ADHD and the Brain

You may think that your child is irresponsible or has behavioral problems, but their brain functions a lot differently when it is afflicted with ADHD. It may be difficult to comprehend thinking in a different way when all you know is your own mind, but it is a good practice to try to put yourself in your child’s shoes so you can have more patience as you parent them through these frustrating times.

Psychologists believe that the main problem that can bring on behavioral issues in ADHD is the disruption in the executive functions. Your executive functions are:

Working Memory – Being able to keep information in the mind and then apply it.

Cognitive Flexibility – Being able to think about things in more than one way.

Inhibitory Control – Being able to ignore distractions and resist temptations.

Executive functioning is something that develops as we age. Brain imaging has shown us that over time, the regions of the brain become more distinct which is what improves executive functioning. In a brain of someone who has ADHD, there are malfunctions in some of these areas, slowing the development of executive functioning. But why does this lack of cognitive control cause children to tell those little white lies?

So What Makes Kids with ADHD Lie?

It's Easier

One theory that psychologists have to explain the little white lies that children with ADHD have is that it is just easier to get into trouble than it is to complete the task that they were asked to do. You may think that the task is simple, like picking up clothes off of the floor, but to them, it is a giant mountain almost impossible to climb. So instead, they will lie and deal with the consequences because they have gotten into trouble before and that is just easier for them than trying to conquer their frustrating ADHD.

Impulsivity

Another reason your child with ADHD may be prone to lying is that they want to stay out of trouble. Having a hard time with following directions and a strict schedule, they can find themselves off task and not doing what they were supposed to do or going where they were told. If they just lied, they wouldn’t disappoint the people who were counting on them. They may already be aware that they don’t make the right choices, but they don’t really know why which may be causing them to dig themselves even deeper to save face.

How Can You Help?

As a parent, it may be hard watching your child struggle through ADHD while also having to deal with their negative behavior. One of the best things you can do is seek out a therapist who specializes in ADHD to help you and your child learn the proper coping mechanisms instead of resorting to lying. They can also give you tips on what methods of parenting would work best specifically for your child considering every child is different. If you are looking into medication to help reduce the symptoms of PTSD, talk to your doctor about using CBD which has shown to help reduce symptoms of ADHD.

Is your house cluttered with toys that haven’t been played with since two Christmases ago? Or clothes piling up in your child’s closet even though they only have a few outfits they wear? Adopting a minimalistic lifestyle can help you declutter your home and may be beneficial to your kids.

What Is Minimalism?

Minimalism is identifying what is essential in your life and eliminating the rest. It sounds easy, but like most things, it is a lot harder to do. Things that you need are essentials like toilet paper, food, and a toothbrush. But do you need three iPads in your house? Do you need three tubs of toys for your two children? This isn’t living a strict lifestyle where you aren’t allowed to have fun or use electronics; it is more of continually asking yourself, “Do we really need this?”

How to Practice Minimalism with Kids

One of the best ways to help your child live a minimalistic lifestyle is to practice what you preach. Kids learn by watching what we do. Being resourceful in your own life is a good way to encourage them to do the same. There are ways you can gently put your hands into their life to help them along.

Clean Out Toys

How often do you go through the toys your kids play with? Of course, we want our kids to have everything they want, but being a parent isn’t just about making them happy. It is our job as parents to raise them as well. A great way to get rid of some of the toy clutter is getting rid of toys they haven’t played with in a while, are similar to other toys they have, or aren’t mentally stimulating or educational.

Reduce Screen Time

This is probably something we could all work on. With technology being so close and so advanced, it’s hard not to be caught in its hypnosis. But the longer your child is glued to a screen, the less they are communicating with others and experiencing the world around them. This isn’t to say that kids shouldn’t be allowed to play video games or watch TV, because technology can be very beneficial to brain development. But reducing screen time by keeping electronics locked up except for a special time during the day is a good way to control how often they are using their tech toys.

Clothing

It’s a lot easier to control a child’s closet because they are always growing. If it doesn’t fit, get rid of it! Easy, right? If you are one to get carried away with cute shirts or dashing jeans, take a moment to assess how many articles of clothing they have. Just because a shirt fits doesn’t mean your child is going to wear it. Asses your child’s closet and only keep the clothes that your child will actually wear.

Effects of Minimalism on Kids

Lack of Entitlement More Gratitude

There is both empirical evidence and psychology studies that suggest that a minimalistic life creates satisfaction. Satisfaction is the enemy of the entitled and fuel for gratitude. When your child isn’t expecting the newest toy or gadget, they are learning to be satisfied with what they already have. When you gift them with this special toy, they can become more grateful because they understand the value of getting something new because it doesn’t happen all of the time. This is a great character trait to learn early on in life.

Improved Social Skills

Being occupied with screens and toys takes away from the time they could be learning socials skills like socially acceptable behavior and social cues. Of course, they can learn these things in school, but it is important that they learn these social skills at home as well so you can have more say in their developing behavior. When your child isn’t glued to the TV, they are given the opportunity to socialize with everyone in the family or kids that come over to play.

Creativity and Problem Solving

Kids are geniuses. We forget this because sometimes we don’t give them every opportunity to stretch their brain. If your child isn’t playing their DS, they get a chance to use their own imagination. You would be surprised at what a piece of paper and a crayon can create! When your child doesn’t have a hundred different toys, they get to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to make the best of what they have. Children can be very innovative when given the room to explore!

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

Being a parent is already a full-time job. But when your child has special needs, it’s more like overtime on steroids every single day. If you continue to work yourself until your face is blue, you’re not going to have much left to give when it comes to what your child needs. Parents with special needs children are at higher risk of developing a mental illness like depression. In order to avoid these mental health issues that could compromise the way you care for your child, you’re going to need to learn how to avoid caregiver’s burnout.

What Is Burnout?

Caregiver’s burnout is when the person who is taking care of the individual with needs is exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Unfortunately, this is something that is very common in parents who have children with special needs. Considering the stress that parents are already under, having a child that needs extra care takes that extra toll on you.

Symptoms Of Burn Out

• A wide range of emotions throughout the day
• Catching illnesses easily or feeling sick often
• Feeling fatigued and run down no matter how much you sleep
• Becoming socially isolated by always canceling plans or going out of your way to avoid being around people
• You have no hobbies because you feel you have no time or energy
• You neglect self-care
• Have problems sleeping
• Easily overwhelmed
• Having negative thoughts about your child or your situation

Tips to Avoid Burnout

Ask for Help

This is something that a lot of us can do more of. We don’t want to be a bother, we don’t want to bug anyone with our problems, but we need to. You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child? How many villages do you think it takes to help with a special needs child? You can’t do this alone. If you are married, just the two of you won't cut it either. Ask family members to come to babysit or watch the kids while you get work done around the house. You don’t need to be going at this alone. If you don’t have family that can help and you can’t afford to hire a temporary caregiver, you can seek out free support groups and talk to other parents and learn how they manage.

“You Time” Is Important

You make sure that your child is fed, dressed, clean, and satisfied. If they are bored, you find a way to keep them entertained. If they are tired, you put them to bed. But what about you? If you let your self-care slip, you won't be at 100% when taking care of your child. Give yourself time to soak in the tub with a good book and good smelling candles. Go shopping for something that no one but you would enjoy or benefit from. Go see a movie by yourself with no popcorn spills or ten-bathroom breaks. “You time” is important.

Thick Skin

When you have a child with a disability, people are going to stare. People might say things that hurt your feelings or do things that make you upset, and you are going to have to learn how to deal with it. You don’t have to sit idly by while a grown adult makes fun of your child, you are just going to have to learn not to let it take a toll on you while you deal with the problem. You can’t let other people determine how you feel because an upset parent can sometimes make their children upset, too.

Do you have a child with special needs? What are some ways that you avoid burnout? Leave your tips in the comment section below!

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

When you think about arthritis, the elderly community might come to mind. However, the elderly aren’t the only ones who have to deal with this painful condition. Young people can also become victim to juvenile idiopathic arthritis which can cause our youth to start taking medication to ease the pain. Many families are starting to use CBD instead for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

CBD oil may be able to help with juvenile idiopathic arthritis because of its ability to reduce your sensitivity to pain and help with inflammation. This could be a more attractive treatment option because unlike many medications, it doesn’t do damage to your liver when taken for long periods of time and doesn’t have any risk for addiction or overdose.

What Is JIA?

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a condition that involves swelling in one or more joints lasting at least six weeks and generally begins before the age of 16. JIA includes several different types of arthritis that were previously known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). There are a variety of symptoms that could indicate this disorder such as:

• Muscle and soft tissue tightening
• Bone erosion
• Joint misalignment
• Changes in growth patterns

How Is JIA Diagnosed?

If your child is starting to complain about muscle or joint related pain, you need to take them to a doctor so they can be properly diagnosed. Your doctor will watch their symptoms to see if they last for at least six weeks as well as see how the symptoms progress during the first six months after the onset of symptoms. Your child’s doctor will also do blood work to see if the results indicate arthritis.

Types Of JIA

JIA is a general term that covers different forms of arthritis. Some forms only cause symptoms in the joints or muscles while others can affect other parts of the body as well.

Systemic JIA

Systemic JIA causes inflammation in one or more joints and affects about 10% of children with JIA. It is common for high spiking fevers of 103°F or higher to coexist with the inflammation, and it can last at least two weeks. Other signs can include:

• Inflammation of the heart
• Inflammation of the lungs
• Anemia
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Enlarged liver
• Enlarged spleen

Oligoarticular JIA

Oligoarticular JIA causes arthritis in four or fewer joints, usually the larger ones like knees ankles and elbows. This type of arthritis is the most likely to cause uveitis, which is chronic eye inflammation. Children with a positive test for antinuclear antibody are at a greater risk for developing eye inflammation and will need to frequent the eye doctor.

Polyarticular JIA

Polyarticular JIA causes inflammation in five or more joints, usually the small joints like in the fingers or hands. Weight-bearing joints, like your ankles, and the jaw can also become inflamed. About 25% of children who have arthritis will have this form.

Juvenile psoriatic arthritis

Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis is usually a combination of arthritis and a skin disorder called psoriasis. Psoriasis can start to occur many years before the joint pain starts to surface.  Joint symptoms are pain and swelling in one or more joints, usually the knees, ankles, fingers, wrists, and toes. Symptoms of psoriasis are a scaling red rash often behind the ears, on the eyelids, elbows, knees, at the scalp line, or in the belly button.

Enthesitis-related JIA

Enthesitis-related JIA is characterized by tenderness in the area where the bone meets a ligament, tendon, or other connective tissue. Enthesitis is what this tenderness is, and it often accompanies the joint inflammation of arthritis. The places it is most commonly found in the feet, hips, and knees. It can also affect other parts of the body, not just the joints. This type of arthritis is usually more common in young males and begins between the ages of 8 and 15.

Undifferentiated arthritis

Undifferentiated arthritis is juvenile arthritis that doesn’t fit into any of the above subtypes, or it involves symptoms that are occurring in two or more subtypes.

Causes Of JIA

The causes of JIA are unknown to researchers. There is no proof that food, allergies, lack of vitamins, or toxins play any role in the development of this disease. Scientists do believe it could be a combination of genetic and environmental factors much like other autoimmune diseases. Researchers believe there may be a trigger involved, like a virus, that can start the development of arthritis in children who may be genetically vulnerable.

Self-Care For JIA

If your child has arthritis, you are going to need to learn some coping skills for their pain. Some activities will be more difficult and sometimes of the day are filled with more pain. Talking to your doctor can help you learn some self-care tips, here are some tips you might expect to hear.

Morning Stiffness Relief

If your child has severe morning stiffness, this is a good indication of how active the arthritis is. The more active the arthritis, the longer the morning stiffness lasts. Some children do well with cold treatments, though most children find the most success with warmth. You can try these things to help reduce morning stiffness:

• Taking a hot bath or shower
• Sleeping in a sleeping bag or sweat suit
• Range-of-motion exercises
• Using a hot or cold pack

Physical Activity

Exercise is great for a child regardless if they have arthritis. When your child does have arthritis, physical activity helps to keep their muscles and bones strong. Exercise helps your child manage their weight, which can also help with pain in weight-bearing joints. Certain activities like jogging or jumping on a trampoline could make symptoms worse, so try these activities with your child who has arthritis:

• Swimming
• Bike riding
• Yoga
• Elastic stretching
• Brisk walking

Nutrition

Just like exercise, a healthy diet is important for all children regardless of any disease or condition. But when it comes to children with arthritis, certain foods can make their symptoms better, and some make them worse. There is no arthritis curing diet, but there are foods that you can encourage your child to eat to make their disease more manageable. Try to stay away from these foods:

• Processed foods
• Saturated fat
• Fried food
• Red meat
• Sugar

Try to fill your child’s diet with these foods:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Fish
• Nuts
• Beans

Also like exercise, a healthy diet can help your child manage their weight helping to relieve weight-bearing joints. If chewing is painful for your child, having a healthy diet gives them the opportunity to get as much nutrition as they can manage to eat.

Emotional Issues

Being in pain isn’t easy, especially when you are developing the areas in your brain that control your emotions. Teaching your child how to cope with the emotional impact arthritis can help them and the entire family. The whole family can work together toward learning more about the illness as well as treatment options to help you feel more in control of this disease.

Encouraging your child to express their feelings about their disease can help them work through the turmoil. Having a professional counselor who talks with your child and the whole family can be very beneficial as they can help you learn the proper coping mechanisms as well as teach you more about the disease.

Treatment Options For JIA

Other than self-care tips, your doctor is also going to go over the treatment options for your child with arthritis.

Eye Care

If your child is showing symptoms of arthritis, they need to get their eyes checked out by a doctor because eye inflammation can occur in children with JIA. Uveitis, or eye inflammation, doesn’t always cause painful or visible symptoms. To reduce their chance of vision loss, you need to have reoccurring visits to the eye doctor.

Dental Care

JIA in the jaw joint can cause stiffness, pain, and altered growth. Your child may need assistive devices recommended by their dentist because this pain and stiffness can make brushing and flossing difficult. If your child can’t keep their mouth open for long periods of time, you’ll need to work something out with your dentist where you have more frequent but shorter periods of time where your child is in the dentist’s chair for dental work.

Splints and Orthotics

Using splints can help correct joints that are bending in the wrong position, helping to relieve pain. The common areas where splints are used are:

• Knees
• Fingers
• Wrists

Orthotics are shoe inserts which might be able to help with differences in leg length or any balance issues.

Surgery

Surgery isn’t a common treatment plan in the early stages of JIA. But it can be advised to correct a difference in leg lengths, replace a damaged joint, or straighten a deformed or bent joint.

Medication

Doctors may prescribe medication, but it is rarely the only treatment option for children with JIA. Doctors who diagnose your child with JIA have the main goal of slowing down the disease and help prevent further destruction to their bones, joints, cartilage, and soft tissues. Your child may be prescribed the following medication alongside other treatment options:

• Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
• Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
• Biological Response Modifiers
• Corticosteroids

These types of medications can reduce inflammation and slow down the progression of arthritis. However, one issue that these medications have are side-effects. Sometimes the doctor will have to determine whether or not the benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks. One way to get this level of treatment without the risky side-effects may be by using CBD Hemp oil.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical that is extracted from cannabis. Unlike the chemical THC, this cannabinoid doesn’t cause any intoxicating effects. This is one of the main reasons scientists have taken a closer look at how this chemical affects the body as well as how well tolerated this medication is among a wide range of ages. You can also not get addicted to, overdose, or get withdrawal symptoms from CBD. The reason this natural remedy has so many potential benefits is that it interacts with our endocannabinoid system.

Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system is your body’s regulator. It helps to make sure that everything in your body is functioning properly. The endocannabinoid system is made up of several parts, including cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids. One reason CBD oil is so potentially therapeutic because it elevates the endocannabinoids making them more effective when binding to the cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabinoid Receptors And Endocannabinoids

There are two cannabinoid receptors that scientists have studies, the CB1 and CB2 receptors. Both receptors are located all over the body, but the CB1 receptors are more densely located in the brain while CB2 receptors are more spread out.

The two endocannabinoids that researchers have studied and are the most active are anandamide and 2-AG. Both endocannabinoids bind to both cannabinoid receptors, but Anandamide mainly binds with the CB1 receptor while 2-AG mainly binds with the CB2 receptor.

When anandamide binds with the CB1 receptor, it helps to regulate your neurological system. This includes your appetite, sensitivity to pain, mood, and sleep cycle. When 2-AG binds with the CB2 receptor, it helps to mediate the immune functions like inflammation.

How Can CBD Help With JIA?

CBD For Pain

Studies have shown that CBD oil can reduce your body’s sensitivity to pain. CBD elevates the endocannabinoid anandamide which binds to the CB1 receptor. Through a process called retrograde signaling, the anandamide travels to the brain cell sending pain signals and reduces the signaling granting relief.

CBD For Inflammation

The inflammation in arthritis is the reason that joints become stiff and swelled and part of the reason arthritis is so painful. In the joints, there is a lubrication that is supposed to make the joints move smoothly. With inflammation, the synovium becomes thick making it harder to move and causing pain. CBD oil has shown in studies to reduce this swelling helping to grant relief in joints.

CBD For Depression And Anxiety

If your child is starting to show signs of depression or anxiety because of their pain, CBD oil may be able to help. It may also be able to reduce the damage of stress to the brain, potentially preventing the development of a mental health disorder.

CBD For Psoriasis

If your child is starting to experience rashes, CBD topicals may be able to help. Studies have shown that CBD oil may be able to help regulate the skin cell’s life cycle, helping to reduce the itchy patches. Because CBD oil may be able to help with pain and inflammation, it may also be able to help reduce the itchiness and redness.

Talk To Your Child’s Doctor

If you want to try CBD oil for your child’s arthritis, be sure to talk to their doctor first. If you want to give it to them orally, the CBD oil can interfere with other medications. Allergies and adverse reactions are rare, but your doctor can help you monitor your child to make sure that they aren’t affected negatively. Your doctor and help you determine what is the best treatment route possible for your child.  

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

“Everything has a name these days,” something I have heard before when discussing things like ADHD and anxiety disorders in children. And this is true. While once upon a time, anyone who fell out of line was a delinquent who needed to be punished, science is starting to discover that healthy minds behave in different ways. One of the disorders that your child may have that you might have chalked up to a bad kid is conduct disorder, and CBD hemp oil may be able to help.

CBD oil may be able to help with conduct disorder by helping your child find relief from comorbid mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. A common cause of this disorder is frustration, anger, and confusion which may be calmed by CBD hemp oil because of the way it interacts with the endocannabinoid system.

What Is Conduct Disorder

We all remember the bad kid in school. He would pull a girls hair, or she would color her desk in permanent marker. We remember these kids, we might have been these kids, but one thing that was always assumed is that the child just needed more discipline and they would eventually learn their place. But for some reason, that didn’t always work.

Conduct disorder is a term that refers to a group of repetitive and persistent emotional and behavioral problems in our youth. These kids have a hard time following rules, respecting others, behaving in a  socially acceptable way, or showing empathy. Instead of being viewed as mentally ill, these children are viewed as a disruption or a “bad kid.”

Common Behaviors In Conduct Disorder

Aggression to people and animals

• Enjoys being mean to others
• Starting fights, physical and verbal
• Bullying or threatening others
• Has used a serious weapon before
• Steals and hurts their victims
• Forcing sexual activity
• Shows no remorse
• Physically cruel to animals or other people

Destruction of Property

• Enjoys setting fires
• Enjoys destroying other’s property
• Breaking things regardless if they are angry or not

Deceitfulness, lying, or stealing

• Lying to avoid obligations
• Lying to get something they want
• Stealing with or without the victim knowing
• Breaking and entering someone else’s property

Serious violations of rules

• Disregards curfew
• Runs away from home
• Avoids being at home or school

What Are The Causes Of Conduct Disorder?

Scientists aren’t sure the exact reason for conduct disorder, but they do know of the many possible factors that could put the child at risk of developing this mental disorder. Neuropsychological testing has shown that young people with conduct disorder have an impairment in their frontal lobe of the brain which interferes with their ability to plan, avoid harm, and learn from experiences.

What Is The Frontal Lobe?

The frontal lobe is in the front part of your brain, and it is what makes us different from other mammals. This region of the brain helps to control movement, intelligence, self-awareness, memory, helps us anticipate consequences and helps you plan future actions.

The frontal lobe is the last region of the brain to develop, fully developing in the mid-twenties, and it is very malleable and can be at risk for developmental damage. Damage done to this part of the brain at an early age can cause behavior and cognition to change forever. There are many different ways a child can get damage to this part of the brain from genetics to experiencing traumatic events.

What Factors Contribute To Conduct Disorder?

Genetics

Have you ever been told that your child will be you times ten? That was a common statement said in my household toward my mother. This is because childhood temperament has a genetic basis. If you experienced behavior or cognitive issues as a child, it is more likely that you will have the same issues with your child.

Comorbid Mental Health Issues

PTSD, depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities can all cause problems in the regions of the brain that affect conduct disorder. These mental health issues can be developed after the child experiences trauma like abuse or a death in the family, school failure, brain damage, neglect, genetics, or school failure.

Home Life

Neglect, child abuse, and traumatic events can all cause mental health issues that can lead to conduct disorder, but other factors of homelife can play a role as well. Youth that come from dysfunctional, disadvantaged, and disorganized home environments are more likely to develop this disorder. Antisocial parents, apathetic parenting, poor parental supervision, poverty, living in a high-crime area or going to a school with a high delinquency rate can also contribute to developing conduct disorder.

Social Life

Being rejected by peers or having social issues can also cause kids to develop conduct disorder. Considering that the frontal lobe is a very social part of the brain and needs social interaction to fully develop, not having social opportunities can damage the development of the frontal lobe. Having a low socioeconomic status can also contribute to the development of conduct disorder.

Academics

Children who have problems in school work and have a hard time grasping the content are also more likely to develop conduct disorder. It can be frustrating to not do well in school and not performing well can cause stress that can cause the child to act out.

How Do You Find Out If Your Child Has Conduct Disorder

If your child is acting out, you might want to figure out what is causing this behavior problem. Young people who have a difficult temperament are more likely to develop serious behavioral problems later in life, so finding treatment as soon as possible is imperative for a happy life for your child. So how do you know that your child has conduct disorder?

Young people who show aggression and delinquent behaviors have differences in their cognitive and psychological profiles when they are compared to kids with other mental health problems. When your child is having behavioral issues, you need to bring to an experienced mental health professional to be evaluated. Your child may have a coexisting condition such as PTSD, ADHD, thought disorders, substance abuse, or learning problems which can all be treated alongside conduct disorder.

How Do You Treat Conduct Disorder?

The best way to take care of conduct disorder is through behaviorally therapy or psychotherapy. Research shows that children with conduct disorder are likely to have ongoing issues if they do not receive early and comprehensive treatment. Without this treatment, many kids with this disorder are unable to adapt to adulthood and continue to have issues with employment and relationships.

When you first see your child’s psychiatrist, they will start to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that may use information from the child, your family, their teachers, your community, and other medical specialties to fully understand why your child has developed this disorder.

Both behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are usually needed to help your child learn to appropriately express and control their emotions, including anger. If your child has a learning disability, they may need to start utilizing special education.

Things can be challenging at home or school, so parents will often seek out expert help to develop and carry out special management and educational programs. Home-based treatment programs like Multisystemic Therapy are effective for both the child with conduct disorder and the family.

These therapies often last for long periods of time helping the child learn a new attitude and behaviors. But the earlier you start this treatment, the better chance your kid has for a happier and healthier future.

Often treatment may also include medication for kids who have coexisting mental illness conditions like ADHD, PTSD, depression, or other illnesses that cause impulse problems or attention difficulties. One type of medication that may be beneficial throughout the treatment of conduct disorder in your child is CBD oil.

How Can CBD Help With Conduct Disorder?

Not only is treatment an obstacle already, but the child’s uncooperative attitude and fear can also add to the challenges. Cannabidiol has shown in studies to help with many of the comorbid mental health issues that could contribute to conduct disorder.

CBD For Depression

Depression can cause children to become unmotivated, hopeless, filled with self-loathing, and can even cause them to become aggressive either outward or inward. CBD oil has shown in studies that it may act as a fast-acting antidepressant.

In the study, rodent models received CBD oil. They found that chemicals that are usually lacking in the depressed brain were elevated and certain chemicals that promote neurogenesis in areas of the brain that are usually damaged by depression were elevated as well.

CBD For Anxiety

Anxiety is often the root of aggression in many cases. Anger is often a product of fear, which comes from our amygdala. In a child who has anxiety, their amygdala is overactive which can cause them to act out in inappropriate ways. CBD oil has shown in studies to reduce the activity of the amygdala and give a sense of calm to the user.

CBD For ADHD

ADHD can make it difficult for your child in school and at home. ADHD isn’t just having the inability to concentrate; this can make them become sensitive to rejection as well making any failures in school ten times harder to handle. CBD oil has shown that it may be able to help with focus, concentration, and other symptoms of ADD or ADHD.

CBD For PTSD

Traumatic experiences can change anyone, especially a developing mind. CBD oil has been heavily studied in this area, even having completed human trials in children. CBD oil has shown to help with the fear and anxiety that PTSD brings as well as helping with the memory issues that are often associated with PTSD.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you want to try using CBD oil alongside therapy for your child with conduct disorder, be sure to let your doctor know you would like to try that treatment plan. If your child is on any other medication, it could interfere with the CBD oil and your doctor can help you determine what the best plan of action is. Once you get the okay from your doctor, be sure to stop by our shop! All the products that we accept are lab and quality tested to make sure you get the best CBD hemp oil around!

Does your child have conduct disorder? Did you get treatment for your child? Have you tried CBD oil? We would love to hear about your experience in the comment section below!

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

For many different reasons, kids can go through phases where they aren’t able to control their emotions and may turn aggressive. While this can be a phase for some, there are children who don’t fully grow out of it and the bigger they get, the more destruction they can cause. If your child is struggling with aggressive behavior, CBD oil may be able to help.

Why Is My Child Aggressive?

You may be wondering what it was that made it to where your child deals with their emotions with more difficulty. Is it your parenting? Genetics? Well, it could be an assortment of things.

Common Reasons For Aggression In Children

• Mood Disorders
• Psychosis
• Frustration
• Conduct Disorder
• Trauma
• Brain Injury
• Impulsivity

How Can CBD Oil Help With My Child’s Aggression?

To know if CBD oil can help your child, you need to know what is causing the aggression. If it is because you aren’t giving them enough attention and they feel neglected, CBD can’t help with that. But studies have shown that it may be able to help with many of the underlying causes of aggression in children.

CBD Oil For Mood Disorders

Mood disorders like bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder can cause children to feel agitated to the point of aggression. Their mood can plummet at the change of wind which can be very confusing for someone who has yet to develop the ability to control their emotions. CBD oil has shown in studies that it may be able to elevate chemicals that are usually lacking in brains that have mood disorders as well as help repair the damage that caused them.

CBD For Psychosis

Psychosis, which is present in disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can also cause your child to become aggressive. Your child may become paranoid and take it out on your family or their peers. Studies have shown that people who are going through psychotic episodes have more anandamide in their brain fluid, thought to be a way for the brain to combat the episode. Because CBD oil elevates this chemical, it may be able to help with your child’s psychosis.

CBD For Frustration

Kids get frustrated over a lot of things. Life is frustrating when you don’t have control. But if your child has a learning disability, anxiety, or any other mental disorders they may have a difficult time controlling how they react to their frustration. CBD oil has shown to reduce the activity of the amygdala which can cause feelings of anxiety, frustration, and agitation.

CBD And Conduct Disorder

Many children who have Conduct Disorder also have disorders like ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, or learning problems. The best route to helping your child with this disorder is to seek out therapy. CBD oil may be able to help if your child has a comorbid disorder like ADHD to make treatment less challenging.

CBD For Trauma

Children who experience trauma can develop PTSD which can have some symptoms of anger. The parts of their brain that help them control their fear and emotions have been damaged by extreme stress which can make them take out their stressor on others. CBD oil has shown to help with the symptoms of PTSD, including aggression, by reducing the overactivity of the brain.

CBD For Brain Injury

If your child has an epileptic episode and causes damage to their frontal lobe, they, may have problems expressing themselves and controlling their actions. CBD oil has shown to help with brain injuries by promoting neurogenesis and encouraging protection of the brain cells.

CBD For Impulsivity

Bipolar disorder, anxiety, BPD, injury, trauma, and a lot of other mental health issues can cause impulsivity. This is because so many different illnesses involve damage to the hippocampus which is where your brain controls its impulses. CBD oil has shown to help promote neurogenesis in the hippocampus, suggesting that it may be able to help with impulse control.

Talk To Your Doctor

If your child is showing aggressive behavior, talk to your doctor about it. They can help you figure out what it is that makes your child feel so uncontrollable. If you feel like CBD is right for you, be sure to let your doctor know. They can make sure that no other medications will interfere with it as well as help watch your child’s progress closely to make sure this is the right call.

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

A cranky kid can be a nightmare. You might find yourself frustrated by having no idea how to handle their outbursts. Here are some tips on how to calm your child down when they are having an emotional breakdown.

Keep Your Cool

Studies have shown that when we stress out, our kids feel it. If your kid is freaking out in the middle of the cereal aisle and you start reacting in a stressed out manner, it can make things worse. If things start to escalate, it can turn into a shouting match between adult and child. If you start reciprocating their behavior, you are also rewarding it. When your child needs to chill out, you need to keep your cool.

Don't Walk Away

 Many people will tell you that you should walk away during a tantrum. Sticking around might teach them that their temper tantrum is working. But Dr. Tina Bryson, a Ph.D. in psychotherapy, believes that walking away isn’t the right decision. She believes that a tantrum is suffering that needs to be addressed. She also believes that this is a way to communicate that even through the hard times, you are there for your child

Don’t Ignore Aggression

If your child is hitting you or biting, do not ignore this. They need to learn that there are ways that they can express their anger and ignoring this behavior can risk someone getting hurt. Set limits, use consequences, and be aware of their triggers so you can prepare to help calm them down.

Don’t Try To Reason

The cerebral cortex is not yet developed in a child. This part of the brain is what regulates emotions and control social behavior. If you try to reason with your child while they are going through a wide array of emotions, it’s not going to work. With all of the activity in the brain, it is almost impossible to see any logic. Once they have calmed down, this is when you can start having a conversation about how they feel.

Establish The Trigger

Once your child has been given a moment to calm down, talk to them and ask them about how they feel. What is it that upset them so much? How did it make them feel? Get to the root of the problem and help them figure out what to do about their feelings.

Give Them Choices

Once you know why your child is behaving the way that they are, give them a choice on what to do about it. Ask them if they would like to go on a walk or go sit outside for a moment. You can give them options which also gives them a sense of control while also teaching them healthy coping mechanisms for future outbursts.

What works with your kids when they have a temper tantrum? We would love to hear about it in the comment section below!

Bullies can be a difficult thing to handle these days, especially because kids can continue their bullying practices in the comfort of their own home. So what do you do when your child is being bullied? What if your child is the bully? Is there anything a parent can do for their child who feels unsafe around their peers?

How Bullying Can Affect Your Child

Bullying has been in existence since the beginning of time, and it doesn’t stop when you graduate high school. But what does bullying do to a developing mind that has not yet learned how to grow thicker skin and confidence?

Bullying Can Lead To:

• Physical Injury
• Social Issues
• Struggle With Emotional Control
• Increased Risk For Mental Health Disorders
• Long-Term Self-Esteem Issues
• Increased Risk Of Substance Abuse
• Academic Issues
• Increased Risk Of Violent Behavior
• Increased Risk Of Suicidal Thoughts

Studies have shown that children who do both the bullying and are the victim of bullying have a higher risk of developing a mental health disorder than a child who does just one or the other. The child who is at the greatest risk of developing depression according to studies is children who are bullied over the internet. So how do you know your child is experiencing these events to help prevent their likelihood of mental illness?

Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied

While many signs of bullying alone can be normal in kids and teens, seeing all of these together may be an indication that your child isn’t having the best time at school. Keep an eye out for these signs that your child is being bullied.

Skipping School

If your child is reluctant to go to school or is caught skipping class, there may be a reason. While this could also be a sign of a learning disability or already developed mental health disorder, this can also be a sign of bullying. When there is a child at school who is making the environment unhealthy, your child may do whatever it takes to avoid them.

Complaining About Physical Symptoms

If your child is physically bullied, they may complain about physical symptoms and make excuses for them. They may have been pushed, but they tell you that they fell. If they continue to have these injuries with shallow explanations, it may be due to bullying.

It doesn’t have to get physical for your child to experience physical symptoms. If they are experiencing anxiety because of their bully, it can cause them to feel stomach aches or headaches.

Depression

Depression can start to develop if the bullying continues without any intervention. Depression in children looks very similar to depression in adults. They may feel sad often or complain about being lonely. They may no longer find joy in hobbies they used to love or play the same way they used to.

Low Self-Esteem

Children who are bullied can start to develop low self-esteem even if you do everything in your power to try to raise them with a sense of confidence. Kids are so cruel and creative; they can find ways to tear down some of the strongest kids. If your child doesn’t take care of themselves, is never proud of themselves, or is starting to become timid or defensive, they may have low self-esteem because of bullying.

Low Grades

Low grades can be a sign of a learning disability or a mental health disorder, but it also can be because of bullying. If your child is distracted by others in the classroom or school, they are going to have less time to focus on their schoolwork. Having anxiety because of a bully can also ruin concentration making the schoolwork more difficult.

Sensitivity

Does your child have a hard time controlling their emotions? Children who are being bullied at school are at the end of their rope. In front of their bully and their peers, they can’t show their emotions. They will just be made fun of or being a bigger target. So when they come home, they have all of these pent-up emotions that may leak out at any moment.

Becoming Suspicious

If your child is being bullied, they are learning that not everyone can be trusted. But this can rock their world and make trust a confusing concept. They may start to become suspicious of everyone around them, including their family.

Is Your Child The Bully?

No one ever wants to think that their child is the bully, but you’ll be surprised to know that many of the signs are similar to the child being bullied. They are also dealing with emotional issues that they don’t know how to handle which unfortunately drives them to take it out on their peers. Look for these signs that your child might be a bully.

Trouble At School

While both bullies and the bullied hate going to school, your child may hate going to school because they get in trouble often. You may get calls that they are in fights or refuse to do their school work. Children who are bullies are harboring intense emotions, and it is all they can do to keep it in.

Bad Grades

If your child is a bully, they may be too distracted in school to focus on their homework. If they are constantly being disciplined, they may be missing out on crucial information taught in class because of suspension or having to leave the classroom.

Aggressive At Home

Is your child angry all of the time at home? Imagine how they are at school without you there to cool them down. If your child is destructive, picking on other siblings, or having temper tantrums often, they may be doing the same at school toward their peers.

Trouble Sleeping

Studies have shown that children who have trouble sleeping may be more likely to become bullies at school. This leaves researchers to believe that one of the ways to combat bullying is to not only focus on the children who are the victims but to find ways to curb aggressive behavior in children and teens.

What Do You Do When Your Child Is Being Bullied Or Is A Bully?

Listen

If your child is being bullied, listen to what they have to say. They might not tell you straight out, but the signs mentioned above speak just as loud. If your child is doing the bullying, they may have a lot of pent-up emotions that they need to let out. Just sit and listen to what they have to say.

Take Them Seriously

If your child is coming to you with a complaint that another child is bullying them, do not brush it off. It can be easy to think that kids will be kids and that bullying is a part of life, but it shouldn’t be. This type of behavior causes damage to all parties, and something needs to be done.

If your child comes to you and tells you that they are having issues with getting along with all of the other kids, have a serious conversation with them. If they are coming to you, this means that they know what they are doing is a problem they just don’t know how to deal with it.

Do Not Blame Them

If your child is a victim of bullying, don’t tell them it is because they talk about Star Wars too much or that if they participated in sports like the other kids, it wouldn’t be a problem. Don’t let this situation be your child’s fault.

Even if your child is the bully, don’t blame them. Remember, these are just kids. While of course, they should suffer consequences for their actions, the focus shouldn’t be on how it is all their fault. The focus should be on what you can do together to help change their behavior and help them feel calmer and less aggressive.

Don’t Promise To Keep It A Secret

Your child may want you to keep it a secret, both the victim and the bully. But you can’t make this promise. Instead, what you can do is work with the teachers and the school on how to implement no bullying policies and how to handle the children showing aggression.

However, you do need to do this with caution. If the bully finds out that your child told on them, it can actually make the bullying worse when the teachers intervene. Make sure that your complaint is anonymous and know as much about the situation as you can when you come forward.

Work Through Their Issues Together

Include them in the process to figure out what to do. If your child is being bullied, you can come up with things to say to their bully together. You are most likely smart enough to outsmart a child, so work with your kid to come up with techniques to combat bullies.

If your child is the bully, come up with coping mechanisms that they can try. They are angry and aggressive, find the root of this feeling and work it out with your kid. Letting them be a part of figuring this out helps them feel like they have more control over the situation which can lead to more confidence.

Get Help

You might not be equipped to handle a child with depression or anger issues. But therapists are pretty good at it. Both bullies and the bullied can benefit from talking to a professional about all of the emotions they are feeling and how to deal with them. They can also help come up with techniques to counter bullying behavior at school.

Be The Hero!

You are the parent! Your job is to make sure that your child grows up healthy and happy. Take the time to get to know your kid as they grow up. Be a part of their life and ask about their school or friends. Your child could be hiding their discomfort at school to not make a big deal about it, but if you pay attention, you can see the signs.

Has your child ever been a bully or a victim of bullying? How did you notice and what did you do? Did it work? We would love to hear about it in the comment section below.

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

Parenting is hard. It is something everyone has advice for, but no one knows how to do it right. That is until science gets into the mix. Researchers have discovered that there are ways to help improve your child’s behavior as well as reduce the likelihood of mental illness later on in life. Make sure that you are following these three scientifically proven parenting tips.

1. Give Them Whole Veggies

Canned vegetables aren’t as good as the fresh stuff, and young taste buds can tell. It may seem like your child hates vegetables, but they may just hate the way you are serving them.

A trial where children were asked to eat whole vegetables or diced vegetables, the children who ate the whole vegetables ate 8-10% more than the other group. So next time you are force feeding them healthy food, skip cutting it up or the can opener and get the good stuff.

2. Focus On the Positive

Imagine being asked to clean your parent's room, and they come in and tell you everything you missed. They disregard the beautifully made bed, the dusted blinds, but notice you forgot to vacuum under the bed. Wouldn’t it make you feel like nothing you do is ever good enough? That is why parents are starting to do positive parenting.

Positive parenting is when you decide to focus on the good behaviors of your child instead of the bad ones. Studies have shown that this is an effective way to parent and helps to form who your child will become in their adolescent years teaching them about consideration and respect and reduce the likelihood of mental health disorders.

3. Stop Shouting

Wouldn’t this one be nice for our parents? No one likes getting yelled at, especially when you are in such a low position of power like being a child. But what is it about shouting that does the damage? Is it really that bad?

Yes. Shouting affects the cerebral development in children. This can cause your children to become aggressive or overly shy. They also found that when the parents showed warmth and love, it didn’t make the shouting any less damaging.

Parenting Will Never Be Easy

It isn’t easy to hold your tongue when you are angry, even with your kids. It’s not easy to keep your voice down when you are upset. But there are many aspects of parenting that aren’t easy, and you can do it if you just keep at it. Learn to keep your cool, learn to speak with kindness, your child will learn a lot of great behavioral traits from you if you do.

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

Teens are more depressed these past ten years than ever. While teenage angst is a very normal thing, it could be masking deeper issues that need to be addressed. Your teen also needs to be handled in a different way when they are experiencing depression because some of your actions could make it worse. So how do you know if your teen is depressed or just hormonal?

Teens And Depression

Teens can have depression just like adults. In fact, an estimated 3.1 million adolescents from ages 2 to 17 reported having a depressive episode at least once in 2016. Of those 3 million teens, 60% of them weren’t receiving treatment.

As parents, you are the first line of defense when it comes to helping your teen navigate through their life. There are signs and symptoms to watch out for that can indicate that your child is going through more than a phase.

Symptoms Of Depression In Teens

Anger

Your teen is starting to get angry more often and even hostile. While this can be normal in teens who are dealing with hormonal changes, when these events last for long periods of time or are very severe it might be time to seek help.

Changes In Eating Habits

We all know that teenage boys can make their way through a fridge. But when your child’s overeating starts to affect their health, it could be a sign of depression. People who are depressed can also under eat, making them lose an unhealthy amount of weight.

Changes In Sleep

Teenagers need a lot of sleep, but too much sleep could be a sign of depression. If they are sleeping their days away and only come out of their room for air when they have to, sit down and have a talk with them. If they seem tired all of the time and complain about getting no sleep, this can also be a sign of depression.

Feeling Guilty

Does your teen often think that they are unworthy of things? Whether it is something at school or home? Do they often take the blame for things that aren’t their fault? Depression can cause someone to have a feeling of guilt or feeling undeserving. If they lack the confidence to accept love, they may need help.

Lack Of Hygiene

Do you have to remind your teen to take a shower every day? How about brushing their teeth or combing their hair? While some hairstyles can be a certain look you haven’t learned to appreciate yet, not taking a shower isn’t healthy and is never in style. If they are neglecting their basic needs, it could be that depression has taken away the motivation to do so.

Loss Of Interest

Has your child lost enthusiasm they used to have? Not changing interests like going from barbies to make up, but losing interest in general? Have they stopped doing their homework? Have they stopped going to activities they used to enjoy? Even not doing things they don’t like such as school projects can be a sign of depression.

Difficulty In School

Depression can make it difficult to concentrate and almost impossible to have motivation. If their grades are starting to slip or they are skipping classes, you need to have a conversation with them and their teachers to find the cause of it. It could be a teen being a teen, but you need to make sure it isn’t a cry for help.

Hiding Symptoms

Whenever they are down do they try to pretend like everything is okay? Do they try to mask the way that they feel? This is a sign of poor coping mechanisms of just pushing emotions aside for the sake of others or because of the inability to deal with the emotions.

Hopelessness

Does your teen express how it doesn’t matter how hard they try? They will never have friends or get good grades? If they have already given up, this isn’t a good sign. This can contribute to their lack of motivation if they believe that nothing that they do matters.

Self-Medication

Teenagers shouldn’t be smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. For one, it is terrible for their body. Another thing is that it makes them reliant on a substance early on in their life taking away any chance of developing coping mechanisms. If your teen is starting to use drugs, you need to have a serious discussion.

Isolation

Not everyone is an extrovert and not every teen wants to go out with a bunch of friends. But when a teen isn’t seeing any people, this can be an issue. High school is a time to start practicing social skills. If they opt out, this can create problems in their future. If they have no desire to see other people, talk with them about it and find out if it is because they just enjoy their own company or they are depressed.

Taking Risks

Teens love taking risks, and it is their hormones to blame. That rush feels ten times stronger because of what their brain is going through. But when their reckless behavior starts to interfere with their social life, school work, and home life, this is when it becomes a problem. Talk to your teen about what exactly they are looking for in these behaviors.

Negative Thinking

Does your teen mope around the house for long periods of time? Do they always have something negative to say at the dinner table? If your teen is sad all of the time and constantly in a negative state of mind, this could be a product of depression.

Self-Harming Behaviors

This sign is a little bit more obvious than being moody or skipping showers. When your teen is starting to hurt themselves, this is a cry for help. They no longer have the ability to deal with what is going on inside of them and this is the best coping mechanism that they can come up with.

Giving Things Away

If your teen is giving away prized possessions to loved ones, this is a huge red flag. Many people who are starting to think of suicide will leave behind items for their loved ones to remember them. They may finally pick up their room and make it to where if they go, there is little mess for anyone to clean up. Look for these signs because they are very dangerous.

Thoughts Of Death Or Suicide

Your teen might flat out come out and tell you that they want to take their own life. Don’t make this conversation scary for them or they might never tell you anything else ever again. But if they come to you with this information, you need to seek help immediately. This is the last stage of the symptoms, after this, it can get to a point where it is too late to get help.

How Did Your Teen Get Depressed?

There is a common assumption that teens can’t get depressed. That they are just moody and distant because that’s what teens do. But this isn’t the case. Teens can get depressed just like adults, and this misconception may be the reason, so few are getting help. Depression in teens comes from their biology and environment. Knowing how your teen gets depression is the first step towards finding the right method of treatment.

Brain Chemistry

Your brain has billions of cells and components that all need to work together to work correctly. You have neurotransmitters that send messages throughout the brain and when they are impaired, or malfunction, mental illnesses like depression can develop.

Heredity

If you, your spouse, or any blood relatives have had depression before, your child may develop the illness as well. This can give you insight on what to look out for if you have dealt with this disorder before.

Trauma

Children can experience trauma just like adults. Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse can all lead to depression in your teen. If they lose a parent or any unexpected negative events happen they can also start to develop depression.

Learned Behavior

Children can learn to think negatively from everyone around them. If you are constantly negative out loud, that could become the voice that they hear inside their head. Instead of learning coping mechanisms and how to find solutions, they are learning how to be hopeless.

Risk Factors Of Depression In Teens

• Learning disabilities
• Anxiety disorders
• Autism
• Bullying
• Physical disability
• Being a part of the LGBTQ community
• Drug abuse
• Low self-esteem
• Eating disorders
• Chronic illnesses

What Do Doctors Look For?

The main things that doctors look for when diagnosing depression in teens are the length of the symptoms, how it affects their life, and how severe these symptoms are. If your teen is experiencing these symptoms for more than two weeks at a time, your may advise treatment. If your teen is having thoughts of suicide, they may even take it a step further and suggest inpatient programs to keep them safe while they learn new coping mechanisms in a mental health facility.

What Do You Do When Your Teen Has Depression?

Prevention

There are ways you can try to prevent your teen from developing depression. Though, not all of these tips will work because some people are born with imbalanced brain chemistry.

Ways To Prevent Depression In Teens

• Teach them how to manage stress
• Reach out to friends and family for support
• Allow them to be open about their emotions and feelings
• Have common conversations about their life and how they feel

Communicate

If you are noticing these symptoms in your child, you need to sit down and talk with them. Talk to them about how they feel. Ask them about their hopes and their dreams. Really get to know your teen and find out where these symptoms are stemming from and ask what you can do to help.

Seek Out Help

Therapists are wonderful tools to help people learn how to navigate through adolescence with depression. They have proven methods of teaching teens how to cope with their emotions and how to express themselves in a healthy way. Seeing a doctor about medication may also be beneficial to you and your teen. If you are uncomfortable with putting your teen on anti-depressants, CBD oil may be able to help relieve their symptoms of depression.

How CBD Oil Can Help With Your Teen’s Depression

CBD oil has shown in studies it may be an effective depression treatment. In a study published this year, a rodent model showed to have anti-depressant like effects within just thirty minutes of being administered CBD oil. Chemicals that are normally lacking in depressed brains were elevated, and chemicals that promote neurogenesis and healing were elevated as well.

If you would like your teen to take CBD oil for depression, talk to their doctor first. If they are on any other medication, CBD oil can interfere with it making the medicine less effective. Your teen’s doctor can also help to monitor your child’s condition to make sure this is the right route to take. For high-quality lab tested products, look no further than our CBD Instead shop!

What were some signs that you noticed your teen was more than just angsty? We would love to hear about it in the comment section below.

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

Education is so very important, and when your child has a learning disability, it can threaten to get in the way of your child’s future. So you have a decision to make when it comes to how your child is going to go through school. You can homeschool, or you can continue with public school. Which one is the best option for you and your family?

About Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are when your child has a difficult time with aspects that affect their learning. This can be behavioral, handwriting, speaking, reading, and other cognitive skills. You may not know if your child has a learning disability, but there are general symptoms that you can look out for.

General Signs Your Child May Have A Learning Disability

Preschool

Difficulty with:

• Pronunciation
• Finding the right words to say
• Making rhymes
• Learning numbers, letters, colors, shapes, or days of the week
• Concentrating
• Interacting with other students
• Following direction or routine
• Controlling pencils, scissors, crayons, buttons, zippers, and typing

Kindergarten Through Fourth Grade

Difficulty with:

• Learning the connection between letters and sounds
• Basic words
• Spelling, reading, letter reversals
• Basic math concepts
• Learning about time
• Learning new skills
• Remembering facts

Fifth Through Eighth Grade

Difficulty with:

• Reading comprehension
• Math skills
• Letter sequence
• Prefixes, suffixes, root words, or spelling strategies
• Organizing their bedroom, school work, or desk
• Keeping up with assignments
• Handwriting
• Time management
• Understanding and expressing thoughts out loud

High School And Beyond

Difficulty with:

• Spelling the same word correctly in a single document
• Reading or writing tasks
• Open-ended questions on tests
• Memory
• Adapting skills from one setting to another
• Work pace
• Grasping abstract concepts
• Focusing on details
• Misreading information

Getting Them Help

If you notice any of these general symptoms, your child may have a learning disability. But to know for sure, you need to get them evaluated. There is more than just one learning disability, and there are tons of ways to adapt to the struggle. A doctor can give them a  test to figure out what you need to focus on. They may discover that your child has one of the following disabilities.

Types Of Learning Disorders

Auditory Processing Disorder (ADP)

This disorder is also known as central auditory processing disorder. This disability affects the way that sound travels through the ear and how it is processed or interpreted by the brain. People with this disability may not be able to recognize subtle differences in words or sounds, even when they are loud and clear enough to be heard.  They can have a hard time telling where sounds are coming from, making sense of the order of sounds, or have a hard time blocking out background noise.      

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is when the student has a particularly hard time with math. They may be unable to understand numbers or learn math facts. Math symbols may be hard to comprehend, and they have a hard time memorizing or organizing numbers. Your student may have difficulty telling time or counting as well.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia can affect handwriting and motor skills. Their handwriting may continue to be illegible, and they have inconsistent spacing in their writing as well as poor special planning on the paper. Your child may have poor spelling, difficulty composing writing, or have a hard time thinking and writing at the same time.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is one of the more common and well-known learning disabilities that affect reading and language-based processing skills. It can affect reading fluency, decoding, reading comprehension, recall, writing, and spelling.

Language Processing Disorder

Language processing disorder is a type of auditory processing disorder. It is a form of APD but it relates only to the proves of language as opposed to all sounds. Your child can have a difficult time finding meaning in a group of sounds that make words or sentences as well as affect expressive or receptive language.

Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities

Non-verbal learning disabilities are when your child has higher verbal skills but weaker motor, visual, spatial, and social skills. They can have a hard time interpreting nonverbal cues like body language or facial expressions. Your child may also struggle with poor coordination.

Visual Perceptual/ Visual Motor Deficit

This disability is when your child may have a hard time understanding information that they see. You might notice that they have difficulty copying or drawing. They may miss subtle differences in shapes or letters. They can also have movement issues like using scissors, holding a pencil too tight, or having poor hand-eye coordination.

Other Disorders

There are also mental health issues that your child may have that aren’t considered learning disabilities. But this doesn’t mean that they won’t have a difficult time learning. The following is a list of mental health disorders that can make the classroom challenging.

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Tourette Syndrome
• ADHD or ADD
• Dyspraxia
• Executive Functioning
• OCD
• Autism

Home School Vs. Public School

If your child has a learning disability, you may have considered taking your child out of school and homeschooling them. This can be a very valid option, but it isn’t right for everyone. In order to make a good decision, you need to weigh the pros and cons to see what is right for you and your family.

Public School

Pros

Good Social Environment

When your child goes to school, they are subject to thousands of social opportunities. From school dances to just walking to class, your child can interact with their peers and learn the social skills they need to succeed in the real world.

Educated Teacher

At school, the person in charge of teaching your child has a degree and is well practiced in handling children. Though our teachers may be underappreciated, they work very hard, crazy hours, and put up with a lot to make sure that your student learns the content they need to pass and are fresh on the curriculum.

Access To Extracurricular Activities

When your child goes to school, they have the opportunity to participate in sports, the arts, science clubs, and whatever might interest them. School is like a mall for learning what hobbies you might enjoy, and your child may find a new passion that they never knew they had.

Typically Cheaper

Putting your child in school is typically cheaper than homeschooling. You don’t have to buy the curriculum, textbooks, or programs because the school provides them. If your child is riding the bus, you can even save on transportation.

Built-In Structure

In public schools, they have a built-in structure. Every day, your child has a set of tasks to complete, has lunch the same time every day, and they get the ability to fall into a schedule that satiates their need for routine.

Time Away From Home

Giving your child a chance to go out into the world supervised can give them a sense of independence. While having family time is important for your relationships, having time apart gives them time to figure things out for themselves and may even help make your relationship stronger.

Guidance Counselors

At school, your student has someone they can go to at any time of the day and talk to them about problems they are having in school. They can work with them, and if your school offers it, they can even help them find programs to help them learn how to study or do homework in a way that works best for them.

Cons

Bullies

Unfortunately, children with learning disabilities are more likely to be bullied. And at school, you have to rely on teachers making sure that your child stays safe. Though many schools are starting to have no tolerance policies, we still have a long way to go when it comes to compassion between peers.

Safety Isn’t Up To You

It is no surprise with the recent school shootings that parents are fearful for their children’s safety. When you send your child off to school, you are no longer in control of what happens to them. Schools are starting to beef up security, thankfully, but wouldn’t it be nice if they went back to fire drills instead of shooter drills?

No Control Over Curriculum

Not every parent is thrilled over the subject matter that public schools teach. Many schools are still stuck in the loop of stressing how important test scores are over the actual curriculum. When your child is in a public school, you don’t really have much control over what they learn in school.

Less One On One Time

In public school, your child will be in a classroom with at least twenty other kids. If your child is struggling in school because of their learning disability, they may not get the special attention they need because the teacher needs to tend to the other students as well.

Home School

Pros

No Travel Time

If you take your child to school and pick them up, you can cut this out of your day. You will have more time to spend with your family, help teach your child, or take care of things at home. Not to mention you can save on gas!

Tailored Learning Plans

When your child has a learning disability, they may need to learn things in a different way. When you are the teacher, you can control how they learn and what they learn. You can help them come up with techniques that can help them learn the subject matter easier.

Keep An Eye On Daily Habits

When your kid is off at school, you can’t help them make sure that they are eating healthy, getting enough water, or activity. When you are homeschooling your child, you can make healthy meal plans, help them stay active, and teach them healthy self-care routines.

They May Perform Better

Studies have shown that children who do homeschooling perform better than those in public school. With fewer distractions, tailored lesson plans, and a healthy environment seems to be working. Many students who are homeschooled are actually ahead of their peers that are in public school.

You Can Make Adjustments

Does your child need more time on tests? When you are the teacher, you get to make the rules. You get to make the perfect environment for your child making it easier for them to succeed in their education.

Cons

New Ways To Socialize

When you homeschool, you need to get creative about socializing. Since they aren’t around kids at school, they need to find other outlets to practice their social skills. This could be putting them in ballet, karate, or taking them to science camp.

Balance Teacher And Parent

When you are the teacher and the parent, you might always feel like you’re the bad guy. Balancing the roles between being a parent and a teacher can be difficult. It can be exhausting being a teacher and also taking care of the family and the house. Be sure to remember to practice self-care yourself.

Time Consuming

Teachers spend a good portion of their hours grading papers and making lesson plans. And you have to do this, too. While you can get curriculum packets and booklets, you still have to spend time organizing the day and making sure everything gets done.

Harder On Single Parents

If you are a single parent, this might be very difficult for you. Not only do you have to work, take care of the house, parent your children, now you’re a teacher as well. This can be exhausting for someone who doesn’t have any help.

It’s Up To You

Have a conversation with your doctor and your child to figure out what they think. Have an open conversation between you all to figure out what the best route to take is. You don’t have to keep your child in public school, and you don’t have to pull them out. This decision is all up to you.

Do you have a child with a learning disability? What has worked best for your family? We would love to hear your opinion in the comment section below!

[author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

It’s that time of year again where you stock up on Kleenex, composition books and coffee. School is in session and whether you are sending the little ones off to a day of learning or you are taking classes yourself, you probably have a plan to make this year the best yet. One thing that you should consider adding to your list of tools to make this year go off without a hitch is some CBD oil.

CBD hemp oil is great for going back to school because it can help with many issues that arise as the year progresses. With tests, bullies, and pounds of homework, school can become a burden on you or your children’s mental health. But when you add CBD to the mix, it might make this year a whole lot easier.

How CBD Can Help With School

Test Taking And Anxiety

Many school programs are so focused on tests that teachers are noticing the grownup anxiety developing in their younger students. Kids as young as nine are unable to sleep or eat because they have so much pressure put on them to succeed in the way the school system deems most appropriate. They may be acing their in-class work or getting good marks on their homework, but none of that matters if their test scores aren’t high.

This type of thinking doesn’t change once you hit college, it just gets worse. I had a course my first year in college where the entire grade was based on three large tests, so if you weren’t a good test taker, you were out of luck.

The way our school system works, you find out at an early age whether or not you perform well under pressure. Unfortunately, anxiety disorders exist regardless of how old you are. Sometimes people who take tests can study all night and then the moment the paper is in front of them they completely blank like a deer in headlights.

While many people may see taking a test as something that gives them anxiety, some people experience anxiety that is almost debilitating. Constant thoughts are rushing into their head about how they won’t succeed or how hard the test will be. Unable to hold on to simple concepts they studied the night before because they can’t focus on anything but anxiety. CBD oil may be able to help if this sounds familiar.

CBD oil reduces anxiety by helping to calm down the overactivity in the brain. On a day of a big test, just taking a few drops of CBD oil may be able to help you focus because your thoughts aren’t running a mile a minute.

Bullies And Emotional Issues

Our society is in a weird climate where bullying is both glorified and condemned, and it isn’t just happening in grade school. It doesn’t really matter how old you are; bullies exist everywhere even in the workplace. Just like in at work, in school, it can become distracting and make accomplishing any work feel almost impossible.

Bullying can cause someone to lose self-esteem and develop emotional issues. These emotional issues can turn into full-blown mood disorders like depression. While CBD oil can’t give you or your child a healthy self-esteem, it can help with mood disorders that make coping mechanisms hard to accomplish.

In-Class Assignments And Concentration

When you or your child are in class, do you or they have a hard time focusing on the material? ADHD can start at a very young age, one of the main symptoms being the inability to concentrate. While getting distracted is a common part of growing up and learning how to pull your focus, when it becomes so debilitating that common tips and tricks don’t work you may need a little extra help.

ADD and ADHD have changes in the brain that are associated with anxiety disorders. Cannabidiol has shown in studies that it may have the ability to help with the hyperactivity as well as the overall ability to focus.

Homework And Motivation

Homework is given to kids to help them figure out if they retained the information they learned in class and it is a way to help them build self-discipline by doing the work without someone hovering over them. Some teachers might get carried away with the load making it even more stressful for kids to live their normal lives, but lucky students get good teachers who understand the concept of balance.

One issue that children, teens, and adults can run into when it comes to homework is the motivation to do it. Yes, you know that if you don’t do it, you will get a bad grade. If you wait until last minute, your work won't be that great. You don’t want to be that person who just coasts through school with average grades and high stress, but the motivation do to it just isn’t there.

Depression can cause this lack of motivation, and it can start at any age. Depression makes it hard to make these crucial decisions that make our future easier. But taking CBD may be able to help dig you or your child out of that depression and learn what it is to be motivated to do well.

Social Life And Social Anxiety

Making new friends is one of the best parts about school. You are thrown into a big barrel of all different kinds of people and have the opportunity to make long lasting friendships and learn how to navigate through social life. But this is an absolute nightmare scenario for those who have social anxiety.

Social anxiety can make school look like the burning fires of hell waiting for torment and torture. So many eyes that can be looking at you, so much judgment, and it doesn’t help that bullying is such a common thing among our species. You or your kid might try to find excuses not to even go to school just so you can avoid being trapped in a building full of strangers, especially if an oral report is due.

CBD oil has shown that it may help tremendously with social anxiety, including the public speaking aspect of it. CBD calms down the fear response that is overactive in a brain plagued by social anxiety, making judgment, criticism, and glances from others less of a threat. Taking CBD oil the morning before speaking in front of the class may also help with those anxious jitters.

Sleep

Sleep is extremely important for the growing mind and body. Your brain also learns best when well rested, making it imperative that you take care of yourself in order to succeed. If you or your child have high stress because of school, it can make falling asleep feel almost impossible and when you do, waking up often can also be a problem.

Cannabidiol has shown in studies that it may be able to help people who have sleepless nights or find themselves tossing and turning throughout the night. CBD acts as a wake-promoting agent, giving you or your child a feeling of clean energy and an uplifted mood throughout the day. It also may regulate the sleep cycle, making the body feel tired when it is time for bed. During sleep, CBD has shown to promote the REM stage which is when the body is in its deepest sleep and undergoing repair.

Getting Help

If you or your child’s school stress comes from a learning disability like autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, normal coping mechanisms that may work for other classmates may not work out so well for you or your kid. Depression and anxiety can make it difficult to focus in and out of the classroom as well, making you or your child feel inadequate in comparison to other classmates. When the brain processes the world differently, it can make learning a challenge because not everyone can learn at the same pace or with the same methods.

While cannabidiol may be able to make these learning disabilities more manageable alongside helping with anxiety and depression, medicine alone is very rarely the one-size-fits-all-quick-fix cure. Taking medicine is more of a tool than a solution in many cases. Painkillers don’t fix the problem; they just make the pain go away making physical therapy or living life easier. The same concept goes for medication when it comes to many mental health issues.

Taking CBD hemp oil in tandem with seeing a doctor may give you better results than just the CBD oil alone. When you have a good relationship with a doctor, they can help you monitor you or your child’s symptoms. If you decide to try CBD, they can also help determine whether or not it will interfere with any other medication as well as make sure that it is working the way that it is supposed to.

A doctor isn’t the only person who can help people who have learning disabilities or emotional issues in school, getting a tutor is also a great way to get someone on one time with someone who knows the material and can help you or your child grasp the work. You can find a tutor who is familiar with working with anxious kids or kids with autism so they can tailor their tutoring sessions to you or your child’s needs.

Do you have any back to school tips? We would love to hear about it in the comment section!

Did you know that parents today spend more time with their kids than they did 50 years ago? Sociologist Melissa Milkie will tell you there is no correlation between the amount of time spent with the family and positive outcomes of the children. It’s not about quantity time, ensuring your child’s positive future is about spending quality time with them. Your state of mind plays a crucial role in dictating how beneficial time with your family will be.

As a society, we have no problem hanging out with our family at home. This is a good thing considering studies have shown that a healthy parent and child relationship can positively impact a child’s behavioral problems. However, psychologist Gwen Dewar explains that parenting and hanging out with your kids while you are stressed out can do the opposite and have a negative impact on your children.

How Stress Affects Quality Time With Your Kids

They Stress Out, Too

A study revealed that babies mirror their parent’s level of stress. They suggest that when you have a strong bond, like a mother with their child, you affect the way that the other feels. When you are freaking out and haven’t given yourself a second to relax, your children feel this stress as well.

You Can Get Too Involved

We spend plenty of time with our kids, but when you are stressed out, you might spend a little bit too much time in their lives. If you are always worried that everything has to be perfect for them making you glued to their side, you could be making things harder on your kids. Hovering over your child’s every move is also something known as a “helicopter parent.” Studies have shown that if you are a helicopter parent, your child is more likely to need anxiety or depression medication.

You May Partake In Harsh Parenting

Studies have found that people who are under a lot of stress are more prone to harsh parenting. It may seem that this form of tough love is the only way to teach your children how to be upstanding citizens, but research says otherwise. Researchers believe that this can have a long-lasting negative impact on the parent and child’s well-being.

What Can You Do?

Get Help

Do you have issues with stress? Does your anxiety take over? Are you simply unable to relax? Reaching out and talking to a professional can help you hash through your worries, so you aren’t so overwhelmed with them at home. They can help guide you and teach you how to think differently so that you aren’t caught up in your negative thoughts all of the time.

Taking Medicine

Your doctor may want you to take an anti-anxiety medication. Not every parent wants to take prescription pills considering how many anti-anxiety medications make you cloudy when you need to be there for your child. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown in studies to help with anxiety with fewer side-effects than common pharmaceuticals. CBD hemp oil can offer to be a useful tool for calming yourself whenever you feel stressed. Be sure to mention to your doctor what type of medication you would like to take so they can help monitor your progress and make sure that it is the best solution for you.

Do you have any tips that help you unwind to spend quality time with your kids stress-free? We would love to hear what you do to make your time with the family the best it can be.

 [author name="Sarah Potts" bio = "Sarah Potts has been writing about the wonderful benefits of cannabis for CBD Instead since 2017. Medical cannabis has changed her life and her goal is to show others how it might help them as well." email="pottscontent@gmail.com" twitter= "pottstato"]

Before I answer this question on whether CBD is safe for children, please be reminded that all the details found in this article are based on comprehensive research. You'll be provided with views and options, but of course, the final decision is still in your hands.

CBD oil is increasingly becoming on demand when it comes to treating seizure disorders like epilepsy, as well as autism, anxiety disorders, focus issues, insomnia, and sensory processing disorders. There are many pieces of anecdotal evidence supporting the benefits and other effects of CBD oil for children, benefiting different pediatric health issues.

Why Even Consider CBD Oil for Treating Pediatric Patients

Children are more vulnerable to pain as compared to adults, and they feel more anxious, afraid, and unable to express their level of pain well. Traditional pain relievers or medications come with side effects such as stomach upset and increased bleeding.

With these reasons, CBD oil can be safely administered to children because it doesn't contain harmful chemicals nor does it cause any adverse effects. According to the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Elixinol, Chris Husong, CBD is safe for children. Their medical team has concluded this answer to the question “Is CBD safe for children?”, with the affirmation and validation of Dr. Philip Blair, the company's medical advisor.

Let's dig deeper and get more scientific.

Important Role of Cannabinoids in the Human Body

Cannabinoids are naturally occurring in the human body as evidenced by 2-AG and anandamide, which have a similar function to CBD. These are called as endocannabinoids that interact with the body's endocannabinoid system for controlling cellular communication and mediating different bodily functions.

In fact, children are initially exposed to cannabinoids through the natural endocannabinoids found in human breast milk. The neuromodulatory lipid endocannabinoids found in human breast milk teach newborns to eat through the stimulation of the process of suckling, triggering hunger and promoting growth and development.

How CBD Can Affect the Growth and Development of Children

There is no evidence showing that CBD oil is not good for children or being harmful or unhealthy for that matter. It does not cause stunted growth physically or mentally. In fact, a mother's breast milk even contains cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors, including CBD.

As previously mentioned, the endocannabinoids found in breast milk promotes growth and development, most especially among newborns. Endocannabinoids prevent starvation by stimulating suckling. A mother's breast milk is still best for babies. So, who says that CBD is not good for children?

What Does FDA Say About CBD Oil Benefits and Safety

Just like any parent, you are concerned about the safety of CBD oil for your children. As I read through online forums, I couldn't unearth any site that points negative side effects of CBD among children.

While many customers reported remarkable effects on various health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, and PTSD, the FDA prevents manufacturers from recommending cannabidiol or CBD for specific health conditions. The FDA considers CBD just a dietary supplement. However, many people and scientific studies prove that CBD can do more than just a food supplement.

If the FDA consider CBD nothing more than just a food supplement, then it only means that CBD poses no harm like medications do, both for adults and children. Authorities do not ban CBD nor promote it as an effective medication for any disease. This fact leaves a room for further clinical trials and gathering of sufficient evidence to upgrade CBD as an effective and acceptable drug for different and specific health conditions in the future.

CBD Oil Saved a Child's Life from a Fatal Epilepsy Case

You might have read or heard about Charlotte Figi, an 11-year old girl who had epilepsy and her seizures turned out so bad and placed in a hospice. According to her parent, CBD actually saved her life. From this real-life story, CBD studies have focused on treating epilepsy among children. In fact, CBD is approved for seizures or epilepsy in Brazil and the United Kingdom.

What Does Studies Show About the Effectiveness of CBD Oil

CBD reduces the mortality in animal subjects from seizures with high tolerability and low toxicity. In fact, the American Academy of Neurology concluded the “unknown efficacy: of medical cannabis in the treatment of epilepsy. The same is true with the review concluded by the Cochrane Database. Elixinol launches a training program specifically for medical professionals to confidently talk about CBD benefits to their patients.

Based on the studies I've read, CBD oil is completely safe for children. Here are the other studies you can read:

• CBD Oil is Effective for Pediatric Insomnia and Anxiety
• The Real Science of Cannabinoids Behind Pediatric Epilepsy
• Cannabis is Better Than Adderall in Treating ADHD
• Dravet Syndrome: Cannabidiol Trial for Drug-Resistant Seizures

How to Best Administer CBD to Children to Gain Health Benefits

CBD should be administered sublingually because ingesting it reduces its efficacy. Parents can choose the best mode of delivery depending on their preference. CBD can also be administered orally, topically and through vaping.

Do not administer just any CBD product to your children. Ensure that you only buy from trusted, reputable, and reliable sources. More than anything else, prioritize child safety than the price. Many online sellers are offering low prices but with questionable CBD sources and reputation.

Is CBD safe for children? Yes, CBD is safe for children and adults. The FDA considers CBD oil as a dietary supplement for now. However, studies have shown how CBD helped many children with seizures, epilepsy, and other medical conditions.

As a parent, you have an option to try CBD oil for your child's medical condition. It is always best to also consult a medical doctor for a proper CBD prescription based on your child's age, weight, and health condition.

Reference:

https://hybridrastamama.com/is-CBD-oil-safe-for-children/

https://www.popsugar.com/moms/CBD-Oil-Safe-Kids-44450748

https://www.naturalnews.com/036526_cannabinoids_breast_milk_THC.html

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Anxiety disorders are entirely treatable, and people often show symptoms and signs while they are children. The thing about anxiety is the longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to recover from. Learning the warning signs can help you put your child on the fast track to recovery so they can live a fulfilling life into adulthood.

Chronic anxiety is more than just stressing out. It shows physical and behavioral symptoms that can make daily life more difficult than it has to be. Here are some of the signs that may indicate that your child has anxiety.

Excessively Worrying

Everyone has worries, but when it comes to having anxiety, these worries are excessive. Your child may raise concerns every morning that they might miss the bus to school when that isn’t a situation they have experienced often. Your child may have constant worries that they will fail a test or that they will forget their homework. These worries can branch out into continually worrying about where you are, afraid that something may happen to you. If your child is always concerned about something at an alarming rate, they may have anxiety.

Trouble Sleeping

It’s not uncommon for children to refuse bedtime because they don’t want the fun of the day to be over. But children with anxiety cannot sleep even when they have been laying in their bed for long periods of time. They may wake up exhausted because they kept waking up which makes them irritable throughout the day. Insomnia is a symptom of anxiety that makes thinking harder to do and can cause harm to their body.

Irritability

It isn’t just getting enough sleep that could be changing your child’s mood. Anger is a product of fear which is what anxiety is. If your child is easily frustrated, there may be more going on in that little brain of theirs that needs to be addressed.

Trouble Concentrating

ADHD is a type of anxiety disorder, but they don’t need to have this specific condition to have a difficult time concentrating. Anxiety makes your mind race and your thoughts ramble. It is difficult to keep your mind focused on one thing when there is so much happening in the background.

Stomach Aches and Head Aches

Anxiety is more than just mental, it has physical symptoms, too. Common symptoms in people of all ages of anxiety are upset stomach and headaches. If you can’t find a medical reason as to why they are feeling ill and it happens most often around stressful periods of their life, it could be their anxiety.

Fear Of Making Mistakes

Having anxiety is more than just being a perfectionist. It is the constant fear or ridicule, beratement, or chastising for mistakes made. Even if at home they aren’t excessively punished for their mistakes, they could still harbor an innate need to be perfect. They could refuse to do activities because they don’t think they will perform well, or have excessive stress thinking about an activity or task they need to do. If they can’t get failure off of their mind, it could be their anxiety,

Shaking and Sweating

In a crowd, in loud places, or around stressful situations you might notice that your child tenses up, starts to sweat, or shake. This is another common symptom of anxiety that shouldn’t be overlooked because while it seems they are doing their best to keep it together, they may be falling apart on the inside.

Extremely Sensitive

While children are more sensitive than adults, some children may seem to cry or throw a tantrum at the slightest thing. It can be frustrating to live with a little ticking time bomb, but your patience is needed more than ever when it comes to anxiety. Their emotions are running high because their brain is so confused with natural fear, and it may cause them to act out or be upset over things that might leave you puzzled. Never make fun of your child for getting upset over something that is small, that will just open up a new box of problems.

What Can You Do?

Therapy is highly suggested for children with anxiety. The way they think is different from us, and they need some brain training to stop being so negative internally. It can be challenging to use coping strategies when you’re upset, which is why they need a strong support system and you can even utilize medication. CBD oil has shown to be very successful at helping ease anxiety and is safe for children to use. Talk to your doctor to find out what the best treatment option is for your child that can put them on the pathway to success.

Having a child on the spectrum can be both a blessing and a struggle. While it teaches you a crash course of unconditional love and how to have thick skin, it also can become overwhelming when you aren’t prepared. It can be heartbreaking to watch your child unable to communicate, self-harm, or become overwhelmed by sensations by the world around them. Many parents are turning to hemp oil because it has the healing power of cannabis without the high.

The chemicals in cannabis called cannabinoids are so useful when interacting with our mind and body because of the endocannabinoid system. This system helps regulate our body, which can turn the dial down on an outburst or make the world around the child on the spectrum easier to handle. Sensory overload, poor communication skills, and other symptoms of autism have been highlighted in the world of anecdotal evidence.

What Is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a collection of cognitive disorders that hinder brain development. It is considered a spectrum disorder because each case of autism is different from the next. Some symptoms are present in many of patients with autism at various severities that can help in the process of diagnosis.

Common Symptoms Of Autism

Difficult Time In Social Interactions

Many people who have autism have a hard time interacting socially or maintaining those interactions. They react differently in social situations because they feel different in them. When the majority of us are in a group of people or having a conversation, our reward system goes off giving us a good feeling from dopamine and oxytocin. People on the spectrum may not get that chemical reaction, making it uncomfortable to stay in conversation if they can even start one at all.

Difficulty Understanding Emotions

While there is a stereotype that people with autism lack emotion and have no empathy, this isn’t necessarily the case. While many people with autism may not understand their feelings, autism may not be the underlying cause. The reason it is still considered a symptom is that the disorder that does make the individual have a difficult time understanding emotions called alexithymia is more prevalent in patients with autism than those not on the spectrum.

Underdeveloped Speech

There are some people who have autism who can talk up a storm, while there are others who can’t speak at all. Scientists still haven’t discovered what causes nonverbal autism, though the disorder does show lack of development in necessary communication skills. This is also a symptom that may pass overtime with researching showing that the majority of children with nonverbal autism learn language skills later on in life. This can also look like more than just not speaking. Having underdeveloped speech can be parroting what they hear, using few words, and having a difficult time discerning which pronouns to use.

Limited and Extreme Focus

Some children with autism may have a hard time focusing on the majority of their life but can have an almost supernatural ability to stay focused on one thing that peaks their interest. At early ages, it may be a toy, and as they age, they can’t stop talking about trading cards, a TV show, or a game they love. If your child is uninterested, it may be difficult for them to focus.

Repetitive Behaviors

Children on the spectrum are more likely to develop anxiety disorders, but that doesn’t mean that their repetitive behavior is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While it isn’t impossible for a child with ASD to have OCD, repetitive behaviors aren’t always an indication of this anxiety disorder. Children with autism may have their rituals, the difference being that they don’t obsess and think about those rituals regularly like many with OCD do. The drive to complete these rituals isn’t to make sure something bad doesn’t happen like with OCD. Instead, they are to help to keep their lives in a constant state of sameness.

Managing Autism Symptoms

While there is no cure for autism yet, there are ways to make the symptoms more manageable. Many parents exercise options like therapy, special diets, and medication to help their loved one on the spectrum.

Therapy

Not every therapy works for every person diagnosed with autism. While occupational therapy seems to have the highest success rate at 39% in a general survey, your loved one may have more success with speech therapy or applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy. If you find that your child isn’t taking to the current therapy you’re working with; it is always a good idea to expand your horizons and try out different types of treatments.

Special Diets

Many parents have reported their child’s symptoms becoming less severe when they changed their child’s diet. This should come as no surprise considering how much food interacts with our bodies. Casein and gluten-free diets have shown the most success with parents, though there is still little scientific evidence explaining why precisely these diets work. These diets have shown to reduce hyperactivity, tantrums, and even improved language.

Medication

The word “chemical” has become such a scary word, though it’s essential to remember chemicals are all around us. All natural does not necessarily mean better. That being said, many medications that are considered harsh chemicals do have side effects that parents wish their children didn’t have to endure while also battling the commotion going on in their minds.

One of the most popular medications used for autism has side effects such as drowsiness, weight gain, hormonal changes, and in rare cases, involuntary movements. Not every child benefits from these medications, making parents switch from pill to pill just searching for something that will help their child. This is why many parents are starting to look toward cannabis oil as an alternative.

How CBD oil Helps With Autism

The areas of the brain that are most affected by autism are parts of the limbic system and the cerebellum. These parts of the brain also have a high density of cannabinoid receptors giving cannabis access to mediate their functions.

The CB1 Receptor

The CB1 cannabinoid receptor is a part of the endocannabinoid system, and it helps regulate the functions of the neurological system. Though it is located all over the body, the population of these receptors is denser in the brain. Cannabidiol (CBD) interacts with this receptor by elevating the endocannabinoid anandamide. Researchers think that this could be an indication that CBD oil can work as a treatment for autism.

The CB2 Receptor

Our other cannabinoid receptor, the CB2 receptor, helps to mediate the immune system in our bodies. Since scientists have found large amounts of immune cells in the brain of autistic patients, they believe that inflammation may also be a cause of this disorder. Cannabidiol can help with inflammation by elevating the 2-AG endocannabinoid which binds to the CB2 receptor. Showing another reason why CBD oil may be a valid treatment for autism.

Symptoms CBD Oil May Help Reduce

Social Impairment

In a rodent model study, they found that raising anandamide activity in CB1 receptors has shown improvement in social impairment. Because individuals with autism may have reduced inhibitory brain signaling, CBD may be restoring the excitability in those neurons. Cannabidiol’s anti-anxiety effects have also been speculated to being a contributor to rehabilitating the individual with their social impairment.

Seizures

Seizures can unfortunately also accompany autism. Luckily, there has been extensive research regarding CBD oil and epilepsy. Cannabis oil has shown to stop seizures while they are happening as well as in a preventative way. During a seizure, brain damage can occur. Cannabidiol can also aid with this issue with its neuroprotective effects.

Hyperactivity

Some children and adults on the spectrum have issues with hyperactivity. ADHD is also common with patients who have autism. Cannabis oil has shown that it can reduce hyperactivity, making it easier to focus on things that don’t even interest the individual.

Behavioral Issues

CBD has shown to help with behavioral issues by reducing learned fear, protecting the cells in the hippocampus, and aiding with cognitive impairments. Though these tests still haven’t been studied on human models, there is still plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that the theory may be fact.

Improving Sleep and OCD

If your loved one also has issues with sleep or OCD, this may be in part because of the anxiety often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. By reducing the overactivity in the brain from the anandamide elevation, CBD oil can reduce the anxiety that drives compulsions and keeps people awake.

Talk To Your Pediatrician

There are many reasons to switch to CBD instead of pharmaceutical medicines. There is no lethal dose of cannabidiol, it’s nonaddictive, it has fewer and less severe side-effects, and can help treat a wide array of symptoms with just one dose. Before you switch your child’s medication, be sure to speak with a doctor. Make sure that your child isn’t taking any other medicines that may interfere with CBD oil or could be metabolized differently making symptoms worse. When you are ready to take the next step, we will be here waiting for you with safe and reputable products.

It’s a scary world out there, especially for our children. Children too young to tie their shoes are scared to go to school, and their anxiety may be affecting their school work and relationships. The main thing they need right now is you, their parents, to help them figure out these crazy emotions most of us were never subjected to at a young age. Through learning coping mechanisms and finding ways to feel safer you can help ease their minds. If they seem like they still need extra help, CBD can help with their anxiety.

Cannabidiol (CBD) interacts with our mental state by elevating an endocannabinoid called anandamide which binds to the CB1 receptor. This cannabinoid receptor helps mediate your mood, sleep cycle, sensitivity to pain, and appetite. When people are put in stressful situations, like going to school, their brains become overactive with a bunch of “What Ifs.” This is a necessary survival mechanism, but it can get in the way of your child’s education and relationships if it gets too out of hand.

Life was much easier when the biggest problem in your child’s life was a huge test coming up that they didn’t study for. Now they are learning evacuation and lockdown drills in case there is a shooter in their school. You can help ease their minds by getting involved with the school,  going through the exercises with them and learning coping strategies for how they feel. Talking to your kids about this is so very important, you are their beacon of strength.

Their anxiety might be more out of control than what consoling can help with. If your child can’t sleep at night and can’t focus on their homework, the stress is going to pile up and explode into a full-on disorder. By taking CBD oil, you can help their brains calm down, so they can think more rationally.

Your child’s brain is a beautiful sponge that is taking in everything they see and hear all around them. They are the perfect mold for knowledge, but the world we live in shoves other information in their direction. They see what these kids are going through all over the country and the reasonable reaction is, “If it can happen to them, it can happen to me.”

Does this mean they will experience this type of trauma? No, it’s not likely. With the hundreds of thousands of schools in the country and only a handful of them are experiencing this trauma, statistically speaking they are still safe. But this doesn’t take away from the fact it has happened to people just like them.

CBD oil won't make them less scared or worried, but it can help them be in a calmer state so they can make better decisions. When we are upset, it is hard to think logically which can turn into a downward spiral of poor mental health.

Talk to your kids about how they are feeling, help them find coping mechanisms to deal with their stress. Even getting them into therapy can help improve their way of thinking. CBD oil won't cure them of this anxiety, but it will make the road to recovery a lot easier for them. Talk to your doctor today about using CBD oil to help with your child’s anxiety.

Many pregnant mothers are wondering if they can take CBD while pregnant. There is a little human brewing in their body, and nothing is going to hurt that baby if momma can help it. But the morning sickness, and the pain, and the mood swings, there has got to be some option, right? Women aren’t destined to suffer for the entire 9 months, we just won't have it! But the little person inside always comes first, so is it safe for pregnant women to take CBD?

The short answer, we aren’t quite sure. Of course, we do have some idea. But when it comes to the amazing mothers harboring the future of our world, we have to be absolutely sure before suggesting it’s okay for them to take a medication. It may be safe and well tolerated at high doses, but without clinical trials, it is difficult to commit to a positive answer.

So what do we know? Well, we know that CBD has helped mothers with their nausea, mood swings, and pain. Many of the mothers who have taken it haven’t reported adverse effects, though that doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

We know that cannabidiol is very well tolerated across all ages and at high doses. Many parents are giving it to their children as young as two, and to their parents as old at 80. However, a developing body is a completely different story, especially in such early stages of development. There are virtually no clinical trials on the subject, but that will hopefully change. 

In 2010, when they did studies on pregnant mice with CBD, they found that CBD reduced uterine contractions. They make a point to note that the chemicals that CBD elevates are already present in our bodies and raise naturally before contractions begin.

There have also been studies explaining that the abuse of marijuana has shown damage to the fetus. They demonstrate how marijuana, including the chemical CBD, may alter the placenta. This could result in abnormal pregnancies, but clinical trials are needed for affirmation.

If you are wanting to take CBD, the first thing you need to do is talk to your doctor. Not every doctor is marijuana friendly, and second opinions are always encouraged. However, you should not jump from doctor to doctor until you get the answer you’re looking for, especially when it comes to the health of your newest family member.

If your doctor suggests small doses of CBD for your nausea, mood swings, or pain, check out our shop! We have safe and easy to use products that can make building a human a little easier.

School is back in session, and maybe your kid still hasn’t gotten out of “Winter Break Mode.” Or perhaps your child has always been struggling, and you can’t figure out how to help. There are plenty of reasons kids don’t do well in school, do you remember how challenging it used to be? Many parents resort to pharmaceuticals to fix the situation, but sometimes the side effects turn their kids into people they don’t recognize. CBD has also shown that it can work just as well as other medications given to children with less risk to their health. Could CBD help your child perform better in school?

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical that we find in marijuana. It’s not the same as the weed you see on TV, though. CBD doesn’t get you high like THC does, making it a more attractive alternative medicine for children.

CBD interacts with our body’s endocannabinoid system. This system is in charge of the body’s homeostasis, making sure that everything runs as usual. The endocannabinoid system is in charge of your immune system fighting pathogens, your metabolism making food into energy, and even regulates your mood. When it is out of whack, CBD can help control the system by inhibiting or encouraging specific activities in the brain.

The Endocannabinoid System

Let’s dig a little deeper into what the Endocannabinoid System is so that you can fully understand how CBD can do so much. It almost seems impossible that something that helps bug bites become less itchy also can help treat symptoms of depression.

Cannabinoid Receptors

Did you know that you have receptors in your brain that can bind to cannabinoids found in marijuana plants? That is because of their similarities to endocannabinoids which are made in the brain organically. Cannabinoid receptors are found all over the body like in your skin, your organs, and your brains. The CB1 receptors are more densely populated in the brain, and researchers have found that it’s primary function is to run and regulate the neurological system. CB2 receptors are spread out more evenly through the body, and they are in charge of the immune functions.

Endocannabinoids

Endocannabinoids are chemicals that your brain makes organically and are incredibly similar to cannabinoids found in marijuana. Anandamide, the endocannabinoids that interact mostly with CB1 receptors, is most similar to the chemical THC. Like a duplicated key, THC can fit perfectly into the CB1 receptors, giving you the munchies, making you feel a little sleepy, giving you the feeling of euphoria, and making you less sensitive to pain. These effects are very similar to what anandamide makes you feel naturally, just boosted to the extreme.

Metabolic Enzymes

If chemicals stayed in your brain forever, you would go insane and then start to lose function. This is why we have the cleanup crew that goes around deteriorating the organic material that is no longer in use. These metabolic enzymes are also where endocannabinoids come from, without them you would have nothing to make them. When cells are down in the dumps damaged by trauma, metabolic enzymes are there to repair damaged cells and promote healthy life cycles.

CBD For Your Children

Before you buy a bottle of CBD and start giving it to your child, you need to know a little bit more. Why is your child doing poorly in school? This is when you have to put your super mom or super dad cap on and really analyze the situation. If they have anxiety issues, they are going to take a different dose than if they were suffering from depression. There are also things that CBD can’t help treat, like wanting to spend more time with their parents. So the first question you have to ask yourself is, why is my child having trouble in school?

Depression

If your child is depressed, it will make it a lot harder for them to gain motivation to do well. When you are in a state of depression, nothing matters. Even adults can barely handle the crushing weight, let alone a child. Depression can come at any age, from just plain old brain chemistry being developed differently or from something happening in their environment. CBD can help with depression through treatment by regulating the brain chemistry. It naturally elevates the mood by raising the levels of anandamide, giving your child a chance to have that natural motivation to do well and succeed.

Symptoms Of Depression

• Not being able to find enjoyment in activities they once loved
• General discontent with everything
• Trouble sleeping
• Anxiety
• Lack of appetite or overeating
• Mood Swings or sadness
• Fatigue
• Lack of concentration
• Thoughts of suicide (It is important to note that even children can have thoughts of suicide and it is essential to address this calmly, so they aren’t afraid to talk about it.)

Anxiety

Children can get anxiety at a young age, and it might not seem apparent because they are already balls of energy and they all express it differently. But anxiety is a lot different than an excited kid, and it likes to steal concentration. When a child has running thoughts, it is difficult for them to focus on an activity in school. Their racing thoughts might also bring up social anxiety, which will make going to school extremely difficult. Children are often victims of disorders like PTSD, OCD, General Anxiety Disorder, and common coexisting disorders like ADHD. Research suggests that CBD can help with all of these illnesses.

CBD helps calm the mind down through a process called retrograde signaling. This means that the endocannabinoids travel backward to mediate brain activity. If a neuron is overexcited, the endocannabinoids will tell it to calm down. If the neuron isn’t sending enough chemicals, the endocannabinoids will command it to get excited.

Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders

• Lack of concentration
• Flashbacks (PTSD)
• Increased heart rate
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Unwanted thoughts
• Constant fear or worry

More Than Medicine

If you have ever been to the doctor for anything, it is uncommon that they will just give you medicine and send you on your way without any other instructions. If you have a cold, they will advise lots of fluids and eating crackers. If you have an injury, they will recommend physical therapy. Medicine has never been the cure-all, it is a mixture of things that help us reach the pinnacle of health. This is also the case when it comes to mental health.

CBD can help make the symptoms less severe. However, it doesn’t make the problems go away. Even though it will make focusing easier, your children still need to know what to do with that new found ability. Doctors highly suggest therapy when working on your mental health. Otherwise, you would be bound to medicine forever. You can treat many mental health disorders, while others are unfortunately a way of life. Even if the latter is the case, therapy will make living with the disorder a lot more manageable when combined with medication like cannabis oil.

Other Ways To Help Your Child In School

There are also things that could be going on with your child that you can help with on top of helping their moods regulate. Your child might learn differently, they may have a difficult time in the classroom setting, or they could just be bored because they are so beyond the content of the curriculum. Pinpointing what precisely the issue is can give you the knowledge to change the situation into something more beneficial for everyone.

Lack Of Confidence

Many children lack the confidence to do well in school. Why try hard if they are just going to fail? This can keep them from engaging in dialogue that gets their brain thinking, desensitizing themselves to the atmosphere of the classroom. This little doubt in the back of their mind eventually takes over, and your child’s grades can begin to plummet.

Being encouraging is extremely important, reminding them that some people just have to work harder at things than others. A brilliant scientist who has discovered how to move space and time may have the grammar of a seven-year-old. There is a little genius in all of us, and you can help bring that out of your child, so they can have the confidence to excel.

They Don’t Know How To Study

Some kids can read a book and retain all of the information. Then there are the students who need to be engaged with, play games, or be hands-on to learn the lessons. Teaching your child how to study can be the difference between failing and acing because it sets them up for a successful thought process in the future. If they learn from writing things down, having them take more notes or outlining material might work better than going over the material out loud. If your child is a musician, making songs might be the best route to remember the table of elements or their time's tables.

Social Problems

If your child acts out in class, freezes up when the teacher calls on them, or avoids class altogether, they might just be uncomfortable learning in the classroom setting. Unless you have the resources to homeschool your child, there is no getting around going to class. However, tutors are a great aid in this situation. They use your child’s learning style to help them with their lessons, with one on one interaction that is without distractions like other students. This can give them the confidence to excel in class having learned the material in a setting more comfortable to them.

A tutor is also excellent for when your child is bored in school because they pick up on lessons so quickly. Giving them harder material to master will take the edge off of the boring classes, and it will help them prove to themselves that they truly are good enough to succeed.

If your child is struggling in school, it is usually a cry for help. You can use CBD oil and a change in lifestyle to help your child perform better in school. Always talk to a doctor before giving medication to your child, especially if they are already taking medication. After you’ve had an honest discussion with your doctor, stop by our shop to see if CBD oil is what could be that extra boost to getting your child's life on track.