10 Ways CBD Can Help You Posted on May 8, 2019, updated on March 4, 2024 by Gateway Counseling CBD stands for cannabidiol. It’s one of more than 100 cannabinoid compounds extracted from marijuana or cannabis plants, used to treat and alleviate several health issues. CBD can help you with a variety of issues. It doesn’t have any psychoactive properties and it won’t get you high like other parts of a marijuana plant, but it’s proven to be a powerful natural remedy that helps treat several common ailments. In fact, CBD is known to treat a vast spectrum of maladies, including diseases, inflammation, and more. It’s still in the early days regarding long-term scientific studies, but all the research, evidence, and feedback from users is extremely positive. While there are a lot of advocates for it, there are just as many against its use in medicine. If you are curious about the drug’s effectiveness, perhaps speaking to several different professionals and trying it yourself is the best approach. With numerous people claiming its potency, it’s surely something to investigate further. Let’s look at some of the health benefits and ways using CBD can help you: 1. Pain Relief There is evidence to show that people have been using marijuana to relieve pain dating back thousands of years. So, while the pain-relieving benefits are common knowledge, the issue has always been the legality of buying and using marijuana. CBD solves this problem. It’s much more available, legal, and it isolates the compounds that relieve pain while not getting the user high. 2. Neuroprotective Benefits There have been several studies into the neuroprotective benefits of CBD. While nerve cell damage, degeneration or impairment is associated with a wide range of conditions and diseases, CBD advocates state the oil can treat and reverse negative effects. One of the studies focused on a group of people suffering from multiple sclerosis that were experiencing muscle spasms and were not seeing positive results from traditional medications and treatment methods. After using CBD oil, 75% of the focus group experienced reduced spasms or other improvements with their condition and symptoms. 3. Reducing Inflammation Inflammation is our body’s way of reacting to an injury or infection so we can heal quickly. It reduces the risk of injury getting worse and keeps the infection from spreading. Persistent or chronic inflammation, however, takes a toll on our bodies, causes pain, and can lead on to other health issues. CBD is known to help reduce inflammation by interacting with the neurotransmitters responsible. 4. Reducing Depression and Anxiety With depression and anxiety disorders affecting more than 40 million adults in the US, they are now the most common mental illnesses. Traditional meds have many negative side effects, such as insomnia, headaches, lower libido, and drowsiness. They can also be addictive. CBD offers a natural remedy and studies have shown the drug to be very effective at treating these issues without side effects. 5. Treating Acne While acne might seem like a cosmetic problem, many people with acne also suffer from other issues like depression, social anxiety, and so on as a result of having bad acne. The good news is that due to its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD has proven to help reduce acne in patients that were not seeing results from traditional treatments. 6. Sleeping Aid If you’re struggling to hold down a regular sleeping schedule, or worse, are suffering from insomnia, using CBD serves as a sleeping aid. Many people claim using CBD oil before bed gives them a full night of restful sleep. 7. Reducing Cancer-Related Symptoms CBD can help reduce the symptoms cancer patients experience due to treatment, such as pain, vomiting, and nausea. 8. Reducing Blood Pressure High blood pressure can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and other serious health conditions that are potentially fatal. The use of CBD can improve and normalize high blood pressure. Studies have found a direct connection between the use of CBD oil and a reduction in blood pressure, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease due to its anti-inflammatory and stress-reducing properties. 9. Reducing Antipsychotic Effects There have been some interesting studies on how CBD can reduce psychotic symptoms. This is particularly helpful for people living and dealing with conditions like schizophrenia and other mental disorders that aren’t responding well to traditional meds. 10. Treating Substance Abuse/Dependency CBD can help substance abuse patients break their cycle of addiction. It does this by affecting the circuits in the brain that are directly related to drug addiction. Looking for Mental Health Treatment Options? Are you looking to improve your mental health and overall wellbeing? Mental health counseling, used in conjunction with other methods, can improve one’s outlook, physical, and spiritual wellness. Whether you suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or some other trauma, there are trained people who can help. Speaking with a mental health counselor can be the best thing you do for yourself. A good counselor can listen to you and offer feedback and tools to handle or cope with your issues. Contact the team at Gateway Counselling to schedule a session and learn more about your options today.