes, I'm feeling much better than I was 2 weeks ago. But it all happened so subtly and slowly that it's hard to tell. Maybe my anxiety just went away on its own. Maybe it's a placebo effect? Even if it is, that's fine, so long as I don't randomly hyperventilate for no reason anymore. I mean a parking lot spot is one thing but gasping for air while buying bread at the grocery store?
Oh, hey, don't mind me, I'm simply grabbing this loaf of whole wheat while breathing as though I ran 10 blocks while being chased by a knife wielding psychopath. Who probably wants to eat my face.
Next post I'll walk you through how to get CBD oil if you're interested in it because the road to it may be legal but it isn't straight.
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Something called Astragalus might help. It has help me.
I have also tried CBD oil and CBC oil with THC added. I never know what the correct dose is. I didn't notice any difference with the CBD oil for sleeping better, but maybe the dose was wrong. Next I tried the oil with the THC in it. That gave me unpleasant mind effects, as in remembering unpleasant episodes that I'd totally forgotten about, and other mind stuff. So not sure if I'm doing this whole thing correctly.
HI Madeline. It sounds like you took tooooo much. I think you'd be happy with what's called a 1:1 ratio for sleep. It's equal parts THC and CBD. Just buy whatever the lowest dose of THC is. I would think 3mg of THC should be strong enough to make you sleepy but not so strong it'll make your mind go kooky. Buy a "gummy" and eat half and see how that goes. Gummies are normally about 5 mg each. ~ karen!
I tried the CBD but after a couple days I started getting extremely dizzy - like can’t walk without help dizzy! I read it can be one of the side effects ☹️
I've never heard of that! ~ karen
Hello, I am suffering from anxiety and would like to try cbd oil. Can you please tell me the brand you take? There’s so many types or brands that I’m not sure which to try. Thank you.
Anxiety is tricky. Been there