What is Cross Addiction?

Your brain has a system called the mesolimbic system which is what controls the reward system. This reward system is what keeps us surviving by pushing us to do things like eat, sleep, reproduce, and nurture. When someone introduces a substance like narcotics or alcohol to this reward system, it messes with the reward system, making it crave this substance more than anything. When someone who has previously struggled with addiction and they expose this part of their brain to a new chemical or drug, it can cause them to return to the original drug that caused dependency.

Drugs to Avoid

One of the things you should do every time you go to the doctor is to let them know that you have had substance abuse issues. You may feel a little weird about it, but remember, the doctor is there to help you get healthy. Your doctor not knowing you struggle with addiction could prescribe you a medication that could make you relapse. Here are a few types of medications you should avoid or ask your doctor before taking if you struggle with addiction.

• Stimulants
• Pain reliever
• Sedatives
• Antidiarrheals
• Muscle Relaxers

What About Cannabis?

While cannabis with THC can pose a risk (albeit a small one considering the other medications on the market), CBD hemp oil has shown to be a good alternative for those who can’t use full plant cannabis products. In a study looking into the potential abuse of CBD oil, scientists found:

• Feel good effects of cannabidiol were significantly lower than other medications administered, alprazolam and dronabinol
• Cannabidiol administration showed no observable cognitive or psychomotor effects
• There were no serious adverse effects or deaths reported during the trial

CBD hemp oil has shown to be one of the better options when it comes to people who struggle with addiction because they may be able to find relief without risking relapse, but that’s not all. CBD oil may also help with cravings and addictions as well.

CBD Hemp Oil for Addiction

We touched on the neurology of addiction a little bit at the beginning of the article. The reason you are getting cravings for that drug you kicked is that you are depriving your brain of this new substance it fell in love with. It’s waiting for the substance, it isn’t getting it, and your brain is not happy about it. However, like a child, you have to have discipline and get through this time until your brain is no longer through a tantrum over missing a drug. One way to make this process easier is by using CBD oil.

The reason that CBD oil may be able to help with addiction is because of its ability to regulate areas of the brain, one of them being the mesolimbic system. When things are going wrong in the endocannabinoid system, like the mesolimbic system being overactivated, CBD oil has shown in studies to help reduce cravings through the power of regulation. CBD oil may also help with withdrawal symptoms of addiction like nausea, pain, and irritability.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you are in need of medication but struggle with addiction, let your doctor know. Bring up the use of CBD oil and they can figure out whether or not it can work for you. Be sure to check out our shop to see what kind of options you have from using vapes to lollipops!

If OCD were like it was in the movies, it would be a lot more romantic. But OCD is frustrating, overwhelming, exhausting, and sometimes humiliating. While medication like CBD Hemp oil for OCD is a great way to help treat your symptoms, medication alone isn’t likely to give you the best outcome possible. There is a lot of evidence that tells us that therapy is one of the most successful ways to help treat mental health issues alongside medication and in some cases even instead of medication and this goes for people with OCD, too.

What Is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a popular therapy for many kinds of psychological issues because it is so effective. People with who suffer from panic disorders, phobias, PTSD, eating disorders, addictions, psychosis, and OCD all have found success in this type of talk therapy.

CBT gets its name because it is a mix of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. Cognitive therapy is focused on how you think while behavioral therapy focuses on what you do. In treatment, your therapist will help you learn other ways of thinking and consider how they would affect the way that you behave. CBT is based on the idea that your thoughts, actions, and feelings are all connected.

While CBT is a talk therapy, it is different from other talk therapies like counseling. It is more focus on the problems of the present instead of focusing on the patient’s past. This is also a therapy that you won’t be sitting in for the rest of your life; it isn’t meant to. This therapy is supposed to be complete in as little as weeks, or it can take months, but never something that you have to live with forever like your illness if you don’t get it treated.

The whole purpose of CBT is to help you become your own therapist. Your therapist will fill you with the knowledge and tools to work toward a complete recovery from OCD. You learn that it isn’t your thoughts that are the problem, it is what you make of the thoughts and what you do about them. Can you imagine a life where you thought about something, and you were able to put that thought to rest? Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it?

So how do they do it? How do they retrain your brain when it is so stubborn?

Understanding how different responses to thoughts affect the way you behave is one of the ways that your therapist will help you overcome your OCD compulsions. Let me give you an example.

It’s Friday night, and you’re snuggling up on the couch watching The Office for the seventh time. You hear a loud boom outside, and it makes you jump. Do you think:

• “It must be the transformer down the street, my power better not go out,” and then anticipate frustration.
• “Is someone setting off fireworks?” And run to the window to watch in excitement.
• “Was that a gunshot?” And then call the police feeling frightened.

Each of these reactions has its own emotion. One of them is pretty pleasant, while the others are not so much. Research explains that almost everyone has intrusive thoughts that might make no sense to them or are alarming, so the aim of CBT isn’t to get rid of these thoughts altogether. This therapy doesn’t mainly focus on the thoughts that are causing you compulsive behavior or distress, instead, CBT is meant to help you learn how to change the way you behave and feel because of them.

What To Expect In CBT

It can be a bit intimidating going to a therapist for the first time. You are about to become vulnerable in front of someone which is never easy to do. So, knowing what you are getting into before you go can help ease your mind and prepare you. And don’t worry, it’s not as scary when you get there and start talking.

The first thing your therapist may ask you to do is think about a time where your OCD was really bad and then go into detail to try and understand what thoughts, urges, images, or doubts were happening at the time. This way your therapist can get to the bottom of what causes your behavior to change.

The realistic goal for CBT isn’t to get rid of all intrusive thoughts entirely, but instead to help manage the way they affect you. If the thought that you may have misspoken pops up into your head, instead of dwelling on it and letting your anxiety grow a therapist will help you learn to reframe the thought into something less overwhelming and negative. Everyone has these kinds of thoughts, even the bad ones you might not tell people about. But the difference between someone with OCD and someone without is that people who don’t have OCD are able to let the thought pass.

Your therapist may also use ERP, Exposure and Response Prevention, in addition to their talk therapy. ERP is when they will expose you to thoughts, images, or situations that make you feel compulsive or anxious and then help you not follow through with compulsions after you have been triggered. When you start, you will be in the safe care of your therapist, and they can go at your comfort level to help make treatment less overwhelming. In the end, they will encourage you to practice it by yourself to help manage your symptoms.

What Studies Say About CBT and OCD

The reason that ERP is so commonly done alongside CBT with OCD patients is that studies have shown how effective the therapies combined can be. Studies suggest that CBT therapy is more effective than just taking medicine alone and there is a lower relapse rate than medication. Studies have also shown that people who participate in CBT continue to get better after treatment, making it one of the most recommended treatment types for OCD.

In patients with OCD, there are abnormalities in the white matter of their brain which is what helps your brain send messages from region to region. An exciting study published this year suggested that CBT may be able to reverse this abnormality, which may explain why it is such an effective long-term treatment for OCD.

How to Find the Right CBT Therapist

Would you go to a surgeon who had a high fatality rate? Would you go to a dentist whose reviews state that people come out worse than when they went in? Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and doing your due diligence to find the right therapist will benefit you in the long run. But don’t worry, it’s not that hard to find what you are looking for once you know what you need.

Before you go into the office, make sure the therapist checks these boxes:

• Images of their office and waiting room that make you feel comfortable
• A way to check their credentials like degrees and schools they went to
• A website that explains their methods and what to expect during your time with them
• Accepting and receptive of any feedback or criticism that may be public
• Has specializations that relate to you, but not an extremely long list
• Good customer service over the phone with new applicants
• Takes your insurance or has a good payment plan
• Is open at a time that is most convenient for you

Things to Ask Your Therapist

Before you commit to a therapist, you may want to ask them some questions to make sure they are right for you. If you find out halfway through treatment that they aren’t the right fit for you, it can make treatment take even longer. Here are some questions you can ask your therapist to help you get an idea.

• How do you expect to help me?
• How long do you spend with your patients?
• What has been your experience in treating OCD?
• Do you have your own therapist?
• How will you be assessing my progress?
• What does your ideal client look like?
• What can I do if I have a lot of issues in between sessions?
• Would I be able to bring anyone into the session with me?
• What is and isn’t private and confidential during this process?

If you have a loved one who is depressed, it can feel like you are completely helpless and there is nothing you can do to help. But this isn’t true. In fact, having a healthy support system is one of the tools people with depression use to help with their symptoms along with therapy and medication. Without a healthy support system, going through treatment or trying to get to the point where you search for treatment can feel almost impossible. So what can you do to support someone who has depression?

1. Understand Depression

Mental illness is lonely. Being alone in your head in a way that people on the outside can’t understand makes it hard to feel like anyone is even there. Someone with depression can be in a room full of people who love them and still feel completely isolated because of the way their brain works. Understanding depression is the very first step toward helping someone survive this time in their life. Knowing their symptoms and the reasons behind their behaviors when you are trying to support them can be a big help.

About Depression

If you don’t know the basics about depression, here is a little crash course for you to get started.

Depression is a serious condition that you shouldn’t underestimate. It is a thief of energy, positivity, and motivation. Their symptoms can make it difficult for them to connect with you emotionally, so don’t take anything personally. Their symptoms can also drive them to say hurtful things they don’t mean, lashing out in seemingly unexplained anger. It can feel like they are attacking you, but you need to remember that their brain chemistry is very different.

Depression and the Brain

In the depressed brain, there are several abnormalities that can cause your loved one to become someone that no one wants to be. No one enjoys being depressed, even though it can get very comfortable for some when it is all they know. Knowing that it is their brain chemistry and not them can help you keep your cool and make you a better listener.

Depression and the Hippocampus

One of the things that is different in a depressed brain is that the hippocampus is smaller. The hippocampus is mainly in control of memories and emotional regulation. This can cause someone who is depressed to have a bad memory and poor mood regulation which is going to cause you to learn how to have extra patience.

Depression and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

The medial prefrontal cortex is in control of decision making and plays a significant role in behavior and social skills. Someone who is depressed may have a hard time choosing what food to eat so decided to go sit on the couch and be hungry instead or have a hard time discerning a social cue. Studies have found that the problem isn’t that the medial prefrontal cortex doesn’t have enough activity, it is that it has too much control.

Because their prefrontal cortex is malfunctioned, someone who is depressed can be more consumed with thoughts about themselves. This isn’t in a selfish aspect where they think they are the only thing that matters; it is more of having constant negative thoughts about themselves that they can’t stop from bombarding their brain. So when you have a loved one with depression who can’t stop talking about how they are the worst, this is their brain not letting them break out of that negative cycle. 

Depression and the Amygdala

Another region of the brain that has been strongly linked to depression is the amygdala which is our alarm system. The amygdala controls your fight or flight response, letting the rest of your body know that you are in danger and it helps to make your body ready to fight or flight. Someone who is depressed has an overactive amygdala making the alarm system in their body triggers more often causing anxiety, fear, and anger to become common symptoms.

Symptoms of Depression to be Aware Of

• They don’t care about anything anymore. Sex, work, games, friends, and family don’t interest them.
• Sleeping less than usual or oversleeping
• Drug abuse, including painkillers and sleeping pills
• Headaches, stomach pains, and back pain
• Brain fog
• Constantly negative
• Forgetfulness

2. Remind Them Success and Happiness is Possible

One of the things that people with depression struggle with is looking into the future. Their brains cause them to be stuck in place, only thinking about the negativity around them and within them. This is not telling them not to feel the way they do because it will get better, this is a simple reminder that there are many people who have depression and learn to cope with it and go on to live happy and successful lives. It isn’t just “it gets better.” It’s “it gets better for people like you, and it’s proven.”

3. Help Them Get Help

People with depression are the best at excuses; they have been making them for some time. When they feel sick to do anything, most of the time people don’t understand depression so they make up excuses so they can recover. Don’t let them use this trick on you. If they aren’t well, they need to see a doctor. If they had a bullet wound, sure they wouldn’t be expected to go to work. But they also shouldn’t sit at home and let the wound fester without getting medical attention. Drive them, find a number to call the call, look up therapists for them. Take a step out of the process to make it more attractive for them. But don’t force it, nothing works when you force it.

4. Help with Coping

Help them with their coping strategies and remind them to use them. It is really easy to fall into old coping mechanisms that aren’t healthy, but with love and support, they can get through it. Try not to be too overbearing, because they most likely know what they are supposed to be doing. Try to be encouraging and understanding. Some healthy coping mechanisms look like:

• Seeing a therapist
• Expressive writing
• Having a schedule they stick to
• Rely on others
• Practice healthy hygiene
• Sleeping well
• Exercising

5. Start The Conversation

The thing about depression is it keeps you from doing what will make you better. People with depression have no motivation to eat right, exercise, or talk about their problems. It is common for people with depression to have an overwhelming sense of guilt for seemingly no reason, making asking for help or talking about their feels seem like they are just going to be a burden to others. If you notice that your loved one is showing signs of depression, start the conversation about it.

Coming out and saying, “Are you depressed?” May not work. But some conversation starters can give you a good idea of what is going on in their head.

• I noticed things have been off, are you okay?
• You seem pretty down lately, thought I’d check in to see how you are doing.
• I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately, how is everything going?

These extended olive branches are a great way to get your loved one to open up. This doesn’t mean they will every time, but you are giving them a safe environment to express how they are feeling. They may not feel like anyone wants to hear about how depressed they are, and your concern can help prove them wrong.

6. Ask Questions

Someone who is depressed may still feel scared to open up to you, not knowing how much they should let you know. Asking them questions is a great way to get them talking about how they feel and it is a great way to make them feel better. Some questions you can ask that can help them work through their depression are:

• When did you start feeling like this?
• What can I do to support you right now?
• Did something happen that caused you to feel like this?
• Have you thought about talking to someone professionally?

7. Keep in Touch

Your depressed friend or family member might not reach out to you when they need help. One of the symptoms is pushing people away who care about them. You’ll notice, a lot of symptoms of depression make the illness even worse. If you have the mental headspace, reach out to your friends and family and keep up with them. Ask them how the doctor is going, how the medicine is working, what coping skills have they been working on. And don’t just send a questionnaire and call it a day, be sincere and care about them.

Things to Remember

Don’t Force It

If they aren’t ready to talk, they won’t. You can’t force them to open up to you. All you can really do is let them know that you are there for them when they are ready.

Mind Your Own Mind

Make sure that you have the mental head space to take on someone else’s issues before you dive in. If you desert them because it is too much for you at the moment, it can just make their fears of being a burden a reality. Make sure that you are healthy so that you can be the pillar of strength that they need.

You Might Cause Guilt

When you do something nice like clean their house for them because they can’t get out of bed, this can make them feel an uncomfortable amount of guilt. Try to remind them that they are worthy of getting better and healthy and what you are doing for them is something they deserve. Build them up!

Do you suffer from depression? What is something that someone has done for you that help you? Leave it in the comment section below!

When you get into a car accident and break your legs, you are likely going to be prescribed pain medication while it heals. Once your bones are back together, you’ll likely be advised to go to physical therapy to remind your body how to work and to strengthen the muscles you haven’t used in so long. When you have a mental illness, many people forget about the therapy aspect of treatment. Just like a physical ailment, a mental health condition needs more than just medicine for you to get the best out of treatment. Here are a few different types of therapy for depression that have shown in studies to be effective.

How do You Get Depression

We aren’t entirely sure why we get depression, but researchers have found some factors that evidently contribute to this gloomy phenomenon. While depression is usually labeled a chemical imbalance, researchers suggest that it is a combination of several influences.

• Faulty Mood Regulators
• Genetic Vulnerability
• Stressful Life Events
• Medication
• Medical Issues

This may be why there isn’t one treatment option that works for every individual. Because all of our brains and experiences are different, our treatments have to be tailored to our needs. Researchers have found genes that make someone more vulnerable to developing depression; however, they have yet to create a treatment plan based on the knowledge.

Researchers have also found that the hippocampus is smaller in individuals who have depression. Stress may be a key factor because experts believe that stress can suppress the production of new nerve cells in the hippocampus. High stress for long periods of time has also shown to overproduce chemicals that can cause brain changes that lead to depression. This chemical reaction happens in our body all of the time, but if it goes on for too long, it can cause long-lasting brain damage. These brain changes make it difficult to function in everyday life which is why anti-depressants are such a common treatment option.

Depression is complex, no doubt about it. There are a ton of different kinds of medications you can take to help your brain feel more on the ball. But just like a physical injury, medication isn’t likely the cure-all for your condition. Looking into therapy is a good idea if you want to defeat this beast trying to eat you from the inside out.

Different Types of Therapy for Depression

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive Therapy is based on the idea of cognition which is the process of gaining knowledge and using it to form beliefs which in turn influences your mood and behavior. Cognitive Therapy focuses on cognitive disorders like:

• Impaired Learning
• Memory Function
• Systematic Negative Bias in Thinking

By focusing on these cognitive disorders, therapists are able to improve your depressive mood and behavior.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral Therapy is rooted in behavioralism which focuses on the idea that we learn from the environment we live in. Unlike many therapies which are psychoanalytic, behavioral therapy is action-based. In this type of therapy, your doctor will focus on using learning strategies that led to you developing unwanted behaviors. This type of therapy tends to be highly focused, and the goal is to teach you new behaviors and change your undesired behaviors.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral therapy work well together to help fight depression, so they are often combined into one therapy called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The idea is that thoughts can affect our emotions, which makes sense. How many times have you gotten mad at someone after remembering something they did that made you upset? The idea is to use this knowledge and start forming your thoughts to improve your mood. If you are always looking at the sunny side of things, it’s likely you’ll have a brighter outlook.

Dialect Behavior Therapy

Dialect Behavior Therapy is for people who are seriously in the hole of depression and wondering if they will ever see the light of day again. Studies on DBT with suicidal individuals has shown that it is very effective in:

• Learning to Cope with Stress
• Regulate Emotions
• Improve Relationships with Others
• Reframe Negative Thinking

Dialects is based on the idea that everything is made of opposites, and change occurs when an opposing force is stronger than the other. Psychologists believe that some individuals are prone to have more intense reactions to certain emotional situations, usually involving a relationship. Psychologists believe that some people experience more emotional stimulation than others and have a harder time getting back to baseline levels. DBT is supposed to help individuals learn how to cope and how to manage their extremes. DBT has shown to be very successful in individuals who suffer from suicidal thoughts and is thought to be a good treatment for personality disorders, as well.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines cognitive therapy and mindfulness. MBCT is designed for people who suffer repeated episodes of depression and chronic unhappiness. Therapists help to develop a psychological intervention to increase mindfulness and decrease negative and repetitive thoughts. Being mindful is about being aware of your surroundings and being present in the moment without letting the world around you influence your thoughts or feelings. This can be very difficult to accomplish by yourself; luckily someone invented therapy.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy is used for individuals who developed depression because of unresolved conflict, usually originating from childhood. Psychodynamic therapy helps you become more aware of the full range of emotions that you have, even including the bad ones to help you more effectively cope with them and learn how to endure them for additional perspective.

In therapy, you’re encouraged to speak freely, talking about your current issues, dreams, desires, and fears. Your therapist’s goal is to help improve your self-esteem, improve your ability to maintain meaningful relationships, and reduce your depressive symptoms.

Tips on Finding the Right Therapist

It can be a little scary going to see a therapist for the first time or even the tenth. You are meeting someone who you are about to pour your soul out to and that puts you in a vulnerable situation. Luckily, there are things to look out for to make sure that you are receiving the best treatment for the best person for you.

Gender

One thing that might not cross your mind at first is keeping in mind their gender. While we are in a time where this might not be the most politically correct thing to say, it is important that you are completely comfortable with the person who sits on the other side of that table. If you grew up with a close relationship with your mother and find it easy to open up to maternal figures, look for that in a therapist. If you grew up fearful of the male gender, then a male therapist isn’t where you should start facing your fears.

Credentials

A good therapist should have a way for you to see what school they went to, what degrees they have, and what they specialize in. It is safe to say that you may want to be wary of the doctors who have a five-column list of things they specialize in, you want someone who really knows what you are going through and how to cope with it. Someone who specializes in just a few things gives themselves the ability to put more focus toward that subject.

A Therapist’s Therapist

A good way to know whether or not your therapist is taking the work home with them and letting it chip away at their inner soul is whether or not they have their own therapist. The job of a psychologist can be mentally exhausting, without the right care it can wear anyone down. If your therapist is taking care of their own mental health, it is likely that they will be successful in helping you to do the same.

Trust Your Gut

If you feel uncomfortable talking with your therapist, you don’t have to force yourself to go to them. If they say something that strikes you wrong or upset you if you walk out wondering if anyone even knows what bedside manner is, find a new doctor. Your instincts will alarm you of any red flags that you don’t pick up immediately, so be sure to listen. Your gut will also tell you when things feel right, be sure to have an open mind going in.

How Using CBD Oil can Help with Your Depression?

One of the main reasons people try to deal with depression on their own without medication is because the side-effects of antidepressants can sometimes be worse than the depression itself. Not to mention that sometimes the side-effect can be thoughts of suicide, which is something we are trying to avoid. Unfortunately, when your brain is working against you, it makes fighting this illness feel almost impossible.

Something you can consider is taking CBD oil for your depression while you utilize one of these therapies. CBD oil has been very successful in the early stages of testing for treatment of depression. Scientist found in rodent models that CBD oil offered antidepressive effects in just thirty minutes. In the study, they discovered that CBD oil elevates chemicals that are normally lacking in the depressed brain while offering repairing effects and stronger connections in the hippocampus. While more studying is needed to claim this to be a cure for depression, many people have found that it has helped them through their illness. If you think CBD is worth a try, be sure to let your doctor know so they can help monitor your symptoms with you so you can find out what the best treatment plan is for you.

What is Time Blindness?

The frontal cortex and basal ganglia in your brain play a significant role in your perception of time. Neuroimaging has shown that individuals with ADHD have malfunctioned in these areas which is what causes a myriad of symptoms, including time blindness. This symptom of ADHD causes people to lose out on relationships and jobs because the neurotypical community still understands very little.

People without ADHD can get frustrated, thinking that the problem is that the person who is always late is just not putting in enough effort, but this isn’t the case in the slightest. People with a mental health issue like ADHD sometimes have to work a lot harder to do simple tasks that a lot of people learn at a young age like knowing how long it will take to accomplish a task you’ve done a hundred times.

Tips on Coping with Time Blindness

Write Everything Down

Appointments, addresses, grocery lists. Don’t depend on your memory for any of this; give it room to worry about other things. Make sure that when you do write something down, you use something like an agenda or a planner, not just a piece of paper, so you don’t lose track of it.

Utilize Technology

There are apps where you can have a calendar or to-do list that go across all platforms. Use these, so you always know what you need to be doing. Use digital watches that give you an option to set alarms is a great way to remind yourself that time is passing by certain increments. Use an alarm or busser when cooking, taking a break from work, or taking a shower. Make a playlist that has a certain amount of time filled to gauge time with music!

GPS is Your Friend

You don’t want to worry about getting lost, and you don’t want any distractions along the way. Using a GPS can help you get somewhere quick and let people know your ETA. Be sure to know the details of the area, because there can be two streets with the same name in one area or names that are very similar. You don’t want anything getting in your way!

Be Honest

Let people know you are working on your punctuality, don’t expect them to just accept this as who you are. People don’t like being stood up, they want punctuality, and they need to be reminded sometimes that you are making your best efforts.

Always Have a Timepiece

Whether it is a watch, a pager, or a locket, always have something on you that can tell you the time. Make sure that you know how to read and understand an analog clock should you ever be in the position where you don’t have your specific timepiece, and the only thing available is a clock with no numbers.

Good mental health starts at childhood. Unfortunately, the mind of a child is very delicate, and the slightest bit of negativity in this stage of development can have lasting impacts for the rest of their life. When it comes to families that fuel the fire of poor mental health, dysfunctional families are common and detrimental to the health of our current and future society. While claiming your family is dysfunctional may be a silly joke you say when your uncle makes a joke at Thanksgiving, it is actually a medically defined term that causes people’s lives to turn upside down.

What is a Dysfunctional Family?

A dysfunctional family is when the adult caregiver, be it a mother, father, uncle, grandparent, or adopted parent is unable to fulfill their responsibilities to the family consistently. A parent may be able to bring in the money, but without offering a nurturing environment, their child will grow up unfulfilled.

Responsibilities of the Parent

Researchers at Virginia Tech compiled five basic responsibilities that every parent should fulfill for the entire family to be happy and healthy.

Provision of Resources

The parental figure needs to provide money, clothes, food, and shelter for the entire family. Making sure that a child has a shirt that isn’t riddled in holes or making sure that everyone in the family is well fed with good and nutritional foods.

Nurture and Support

The parent needs to provide comfort, warmth, and reassurance for all family members. This is comforting a child after a rough day at school or showing love to a family member after losing a loved one.

Life Skills Development

Parents should be supporting physical, emotional, social, and educational development. When a child is having trouble with homework, this is helping them learn how to figure it out. Or teaching your child how to deal with a troubling situation through healthy coping mechanisms and healthy thinking.

Sexual Gratification of Marital Partners

A happy couple is a happy marriage. A happy marriage is a happy family. One of the things the parents need to do is meet the needs of both spouses, whether it is intimacy or space. Both need to feel comfortable in romance and feel respected and loved.

One of the biggest red flags of a dysfunctional family is when a parental figure holds one of their own responsibilities over a child's head as a way to control their behavior. But this isn't the only way a family can be dysfunctional.

What Does a Dysfunctional Family Look Like?

You might think you can spot a dysfunctional family from a mile away. You are probably thinking of someone who is more focused on a bottle of beer than their children, or a married couple more focused on fighting each other than raising their kids. Some red flags are right in your face, while others can creep up on you and you don’t realize that you are in a toxic environment until the damage is already done.

Poor Communication

• Constantly interrupting
• Yelling
• Silent treatment
• Blaming
• Name calling
• A person is bad, not their behavior
• Using threats or ultimatums

When parents aren’t communicating with the family, it causes a lot of stress. Poor communication in the family can cause constant conflict, poor problem-solving skills, and poor emotional bonding. This can teach a child the wrong way to deal with their problems, and they will eventually have problems communicating in relationships later in life helping to further this vicious cycle.

Drug Abuse

• Spending more money on drugs or alcohol than the family
• Spending more time around drugs or alcohol than family
• Missing work or family events because of drugs or alcohol
• Unable to care for children due to the effects of drugs or alcohol
• Unable to control emotions because of drugs or alcohol

Drug abuse in the family can cause financial issues, conflict, and even abuse in the home. The effects of addiction can cause negativity to be the only thing that is talked about in the home like complaining or criticizing. This takes down the overall mood of the whole house, making it hard for children to get any attention. This can also make the rule setting more erratic, making it difficult for the children to learn boundaries and right from wrong. Without the proper family structure, the child can start to act out badly in hopes of their parents setting the appropriate boundaries.

Fear and Unpredictability

• Constantly expressing anxieties and fears
• Having exaggerated emotions of anger or fear in front of children
• Inconsistently responding to family member’s needs
• No structure in schedules or rules

When a child grows up in an environment that is filled with fear and is unpredictable, it can cause them to carry the burden of anxiety themselves. If this goes on for too long, this burden can turn into a full anxiety disorder that follows them into their adulthood. Living in this environment has also shown that when the child reaches adolescence, they are more likely to take unhealthy risks like unsafe sex or abusing drugs.

Disrespect of Boundaries

• Sharing information with a child that isn’t age appropriate like money problems
• Sharing personal sexual information with children
• Arguing with children
• Requesting affection from a child because of a spousal disagreement

Having healthy boundaries is important for any relationship, and it starts at home. When parents start to hold their children responsible for things they shouldn’t be responsible, like comforting a mother because the father made her angry, this puts impossible expectations on the child. This sets them up to make the child believe they have more power in situations than they actually have, eventually leading to inadequacy. This also shows the child that the parent doesn't value them, making them feel like they only exist for their parents and nothing else. This commonly leads to abandonment issues, acting out, low self-esteem, and a child who grows up not understanding and are unable to comprehend that their parents were wrong.

Control

• Choosing outfits and what toys the child has when they are old enough to make decisions
• Choosing what classes a child takes in school
• Choosing what college or job the child gets
• Always knowing what is best
• Interfere in the child’s relationships outside or inside the family
• Unreasonable expectations
• Always have contact with the child at all times

A parent who is overly controlling may think that they are just doing their best to keep their child safe from the world or their own mistakes, but they are actually slowing down the development of their child. When their parent is always choosing everything for their child, the child doesn’t learn how to make their own decisions. They become someone who may not question anything and learn just to do what they are told. Studies have shown that children who have controlling parents have a hard time controlling their emotions, self-control, and stress levels. They found that these children also had a harder time at distracting themselves from the stress they feel from not getting what they want compared to other children.

Lack Of Empathy

• Severely punishing a child for making a mistake
• Punishing a child for showing emotions
• Forcing an apology before cultivating empathy
• Not healthily expressing emotions in front of children

Children need to learn how to navigate through their emotions, but this is really hard to so when their parents don’t show empathy towards them or encourage empathetic behavior. Certain things like forcing apologies or sharing before cultivating empathy don’t teach the child why they need to be a member of society, just that it is necessary. This can make them less likely to express empathy later on when they no longer are being pushed toward misunderstood behaviors.

Perfectionism

• Always having their hands in their child’s life
• Setting high standards
• Being extra critical
• Only rewarding when high standards are met

Perfectionist parents are also known as intrusive parents. They can’t stop from helping their kids figure things out. This can turn into setting high standards for their kids showing them what “real” acceptable work is instead of teaching them to be proud of what stage in development they are in. These children who have perfectionist parents become overly critical of themselves and have a hard time accepting outside criticism considering they do it enough themselves. This type of behavior gets worse over time if not taken care of.

Conditional Love

• Only reward children when they do activities you like
• Only reward children when they do things how you say
• Only reward success when it is something the parent approves of
• Heavily punish when the child is doing something wrong and heavily reward when they do something right

Conditional love is showing a child that the parent only loves the child when they behave and do what the parent wants. The drastic flip-flop between being punished and rewarded can cause the child to feel the need to chase affection. This type of parenting can cause the child to have lower self-worth and can lead to serious mental health disorders.

Denial

• Denying abuse in the household
• Denying drug abuse in the household
• Denying responsibility for the emotions of the child
• Denying the responsibility of learned behaviors of the child

It doesn’t feel good to admit you’re wrong or you are doing something that may be inadvertently hurting someone, especially your child. We all like to think we all have it together, making it hard to take a good look at ourselves and we affect those around us. You can throw scientific papers in some people’s faces, and they will still stand by their methods either out of disbelief or pride. But if people in the family are hurting, there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

What Do You Do As A Teen In A Dysfunctional Family?

It isn’t easy being a teenager to begin with, but when you add a dysfunctional family to it, it becomes torture. Your family upsets you, which multiplies by one hundred because of your hormones, and you might have a hard time reacting in a healthy way to your family’s behavior. You can’t get a job and move out. You need somewhere to sleep and eat. So what can you do when you feel trapped?

Tips for Teens in Dysfunctional Families

• Remember that what happens to you isn’t a result of your character, but a result of your family’s behavior.
• Remember that it is not your fault. The money problems, fighting, it’s not your fault.
• If you are being abused in any way, let a trusted adult know like a teacher, coach, or someone in your religious community.
• Remember that your time here is temporary. This isn’t a forever situation and one day you will be able to have your own place and own rules.
• Try spending time daydreaming about how you are going to improve your life and set goals.
• If your parents use money to control you, get a job as soon as you can.
• Don’t let this discomfort or hurt cause you to disrespect your parents, even if you feel they don’t respect you.
• Show them what you need. It’s hard to be the bigger person but show them what a healthy relationship looks like.

How To Recover From A Dysfunctional Family

When you move out, and you’re on your own, you may be able to start recovering and start figuring out who you are without an outside influence like a dysfunctional family. However, growing up in a dysfunctional environment can be traumatizing and often leads to issues that follow you into adulthood. One of the first steps toward recovering from a dysfunctional family is by seeing a therapist.

Therapy

A therapist will be able to help you learn things that you miss out on as a kid. They can teach you how to cope with emotions, build empathy, and raise your self-esteem. They can help you get to the root of why you feel the way that you do, and you can begin to dig yourself out of the hole that you have found yourself in.

Considering that many people who rise out of a dysfunctional family come out with mental illness in hand, your therapist may also suggest using medication in tandem with therapy to help you manage your high range of emotions. A medication you may want to consider is CBD oil.

CBD Oil

CBD has shown in studies to help with many issues that are born in dysfunctional families. CBD oil may be able to help with the following:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• OCD
• Anger Management
• Substance Abuse

Taking CBD oil may be a good alternative to pharmaceuticals commonly prescribed because of the attractive side-effect profile and a wide range of benefits. Instead of taking two pills, one for anxiety and one for depression, you could just use one bottle of CBD oil. If you feel that you need help managing this whirlwind of life after family, talk to your doctor about CBD oil.

[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"]

Two of the most common mental health issues in America are depression and anxiety. Both general terms umbrellaing over many different kinds of disorders, anxiety and depression are making life harder for millions of people in millions of different ways. One of the ways that depression and anxiety like to fuel their fire is by lowering your libido. Why do depression and anxiety affect our sexual drive and what can you do about it?

Mental Health and your Brain

Depression

Individuals with depression have several brain abnormalities that cause the person to behave and feel differently. The specific areas that they have noticed changes are:

The hippocampus- forms new memories and controls emotions and memory

The cingulate cortex- emotion forming and processing, learning, and memory

The prefrontal cortex- personality development, planning, and complex behavior control and development

As the depression continues, these areas continue to take damage and decrease in size. The hippocampus and cingulate cortex are a part of the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex ties in tightly with this system as well. Your limbic system is where your sexual desire and libido come from, making depression the perfect enemy of the bedroom.

Anxiety

Anxiety also makes changes to the brain that make everyday life harder to manage. The areas in the brain where they notice malfunction are:

The insular cortex- provides emotionally relevant context to senses (like feeling happy when you smell grandma’s cookies), facilitates concept of awareness

The cingulate cortex- emotion forming and processing, learning, and memory

The amygdala- controls the fight or flight response acting as your body’s alarm system for danger

When you have anxiety, your amygdala is overactive causing you to feel a sense of fear even when there is no visible threat. This reaction releases a chemical called cortisol which can lead to damaging the brain if not managed. This damage may be one of the causes of depression.

How Depression Affects Sex Drive

A study reported that 75% of people with depression also report a low sex drive. Considering this is an illness that changes the chemical make-up in your brain, it is no surprise it also affects your libido. Symptoms of depression can also affect your energy levels and self-esteem, making sex the last thing on your mind. If you are feeling like any of the following ways, depression may be trying to take over your libido.

You Don’t Feel Desirable

Depression can make someone feel ugly and unworthy both inside and out. When being intimate with someone, it is very difficult to get in the mood if you have no love for yourself. When you don’t feel sexy, you might feel silly for even trying or that you aren’t good enough so what’s the point? This low self-esteem can push the idea of sex out of your head completely putting a damper on your relationship and your health.

Sex Isn’t Enjoyable

Sex is supposed to feel good and be fun. This is partly because of our reward system. In order for our species to continue, we need to procreate. This is why we are driven to have sex. When you get intimate with a partner, your reward system lights up telling you that this is awesome, and you should do this all of the time. This same chemical reaction occurs when you eat, sleep, or nurture. When you have depression, this chemical reaction isn’t as strong as it should be, and sometimes non-existent. So even though you want to get in the mood and enjoy your time with your special someone(s), your brain won't let you.

You have no Motivation to have Sex

Lack of motivation is another huge indication of depression. While normally, people can push themselves to do things they don’t want to do and naturally feel compelled to do things they like to do. If you have depression, even if it is something you would enjoy, depression won't let you have the motivation to do so. This can leave your house a mess, pills unpaid, you un-showered, and your sheets undisturbed. If you have a problem gaining the motivation to get out of bed, it isn’t likely you’ll have the motivation to get busy in it.

Fatigue

Battling a mental illness is exhausting. Depression doesn’t just suck out the enjoyment from life and your motivation, it saps your energy as well. When you are low on energy and feel like you just can’t catch up no matter how much you sleep, you are going to be too exhausted for sex. This fatigue can also cause irritation that puts you even farther out of “the mood” and putting you into a bad one.

Anxiety and Sex Drive

Imagine for a moment you have gone back in time, and you and your special cave person are snuggling up by the fire. You hear a loud roar outside, is sex really on your mind? Probably not. You would probably be looking for the nearest club so you can go beat your dinner to death. When you struggle with an anxiety disorder, it feels like there is always a saber tooth tiger outside of your cave.

Worrying About Failure

This is a similar idea to not having any confidence or self-esteem. But when you have ruminating thoughts, all you can think about is “what if?” With anxiety, you don’t really have a grey area of thinking. You think in extremes, and everything is black and white. You even can become overly perceptive, assuming a glance or gesture is an indication of your failure. Unfortunately, this train of thought becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you are so focused on performing well, your stress and anxiety keep you from doing so.

Vaginal Pain

Luckily, people who own a penis attached to their pelvis don’t have to deal with this one. But vagina-owning humans, watch out. Stress and anxiety can cause your body to not produce enough lubrication during intercourse as well as tighten your muscles making it painful. You might think that “being tight” is a good thing, but in reality if a vagina is tight that means that it isn’t having a good time and may be in pain. Remember that one for when you are entertaining a vagina yourself.

Erectile Dysfunction

Don’t worry! Penises can be affected by anxiety, too. Anxiety disorders are known in the medical community for contributing to arousal disorders. While anxiety can make intercourse painful for vaginas, when it comes to the penis it just doesn’t seem to be able to perform. Studies have shown that many people who suffer from erectile dysfunction also suffer from an anxiety disorder; however, scientists are still unsure about the reason behind this prevalence.

Medication and Your Libido

We live in a cruel world, no doubt about it. So cruel, that the most common treatments for depression and anxiety can also lower libido. Even if someone wasn’t experiencing this symptom from depression, the antidepressants they take for other symptoms can bring this up. The most common prescription medication that lowers sex drive are SSRIs, also one of the most commonly prescribed anti-depressants. But you shouldn’t choose between feeling happy and having sex. Luckily, there are some ways you can help raise your libido to help combat the problem.

Ways to Raise Libido

Change your diet

There are certain foods that can help raise your libido and boost your mood. Try adding some of these foods to your diet if you are having problems with your sex drive:

• Spinach
• Dark Chocolate
• Peppers
• Green Tea
• Oysters
• Pesto
• Ginger
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Bananas
• Potatoes
• Fatty Fish

Have Realistic Expectations

Not everyone orgasms every time they have sex. If someone doesn’t finish, that doesn’t make anyone a failure. Sex is about intimacy and connection, not who crosses the finish line. Put performance worries to rest by understanding that your presence and connection is the only thing necessary in the act. Have a conversation with your partner if you need, and you may need to try different positions or types of foreplay to figure out what sex represents in your relationship. Make sex a fun bonding experience and not a chore.

Exercise

Studies have shown that exercising helps to boost the libido of both men and women. But don’t go too crazy. Scientists have also discovered that high endurance or strenuous workouts can cause your libido to go down. Just twenty to thirty minutes of cardio should be enough to get your heart pumping and your sexual organs receiving oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to get going.

Change your Medication

If your medicine is making you sacrifice your sex life, talk to your doctor about getting it changed. Everyone reacts to medication differently, so there may be a solution that makes you happy as well as sexually active. Many people switch to CBD oil because of side-effects from antidepressants like a low sex drive. CBD oil has shown in studies that it may be a fast-acting anti-depressant with one of the more attractive side-effect profiles that does not include sexual dysfunction. If this sounds like a good idea to you, mention it to your doctor!

While raising your libido, it may take time before you are ready to venture into the sheets again. There are ways you can preserve your relationship while you figure yourself out.

How To Keep Low Libido From Ruining Your Relationship

Talk it Out

If you aren’t feeling right in the noggin, let your sexual partner know. If you continue to put off having sex without an explanation, it can cause them to wonder what they did wrong or why you aren’t satisfied with them. Letting them know what’s up can help them maintain their confidence and work on boosting yours. While your brain may be fighting against you, having your sexual partner aware of your low self-esteem and working to help restore it can be a beneficial tool toward becoming comfortable in the bedroom again.

Cuddle

You don’t have to have sex to release oxytocin; you can get it from cuddling, too. If you have anxiety, this may be difficult because restlessness is a common symptom. Try to let yourself relax in the arms of the person you care about and nurture the bond between you are your partner. This cuddling may also encourage your body to desire sex, but you don’t have to feel guilty if it doesn’t.

Reduce your Stress Levels

Stress has its hands in everything in reach. It affects your work life, home life, fun life, physical health, mental health, and your sex life. So, in short, you need to stop stressing out. This is a lot easier for me to type out than it is for you to do, but there are simple ways you can reduce stress in your everyday life. Things like exercise, meditation, a healthy diet, and even chewing gum can help get rid of some of your stress. Every little bit helps so even something as small as giving yourself an extra five minutes in the hot shower is good for you. After all, it’s hard to think about your partner when all you can think about is work.

Practice Mindfulness in the Bedroom

Have you heard of mindfulness? It is when you are present in the moment, grounding yourself to your surroundings and experiencing senses all around you. Mindfulness meditation is often used to help reduce stress and anxiety. Doing this in the bedroom can help you stay focused on the task at hand. If you are constantly somewhere else and your head isn’t in it, then sex isn’t going to be enjoyable or intimate. Look at your partner. Listen to your breaths. Smell the sheets (if they are clean!). This starts a change in your central nervous system that helps balance the body reducing stress responses.

Have you recovered from a codependent relationship? What were some of the signs that made you realize you deserved better? How did you get out? We would love to hear your story in the comment section below and hopefully, you can help someone with your own experience.

[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"]

Are you a people pleaser? Do you have a hard time saying no? Does this behavior bleed into your relationships? Codependency is a problem that many “do-gooders” face when they feel the need to fix loved ones. They can sacrifice their needs to make sure that others’ needs are met, causing their health to decline. This is especially true in intimate or family relationships because of how close the individual gets to these people who need help. If you think you may have fallen victim to codependency, there are ways that you can free yourself from these exhausting and painful chains.

What is Codependency?

Codependency was discovered only a decade ago as the result of studying interpersonal relationships in families of alcoholics. It is an emotional and behavioral condition that makes it difficult for the individual to have a healthy and mutually satisfying relationship. These people are also known as the “fixers,” always drawn to someone who they can take care of. Codependency has also been called “relationship addiction” because the individuals with this behavioral condition often form and maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive, or abusive.

When first discovered, codependent was a term used to describe a chemical dependency, person living with, or in a relationship with someone who struggles with addiction. These patterns have been seen in people who are in relationships with chronically or mentally ill individuals, as well. Now, the term co-dependent describes any codependent person from any dysfunctional family.

How do you Develop Codependency?

Codependency is a learned behavior that can be passed down by generations. It is learned by watching and imitating other family members who display this type of behavior. Because this isn’t a product of a malfunctioning brain, this can make treatment easier. However, codependency generally comes from living in a dysfunctional family which can cause the child developing this behavior never to receive any help or healthy coping mechanisms.

Dysfunctional Families

A dysfunctional family is defined by having members that suffer from fear, anger, pain, or shame that is denied or ignored. In families like these, no one talks about their problems or even acknowledge that they exist. It is a common practice to sweep everything under the rug. The family members develop behaviors that help them ignore, deny, or avoid difficult emotions. In these families, the members are detached. They don’t confront problems, they don’t trust others, and they don’t talk about their feelings. This can cause the emotional development of all family members to be underdeveloped.

Common Signs of a Dysfunctional Family

• Addiction in the family
• Ignoring physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
• Ignoring the troubles of caring for someone with a chronic illness both mental and physical
• Poor communication
• Perfectionism
• Control issues
• Lack of empathy
• Excessive criticism

When growing up in a home with someone who is ill or addicted to a substance, they may learn to put all of their energy and focus on the individual struggling. This can cause them to sacrifice their own needs to care for the person who is sick. When you push off taking care of yourself and learn to take care of everyone else first, it can make you lose contact with your own desires, needs, or sense of self. Anytime they try to care for themselves, in a dysfunctional family they may be berated for not putting the family first causing them to believe that they aren’t as important as everyone else.

What does Codependency Look Like?

Individuals who are codependent have low self-esteem and rely on anything outside of themselves to make them feel better. This can drive these individuals to be a part of the destructive cycle and fall into the hands of addiction themselves. If not drugs, people who are codependent can develop compulsive behaviors like gambling, workaholism, or risky sexual activity.

It's not as if these individuals go out of their way to make themselves miserable. They really have good intentions. The whole issue is that this caretaking that they have become accustomed to or grown a desire for becomes compulsive and takes over their whole life. They become a martyr and sacrifice their life for someone else, even if they aren’t appreciated. Once the person they care for gets himself in a sticky situation like a DUI or missing work from being too hung over, the codependent may go out of their way to save them even if it risks something on their behalf.

While going out of your way to save someone you love seems like a good idea, this is also an enabling behavior. Constant rescues can cause the destructive individual to continue to act out and become dependent on the unhealthy caretaking. As this dependency increases, the codependent starts to feel rewarded and gains satisfaction from being needed by someone. This can also cause the codependent individual to heel helpless in the relationship being unable to break away from the cycle of behavior that causes codependency. Codependents often view themselves as a victim and are attracted to this same weakness in other relationships.

Symptoms of Codependency

• Confusing the emotions of love and pity
• Often doing more than your share the majority of the time
• An exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others
• Extreme need for approval and recognition
• Feeling hurt when efforts go unrecognized
• Doing anything to hold on to the relationship to avoid the feeling of abandonment
• Feeling guilty when you assert yourself
• Feeling like you need to control everyone
• Lack of trust in yourself or other people
• Fear of abandonment or being alone
• Hard time identifying your feelings
• Chronic anger or irritability
• Behaviors of lying or dishonesty
• Poor communication skills
• Hard time making any decisions
• Issues with intimacy or boundaries
• Difficulty adjusting to change

Mental Health America Questionnaire

At Mental Health America, they have a questionnaire that can help you determine whether or not you are in a codependent relationship. It can be difficult to admit that this is a problem because it is likely you were raised in a home where talking about feelings or problems wasn’t done. Just sweep it all under the rug, deal with everything, and you’ll be okay. Right? Well, now you are on the way to a healthier you and these questions can help you get there.

Codependency Questionnaire

1. Do you keep quiet to avoid arguments?
2. Are you always worried about others’ opinions of you?
3. Have you ever lived with someone with an alcohol or drug problem?
4. Have you ever lived with someone who hits or belittles you?
5. Are the opinions of others more important than your own?
6. Do you have difficulty adjusting to changes at work or home?
7. Do you feel rejected when significant others spend time with friends?
8. Do you doubt your ability to be who you want to be?
9. Are you uncomfortable expressing your true feelings to others?
10. Have you ever felt inadequate?
11. Do you feel like a “bad person” when you make a mistake?
12. Do you have difficulty taking compliments or gifts?
13. Do you feel humiliation when your child or spouse makes a mistake?
14. Do you think people in your life would go downhill without your constant efforts?
15. Do you frequently wish someone could help you get things done?
16. Do you have difficulties talking to people in authority, such as the police or your boss?
17. Are you confused about who you are or where you are going with your life?
18. Do you have trouble saying “no” when asked for help?
19. Do you have trouble asking for help?
20. Do you have so many things going at once that you can’t do justice to any of them?

How is CodependencyTreated?

If you identify with several of the symptoms listed above, you should consider getting professional help. Because codependency is usually rooted in childhood, treatment often involves exploring into early childhood issues and their association to current destructive behavioral patterns. These treatments help individuals get in touch with their feelings that have been buried for so long and help them reconstruct family dynamics. The goal of therapy for people in codependent relationships is to allow the individual to experience the full range of feelings again. Treatment options include:

• Education
• Experiential Groups
• Individual and Group Therapy

Can CBD Help?

Along with therapy, medication can be prescribed. Usually, doctors will prescribe medicine that helps patients with depression or anxiety. Luckily, CBD oil may be able to help with both effectively easing the transition out of a codependent relationship or behavioral patterns.

CBD for Anxiety

Anxiety can cause ruminating thoughts that fuel unhealthy behavior, cause anger and irritability, and the compulsion to help. By treating this anxiety, defeating your codependent habits may be easier. CBD oil may be able to help with anxiety by reducing the activity in the brain. Anxiety occurs when the amygdala is overactive and causes your brain to experience threat signals even when you are safe. This can cause you to overthink, over-do, and over-feel. CBD elevates an endocannabinoid called anandamide which binds to the CB1 receptor. This stimulation helps mediate your neurological system helping with things like your sensitivity to pain, hunger, sleep cycle, and your mood including fear and anxiety.

CBD for Depression

CBD has also shown in studies to help with depression. Depression can make someone lose their sense of self or lower their self-esteem. By treating depression, you can develop a motivation to care for yourself and understand how truly important you are. CBD has shown in research that it elevates chemicals that are usually lacking in the brain as well as a chemical that promotes cell repair and growth. In the study, the rodent models experienced these effects in just 30 minutes leading scientists to believe it may be a valid alternative fast-acting treatment for depression.

[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"]

Have you fallen into a rut of sadness where nothing you do brings you joy? You might not have other symptoms of depression, but for some reason nothing is satisfying. You may have developed melancholic depression, and CBD oil may be able to help.

CBD oil has shown in studies to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, including symptoms that also occur in melancholic depression. By elevating chemicals that are usually lacking, elevating chemicals that offer a boosted mood, and elevating chemicals that promote neurogenesis, CBD oil may be a valid treatment for melancholic depression.

What is Melancholia

Melancholia is a type of depression, but it has a distinct quality of mood that cannot be diagnosed as severe depression. When you have melancholia, you are unable to experience the sensation of pleasure no matter what you are doing. Old hobbies don’t interest you, being around friends and family is a drag, and you don’t even perk up when your favorite song pops up on the radio anymore.

To be diagnosed with melancholic features, you must have at least three of the following symptoms:

• Feeling despondency, despair, or emptiness
• Feeling extreme sadness due to a life event
• Waking up at least two hours earlier than you normally do
• Psychomotor issues like retardation, slowing of normal movement, agitation, or increase/irregular movement
• Anorexia or weight loss
• Feeling excessive or inappropriate guilt

(You might not have melancholia but general depression. To learn eight symptoms of depression, check out this article!)

How is Melancholic Depression Treated?

Scientists believe that melancholic depression has a biological root, which is why medication is almost always suggested for this mental illness. Unlike some other mental health issues, this isn’t caused by an outside force or circumstance, but the genetic makeup of the individual. The most common medication prescribed are antidepressants like:

• SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
• SNRIs or Serotonin-norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
• NDRIs or Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors
• Atypical Antidepressants
• TCAs or Tricyclic Antidepressants
• MAOIs or Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

The biggest issue with many antidepressants is the side-effects that come along. While you want to feel happy, you may not want to sacrifice your libido or have drastic weight changes. This is why many people, scientists, and patients alike, are looking into CBD oil to help with depression symptoms, including the ones associated with melancholic depression.

Can CBD Help?

Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown in studies that it may be a fast-acting antidepressant that may be able to help reduce the symptoms and possibly even reverse damage or loss of brain mass that causes certain types of depression. In the study, the first thing they realized in the rodent models is that chemicals that are usually lacking in the depressed brain were elevated in as little as thirty minutes. The chemical BDNF, a chemical that acts as our brains fertilizer, also was elevated suggesting that CBD oil may be able to help promote cell growth and repair.

CBD oil also elevates a chemical called anandamide. Anandamide is an endocannabinoid which is a chemical that your body makes to help regulate some of the systems that make you tick. When anandamide is elevated, it binds to your CB1 receptor which helps to mediate the neurological functions including your sensitivity to pain, appetite, sleep cycle, and your mood. By elevating anandamide, CBD oil is able to give you a boosted mood that is often compared to runners high.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you are experiencing extreme sadness and loss of pleasure, this isn’t normal! You need to get in touch with a doctor so they can help you find the right treatment route which may be CBD hemp oil! If you are already on medication, still talk to your doctor when wanting to take CBD oil. CBD can interfere with medication you are already taking if it is metabolized by the P-450 enzyme. If you want to get off of your antidepressants completely, you should still talk to your doctor because going off of them without professional assistance can make your symptoms a lot worse.

[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"]

Do you know someone who exudes confidence in a gregarious way? Are you one of these people? While confidence is something we should all strive toward, some people have an illness that causes them to overcompensate making them seem selfish, unreasonable, and unable to express empathy. So how do you know if it is being confident or having Narcissist Personality Disorder?

What Is Narcissist Personality Disorder?

Narcissist Personality Disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder that causes people to believe they are superior or special. Someone with NPD may focus on fantasies like how intelligent, beautiful, or successful they are. They are often known for their grandiosity, lack of empathy, and desire for affirmation and admiration. Friends and family might describe them as arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. They may often try to only associate with other people that they think are special in some way. They do this because it helps to enhance their self-esteem which believe it or not, is quite fragile beneath the surface.

NPD can start in early adulthood, and for it to be classified as NPD, they have to exhibit symptoms in multiple situations such as at work or in relationships. They will likely seek attention and admiration excessively craving the knowledge of whether or not someone thinks highly of them. They have a very hard time with criticism because of their fragility. Criticism and defeat cal leave them feeling empty or humiliated.

Symptoms Of Narcissism

• Exaggerating own importance
• Preoccupied with fantasies of power, success, intelligence, or beauty
• Believing they are special and can only be understood by special people
• Requiring constant admiration and attention
• Taking advantage of others to reach their own goals
• Lacing empathy, disregarding feelings
• Envious of others or believing that others are envious of them
• Arrogant behavior and attitude

Causes of NPD

The majority of the patients who are diagnosed with NPD are male; the percentage is between 50 and 70%. It’s not uncommon for adolescents to show this kind of behavior, but that doesn’t mean that they will develop NPD later on in life. Scientists aren’t entirely sure how this disorder is developed, but they believe it could be genetic and environmental factors. Treatment of this disorder can be difficult, but luckily, scientists have discovered differences in their brain that could point to where this disorder comes from.

Scientists have discovered that the areas in the brain that control emotional empathy are smaller in the brains of people who have NPD. It’s not that these individuals don’t care to feel emotions for others, it is that they are unable. They also have found that the brain doesn’t react the way it is supposed to when someone with NPD thinks of themselves. Normally, your reward system will be stimulated when you have thoughts about yourself, making you feel good. People who have NPD lack this sensation which researchers believe is what drives them to seek out affirmation.

Treatment For NPD

Treatment for NPD isn’t easy by any means. Most of the people who have this personality disorder are very defensive and have such a thick veil of grandiosity they can’t see past it. This makes it difficult for them to acknowledge their problems so they can fix them. Therapy is often advised, both individual and group, because it can help them healthily relate to others.

Suggested Therapies For NPD

• Mentalization-based therapy
• Transference-focused psychotherapy
• Schema-focused psychotherapy

Can CBD Oil Help With NPD?

There has yet to be a study that gives definitive evidence that CBD oil can help with NPD specifically. But CBD oil has shown to help with certain symptoms in other illnesses that can transfer over to this personality disorder.

While studying addiction and CBD oil, they found that CBD helps to regulate the reward system. They found that CBD oil helps to reduce cravings by preventing the reward system from being overactive while using a substance. Because CBD oil is a regulator, it is possible that it may work oppositely. By regulating the reward system, CBD oil may be able to help people with NPD get the sensation they have been looking for when thinking about themselves. However, there has yet to be a study to test this theory.

CBD oil has also shown in many studies to promote neurogenesis. This means that it helps your cells stay healthy and repair themselves. CBD even elevates a chemical called BDNF which acts as a brain fertilizer helping brain cells grow. If there is a lack in brain mass that leads to NPD, CBD oil may be able to help by repairing the damage that caused this. However, once again, there has yet to be a definitive study to confirm this theory.

Many people are talking to their doctors about switching over from pharmaceuticals to CBD hemp oil for depression. But because of how new this type of treatment is for many people, it can be a little overwhelming to get started. So if you’re here trying to figure out how to take CBD oil for depression, you’ve come to the right place.

How Does CBD Oil Work?

CBD does a lot of things by indirectly interacting with the endocannabinoid system. This is a system that keeps your body regulated. Researchers found while studying rodent models that when you take CBD, chemicals that are usually lacking in the brain of someone depressed are elevated as well as a chemical that promotes repair to brain cells.

Scientists believe that damage to the brain may be what causes depression. Because CBD reduces inflammation as well as promote neurogenesis, it may be able to help prevent or slow down damage which could also help reduce the severity of the symptoms.

How Do You Take CBD Oil For Depression?

When it comes to taking CBD oil, the method you choose usually depends on when you need the relief. Do you need it to work quickly or last for a long period of time? When it comes to depression, you usually want something that is going to last longer even if you have to wait for it to kick in.

The methods that take longer to work but might give you the relief throughout the day are taking pills or eating CBD edibles. The reason they take longer to work is that the CBD needs to be digested before it gets into your blood stream. The metabolizing process is also the reason these methods last longer than if you were to vape or take CBD oil drops.

Over time, these methods may be able to help reduce your symptoms. You may even be able to pair CBD oil with an antidepressant to help boost the effects. But some antidepressants don’t work as well when you take CBD oil with them, so make sure to figure that out with your doctor.

When Tinctures Work For Depression

You may still find a use for faster methods like tinctures, vapes, or concentrates. Those moments where your depression is swallowing you whole and your chest feels compressed and heavy, taking faster methods of CBD oil may be able to help in those moments.

How Do You Start Taking CBD Oil?

Before you start, make sure your doctor knows your plans. They need to know what is going into your body so they can help monitor your symptoms and help you look for any adverse reactions.

When you first start taking CBD oil, it is best to start at a small dose just like they would start you on any other kind of medication. At this point, you aren’t looking for symptom changes you are looking for side-effects. They aren’t common, but you can never be too careful. After you and your doctor decide that CBD oil is okay to take, you can work with them to start raising your dose.

[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"]

One of the scariest things about experiencing mania, is not knowing when your happiness is real. It can make you second guess your decisions and become frustrating and confusing. But if you know the difference between being happy and being manic it is easier to tell what you are experiencing.

What Is Mania?

If you have a mood disorder like bipolar disorder, you may have experienced mania in your life. If you don’t know what mania feels like, think about that excitement that you get as your creeping up the roller coaster before the exciting fall but for long periods of time. This euphoria can be scary because when you are actually happy, you might be wondering if you are just lost in a state of mania. But if mania is feeling happy, why is this a bad thing?

Have you ever been so excited about something you could barely control yourself? Maybe it was hard to keep a surprise from someone or someone gave you a gift so you can’t help but be nice and giggly to everyone. When you are having a manic episode, it can be difficult to control yourself leading to risky behavior like drug use, maxing out credit cards, or unsafe sex. So when people who know what mania feels like start to get happy, you can probably understand why they may be worried.

Mania Vs. Happiness

So how do you know when your happiness is real? The answer is in the symptoms. If you are experiencing an extreme joy and exhibit the following symptoms, it is most likely a manic episode.

• Impulsivity
• Irritability
• Exaggerated Confidence
• Less Need For Sleep
• Racing Thoughts
• Feeling Jumpy Or Wired

True happiness isn’t paired with anger or racing thoughts. True happiness is a feeling of content with sprinkles of joy. If you feel that you may be falling back into mania, be sure to talk to your doctor. You may need to adjust medication. You can also try using CBD oil for your mood swings because it may be able to help reduce certain symptoms of psychosis associated with mood disorders.

If you’ve ever experienced depression, you may be familiar with the incredible weight that chains itself toy our chest making getting out of bed a huge accomplishment for the entire day. But what about those days where you just can’t? Is there any self-care ideas that you can do from your bed to get you started for the day and feeling good enough to pull the covers off?

1. Keep A Bottle Of Water By Your Bed

If you are just 1% dehydrated, it can start to affect your mood. Lack of water can cause fatigue, anxiety, and make your depression worse. When you wake up, you just went a few hours without quenching any thirst. Have a bottle of water by your bed and chug it down in the morning. Then check that off your list of things to do and congratulate yourself for doing one good thing for your health!

2. Keep Dry Shampoo By Your Bed

Showering is exhausting when you have depression. Sometimes it can feel good, but sometimes your brain can keep you from enjoying a hot scrub. If you have long hair, knowing that you have to dry it can make you not want to shower even more making you put it off for another day and now its been almost two weeks since your last shower. Keep some dry shampoo by your bed so that you can soak up the grease and excess oil to help keep your scalp happy. Be sure to try to fit in a shower for the rest of your body before you start getting bacterial infections. Baby steps!

3. Keep Face Wipes By Your Bed

If you haven’t showered in a while, your face is probably collected a lot of oil and debris. If you start breaking out, that is only going to make your depression worse. Keep some facial wipes by your bed to wipe down and get rid of the dirt and oil building up in your skin.

4. Open Your Window

Pull up the blinds, open the curtains, and open up your window in your room. Just quickly hop out of bed for a moment and make your way back to your comfortable kingdom and start to breathe in the fresh air. It can be stuffy sitting inside all day, and those sun rays are packed full of vitamin D to help reduce your depression symptoms.

5. Write Positively

If you sit in your negative thoughts, you are going to stay there and drown in them. Have a notebook by your bed with a pen or pencil and start writing things that are positive. You can try just thinking them, but it is so easy to get off track and get lost in negativity again. When you are writing, you can have more control over your thoughts. You can try writing phrases like:

• Tomorrow is another day
• This feeling won't last forever
• I am worthwhile
• I accomplished this, and I am proud of myself

6. Try CBD

If you have a vape or tincture of CBD oil by your bed, you can dose in the morning to lift your spirits. CBD oil has shown that CBD may have fast-acting antidepressant properties and elevates a chemical called anandamide which is known to improve your mood.

You’ve Got This

Depression is tough. And not something everyone understands. You aren’t lazy, remember this. You are exhausted by the battle going on in your head. If someone just ran a marathon, they would need time to recover and learn ways to build endurance. You're running your own marathon, and sometimes you have to walk before you can sprint to the finish line.

Phobias can keep people from following their dreams, landing successful jobs, or even going outside. The good news about phobias is that they are completely treatable through therapy and sometimes medicine. CBD oil may be able to help with phobias because of its anti-anxiety effects and may be a better option than some medications because of its milder and less common side-effects.

What Are Phobias

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that cause extreme and irrational fears of something that doesn’t really pose any real danger. There can be specific phobias known as simple phobias, and there are also complex phobias.

When exposed to the phobia, you may experience:

• A sense of panic and fear
• Elevated heart rate
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Shaking or trembling
• A strong eagerness to escape

Everyone experiences phobias differently, and some may have mild reactions while others may experience severe anxiety and panic attacks.

What Is A Simple Phobia?

A simple phobia is having a fear about a specific situation, activity, object, or animal. Things like:

• Spiders
• Enclosed spaces
• Flying
• Snakes
• Heights

What Are Complex Phobias?

Complex phobias are generally more disabling than simple phobias. These phobias are associated with deep-rooted anxiety about a certain circumstance or situation. The two most common complex phobias are agoraphobia and social phobia.

Agoraphobia is being afraid of finding yourself in a situation where you can’t escape or wouldn’t be able to receive help if anything went wrong. You may be scared of:

• Public transportation
• Shopping malls
• Leaving your house

Social phobia is having a fear of most social situations like public speaking or going to a party. If you have social phobia, you may have the constant fear that you will be humiliated in public.

How Do You Get Phobias?

Phobias usually start when you are a child or teen, and it continues into adulthood. The cause of specific phobias isn’t really known, but scientists believe that they can run in families.

How Do You get Simple Phobias?

Simple or specific phobias usually start in childhood. These phobias can be linked to an early negative experience like being bit by a dog when you’re a child making you fear dogs when you are older. Some believe that phobias can be learned from an early age. If someone in your family is afraid of heights, you might also develop that fear as well. There are also other factors that can contribute to developing a phobia like family environment or having anxious parents.

How Do You Get Complex Phobias?

Researchers haven’t pinpointed the cause of complex phobias like agoraphobia or social phobia. But they do believe that genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences all play a key role in these phobias. If someone in your family has an anxiety disorder or if you have anxiety at a young age, you may be more at risk of developing a phobia.

How Do You Treat Phobias?

Phobias can range from causing mild anxiety to being debilitating. If you are someone who can’t leave your house, get on a plane, or be in public, this can really get in the way of your life. Doctors usually recommend that people who have phobias get treated with therapy, medicine, or both.

Therapy Treatments For Phobias

Talking Treatments

Talking treatments, like counseling, are usually very effective for people who have phobias. The most successful and common therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT. CBT can help you manage your phobia by changing the way that you behave and think. Your therapist can work with you to develop practical ways of dealing with your phobias.

Exposure Therapy

Some therapies like CBT involve gradual exposures to your fears to help you become less anxious about them. By giving you the control of the situation, exposure therapy helps to gain control over your phobias as well. If you were afraid of dogs, you might be taken to a pet store and eventually work your way up to petting and playing with a dog.

Medication For Phobias

Medication isn’t commonly recommended for phobia treatment because therapies have shown to be more effective without side-effects. But there are some cases where you might be prescribed medicine short term to help with the effects of the phobia like anxiety.

Types Of Medication Used For Anxiety

Antidepressants

SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant for anxiety, social phobia, or panic disorder. Possible side-effects of commonly prescribed anti-depressants:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Sleep problems
• Upset stomach
• Sexual dysfunction
• Increased anxiety
• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness
• Blurred vision
• Tremors
• Irregular heartbeat
• Constipation
• Difficulty urinating
• Dizziness
• Restlessness
• Agitation

Beta-blockers

Beta-blockers are usually used to help with heart conditions like high blood pressure by slowing down your heart rate and decreasing your blood pressure. They can also be used to reduce symptoms of anxiety like irregular heartbeats. Possible symptoms of commonly prescribe beta-blockers include:

• Stomach problems
• Cold fingers
• Tiredness
• Sleep problems

Tranquilizers

Benzodiazepines like Xanax are categorized as minor tranquilizers. These are supposed to be used short-term and at the lowest dose needed for severe anxiety. Both anti-depressants and tranquilizers should be stopped gradually because they can cause mild to severe withdrawal symptoms. Possible side effects of commonly prescribed tranquilizers for phobias are:

• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Trembling
• Impaired coordination
• Problems with vision
• Feeling groggy
• Feelings of depression
• Headaches

While the side-effects may be a deterrent, some people just need that type of assistance for their phobias. If you feel that you need help to get through therapy, you might want to consider taking CBD oil for your phobia.

What Is CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical that comes from the cannabis plant. Unlike the popular THC, this cannabinoid doesn’t get you high. While THC directly binds to cannabinoid receptors, CBD elevates chemicals that our brain produces to help make our endocannabinoid system more efficient.

Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system is your body’s regulator. It controls many aspects of your body like your immune system, digestion, nervous system, skeletal system, and more. One way that it works is by using cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids to help control what happens throughout your body.

Cannabinoid Receptors and Endocannabinoids

There are two cannabinoid receptors, the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The CB1 receptor is in control of regulating your neurological system, mediating all of the activity that has to do with your nerves like pain, appetite, sleep cycle, and your mood. It mainly binds to the endocannabinoid anandamide. The CB2 receptor mainly binds with the endocannabinoid 2-AG and mainly controls your immune functions.

How Can CBD Help With Phobias

Phobias And Your Brain

To understand how CBD oil can help with phobias, you first need to understand what is happening in the brain. When you are in a stressful or fearful situation, your brain reacts. You come with a built-in alarm system.

We may be apex predators, but that is just because of the tools that we have. Our brains still are set to fight or flight mode when danger is near. The way your brain makes you ready for an escape or attack is by stimulating your amygdala. The amygdala goes off and gets your body ready for survival by elevating your heart rate to get blood into your muscles and have you ready for action.

When you have an anxiety disorder like a phobia, your amygdala is overactive. Your built-in alarm system that is always on the lookout becomes trigger happy, sending the sense of intense fear in seemingly safe situations.

Your amygdala is very closely related to your hippocampus where your memories are stored, which is one of the main regions of the brain that is affected by PTSD. The instilled memory from trauma may also contribute to developing phobias.

CBD For Anxiety

CBD hemp oil may be able to help with conquering phobias by reducing the symptoms of anxiety. Studies have shown that CBD oil can help reduce the overactivity of the amygdala, which can help reduce the impending feeling of doom.

The way that it works is through a process called retrograde signaling. When you ingest CBD oil, the endocannabinoid anandamide is elevated. This chemical travels backward through the synapse to the cannabinoid receptor on the outside of the neuron that is sending panic signals. The endocannabinoid tells the cell to stop sending out so many transmissions, reducing the feeling of anxiety and activity of overactive regions in the brain.

Talk With Your Doctor

If you have a phobia and it is ruining aspects of your life, get in touch with a doctor. They can help you find the right treatment plan that can help you break free of the discomfort. If you would like to try using CBD oil for your anxiety, be sure to let your doctor know. If you are taking any medication like anti-depressants or tranquilizers, it’s important to not suddenly stop taking them. It can cause withdrawal symptoms that can make your treatment plan worse. Your doctor can also monitor your progress to make sure that this is the best route for you to take.

How Do You Take CBD For Phobias?

If you want to start taking CBD for your phobia, it is always a good idea to start at a low dose to see how your body reacts to the medication. Side-effects are rare and mild, but it is always a good idea to know how your body is going to react to medicine.

Using tinctures or vapes can help you at the moment. These methods work fast and can help calm you down in the middle of a panic if CBD oil is effective for you. The pills or edibles are a great way to get relief throughout the day, though it does take longer to kick in. If you’re ready to kick the phobias out of your life, stop by our shop today!

 [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"]

Have you ever started feeling depressed when the seasons change? Not because of a memory of a trauma that happened around that time, but for some reason you can’t explain. Christmas cookies don’t taste as good to you or pumpkin spice lattes just don’t do it for you. You could be experiencing seasonal affective disorder and CBD oil may be able to help.

CBD oil may be able to help with seasonal affective disorder because of its ability to elevate your mood. By interacting with the endocannabinoid system and elevating the chemical anandamide, taking CBD oil may be able to help with the depression experienced in certain seasons.

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD, no joke. Fitting, isn’t it?) is when someone experiences depression when the season changes thought to be because of the lack of light. The most popular versions of this disorder occur during autumn and winter, though there are scarce cases of it happening during the summer.

What Is The Difference Between Major Depression And Seasonal Affective Disorder?

The biggest difference between these two types of mental health disorders is that SAD is a type of depression with a reoccurring pattern. The symptoms may appear to be similar, but there are distinct differences between the two illnesses to help your doctor better diagnose your illness.

Symptoms Of Major Depression

• Feeling the depression for most of the day almost every day
• Intense feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
• Fatigue or low energy
• Losing interest in things that used to make you happy
• Too much or too little sleep
• Changes in your appetite or weight
• Feeling irritable or agitated
• Trouble concentrating or brain fog
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Symptoms Of The Winter Pattern Of SAD

• Low energy or fatigue
• Overeating and weight gain
• Craving carbohydrates
• Social withdrawal
• Excessive daytime sleepiness

Symptoms Of The Summer Pattern Of SAD

• Poor appetite and weight loss
• Insomnia
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Prone to violent episodes

How Do You Get Seasonal Affective Disorder?

The causes of SAD are unknown, but research has indicated that there are risk factors and biological clues that can help us understand who is more prone to this illness.

Risk Factors Of SAD

Gender

If you are a female, you are four times more likely to be diagnosed with this disorder than men. Researchers believe this may be because women are more prone to depressive symptoms in general than men.

Location

If you live far from the equator, SAD is more common in your location. Researchers discovered that people who experience SAD had a longer duration of their nocturnal melatonin production in the winter than in the summer. So if you are in a location that experiences winter for longer, SAD becomes more common.

Family History

Like most illnesses, both physical and mental, your family history plays a huge role in predicting how susceptible you are to SAD. If anyone in your family has had depression, you are more likely to develop SAD than someone whose family hasn’t experienced depression.

Preexisting Conditions

If you already have depression or bipolar disorder, your symptoms may worsen with the seasons if you have SAD. SAD is generally only diagnosed if the seasonal depression episodes are the most common of your symptoms.

Age

Younger adults have a higher risk of SAD than older adults. There have even been cases of children and teens having seasonal affective disorder. Researchers aren’t sure why but it may be due to a lifestyle that doesn’t have a healthy sleep schedule.

Biological Clues Of SAD

Serotonin Regulation

People who have SAD may have a problem regulating the neurotransmitter serotonin which is involved in your mood. People with SAD have 5 percent more serotonin transporter proteins in the winter than they do the summer. Higher transport proteins leave less serotonin at the synapse because the function of the transporter is to recycle the serotonin back into the pre-synaptic neuron.

Melatonin Production

People with SAD might be overproducing the hormone called melatonin. This hormone is increased in darkness and helps to regulate sleep. When the daytime becomes shorter in the winter months, the melatonin production increases. This can leave people to feel lethargic, sleepy, and can disrupt their circadian rhythm which is our body’s clock that tells us when to sleep.

Vitamin D

People who have SAD may also produce less Vitamin D. During the winter time the sunlight is out for less amount of time giving us less time to soak up the rays. Not having enough Vitamin D may be associated with significant depressive symptoms.

How Do You Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder?

There are four major types of treatments for SAD. Some people have found success in just one while others may have to try out a few. If you think you have SAD, talk to your doctor about it. They can go over these treatment options with you, and you guys can figure out what works best for you together.

Light Therapy

Light therapy is a popular treatment option for SAD because it uses artificial light. When doing this type of therapy, you are usually sitting close to a “lightbox” and soaking in the artificial rays on a daily basis. This type of treatment has been around since the 80s, and the idea is to replace the diminished sunshine of the fall and winter months.

Psychotherapy

Certain psychotherapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), have shown to be effective in treating SAD. Psychotherapy may also offer long-term benefits that light therapy can’t offer. These types of therapies focus on the root of the problem and help you identify negative thoughts and help you learn how to replace them with positive ones. This type of therapy can also help you learn to identify activities that are fun and engaging to help you cope with the winter.

Vitamin D

Studies have shown that taking Vitamin D is very successful in helping with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.  Though, researchers believe that taking Vitamin D alone will not make the symptoms of SAD go away, which is why it is often coupled with a type of therapy or another medication.

Medication

Medication can be used alone and be successful or used in tandem with other types of therapy. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are what doctors prescribe for SAD along with bupropion which is another anti-depressant approved by the FDA.

Like most medications, there are risks to side-effects when taking SSRIs. You may find that you have to try several different kinds until you land on one that feels just right. Many people are turning to CBD oil to help with their depression because of the lack of side-effects and evidence that it may be able to help faster than commonly prescribed medications.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical that comes from the cannabis plant. Unlike the chemical THC, this chemical doesn’t get you high at any dose. Unlike other medications, CBD oil is non-addictive and does not have a reported lethal dose. This chemical works so well in our body because it interacts with our endocannabinoid system.

What Is The Endocannabinoid System

You know how when you get a paper cut, your wound gets itchy and eventually scabs over? This is your endocannabinoid system sending immune cells to fight any pathogens and causing blood clots, so you don’t bleed out. The endocannabinoid system’s job is to make sure that everything is running smoothly in the body and you are well regulated.

CBD interacts with this system by elevating chemicals, stimulating certain receptors, and opening pathways in the brain making for easier travel. The chemicals that are elevated are called endocannabinoids, and they work by binding to cannabinoid receptors that you have all over your brain and body.

Cannabinoid Receptor And Endocannabinoids

All over your brain and body, you have cannabinoid receptors. The CB1 receptors are mainly located in your brain while the CB2 receptors are found more evenly spread throughout the body. The CB1 receptor helps to mediate neurological functions in your body such as pain, sleep, appetite, and mood. CBD elevates the endocannabinoid anandamide which binds to the CB1 receptor to help improve function. The CB2 receptor binds with the endocannabinoid 2-AG, and It helps to regulate the functions of your immune system.

CBD Oil For Seasonal Effective Disorder

CBD oil may be able to help with some of the symptoms that come along with seasonal affective disorder, the first symptom being the initial depression.

CBD For Depression

CBD oil has shown in studies to help elevate chemicals in the brain that are normally lacking in the depressed as well as help to promote neurogenesis in areas like the hippocampus, which is often damaged in people who have depression. The most exciting discovery in this study was that the rodent models began experiencing a change in symptoms in just 30 minutes.

CBD For Fatigue

CBD oil also may be able to help with your fatigue symptoms in several different ways. CBD oil is a wake-promoting agent at low doses helping you feel a boost of energy, CBD elevates the endocannabinoid anandamide which is also released when you exercise giving you energy, and CBD oil can also help promote a natural sleep cycle to get your circadian rhythm regulated.

CBD For Anxiety

CBD has also shown in studies to help with anxiety by reducing the overactivity in your brain. Anxiety can come in many forms of social anxiety, general anxiety, and even irritability and anger. These emotions come from your amygdala which is overactive in people who have depression and CBD can help calm those emotions down.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you are thinking about taking CBD oil for SAD, talk to your doctor about wanting to add this to your health regimen. If you are on any antidepressants, they could interfere with the CBD oil or vice versa. Your doctor can also help to monitor your progress to make sure that this is the right route for you to take.

How Do You Take CBD Oil For Seasonal Affective Disorder

When it comes to how you take CBD oil, it really depends what you are looking for. Do you need something that works quickly and you can sacrifice how long it lasts? Go for tinctures, vapes, or candies. If you want something that will last you all day but might take a bit longer to kick in, go for pills or edibles. If you need it to work now and all day, CBD suppositories are the best of both worlds. Check out our shop today to see what we have to offer!

[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"]

Do people who experience trauma have problems with their memory? It seems as if many people who talk about experiences they have endured cannot offer detail about the events that transpired. Why is it that it seems like people who have PTSD have the worst memories?

What were you doing three Sundays ago at 8:15 PM? Don’t look at your calendar,  just take a second to think. It’s likely that you can’t remember every detail. But let’s just say something really exciting happened. At 8:15, maybe you were down on one knee proposing to the love of your life and can remember every detail from the curtains to the way the lasagna on the table smelled. If this is the case for big events, why does it seem like people who have experienced trauma can’t remember specific details?

About Your Memory

Not everyone who experiences trauma will have problems remembering their incidence. However, if the event affected the individual enough to make them develop PTSD, they may have some problems remembering what happened. They may remember really odd details like a cup off of a coaster or that the clock was broken, but they may not be able to remember who was there or how it all came into fruition. This concept is easier to comprehend when you know a little bit about the memory.

Types Of Memory

There are four different types of memory that are separated into two categories. The first being explicit memory which involved semantic and episodic memory. The second category is implicit memory which includes emotional and procedural memory.

I’ll go over the different types of memories with an example of a traumatic event. In this event, someone has experienced a fire that has burned down their home, and they barely made it out alive.

Semantic Memory

This is the memory of general knowledge and facts. You would remember that the fire was hot and it started in the living room. The clock read 7:00 and you were wearing your pajamas. All of these things are facts and aren’t tied to any emotions felt at the time of the incident.

Episodic Memory

This is the autobiographical memory of the experience answering the questions of who what and where. You remember the fireman who saved you from the fallen ceiling beam. You remember being taken to the hospital a town over and that your childhood home was burning down to the ground as you sped off in the ambulance. These memories are specific to you and your viewpoint. This is normally remembered in order, but our imperfect memories can rearrange these events.

Emotional Memory

Your emotional memory is remembering how you felt during the event. You remember being confused that the smoke detector was going off. You remember the shock you felt as you came downstairs and saw the flames licking at the curtains. You remember how devastatingly terrified you were when the ceiling beam fell onto you. You remember the relief you felt when the firemen busted down the door.

Procedural Memory

This is the memory that helps you know how to perform a commonly done task without having to think about it actively. Things like how to light a match, how to go down the stairs, and how to call 911 when you start smelling smoke.

Trauma And Your Brain

Now that we know a little bit about memory and what each of the different types of memories do for us, we can learn how trauma comes in and messes it all up. Each of these types of memories are controlled by different regions of the brain and studies have shown that PTSD causes changes to these areas creating memory and behavioral issues.

Trauma And Semantic Memory

So if something happened to someone, why can’t they get all of their facts straight? They must be lying! Of course, this is a possibility. But there is a reason that people who come back from overseas or experience assault don’t have all of their facts together. Two reasons actually, the temporal lobe and the inferior parietal cortex.

Trauma can make certain parts of your memory like words or images not combine to make a cohesive semantic memory. The temporal lobe and inferior parietal cortex collect information from different regions of the brain to create these factual memories, but there might be a miscommunication in people with PTSD.

Studies have shown that PTSD has an impact on communication between the temporal and parietal regions of the brain. Even when the patients were in remission, the miscommunication was still occurring. With people who have experienced trauma and developed PTSD, their brain isn’t keeping their unemotional facts straight.

Trauma And Episodic Memory

Trauma can shut down this type of memory as well as how the sequence of events is perceived. Someone who experiences trauma and develops PTSD may say that they went to get food after the hospital and then in another instance say that after the hospital they went straight to the motel and got back out to go eat. The hippocampus is to blame for events being spun in a blender.

Your hippocampus helps to store and retrieve your memories and also plays a role in the ability to overcome the fear response. This is because the amygdala sends messages to this region of the brain, but I’ll get into that part later.

Studies have shown that constant stress may damage the hippocampus because of the hormone called cortisol that is released. This chemical is great because it helps to mobilize your body during a time where you are threatened, but at high levels, this chemical can damage or destroy cells in the hippocampus.

An interesting note is that scientists believe that a smaller hippocampus may predict your vulnerability to developing PTSD after experiencing trauma. This may be due to its inability to control your response to fear when the amygdala sends its signals. 

Trauma And Emotional Memory

You know how people joke about being triggered? And how annoyed people are by trigger warnings? Well hey, guess what, triggers are a real thing. Trauma can make a person start to feel a painful emotion without any context; It can be like having a panic attack after you hear your fire alarm beep because it makes you remember the sheer terror you felt trapped under a ceiling beam. And we can thank our amygdala for that.

Your amygdala is what is in control of your fear response. It is what creates the fight or flight response you get whenever there is a threat nearby. A tiger running at you? Your amygdala elevates chemicals like cortisol to help pump blood into your muscles so you can run as fast as you can for safety. People who have experienced trauma, their amygdala sees tigers everywhere.

Your subconscious never forgets the events that transpired, which is why your amygdala is always on guard. “Never again,” it thinks as it gives you anxiety while you cook an omelet constantly imagining flames growing from the pan.

Trauma And Procedural Memory

Trauma can even change the patterns of procedural memory. Someone who experiences trauma may form new habits when they do things that once were a breeze like cooking over a hot stove after your house just burned down. Sure, you know to turn it on but you can’t help but feel that every muscle in your body is tense like it isn’t sure what to do. This happens because of the striatum.

The striatum is what forms habits. It helps to control the reward center and motor functions in your brain. Studies have shown us that people who have PTSD have hyperactivity between the hippocampus and the striatum and the activity is very difficult to reduce.

This overactivity can lead to habit-like responses towards memories that involve the event that caused the trauma. Like flinching every time you hear a beep because it reminds you of a fire alarm. Scientists believe that this makes sense because of the behavioral manifestations that are related to patients who developed PTSD from combat.

They Don’t Remember, But They Do

Like I said before, your subconscious remembers everything. This is why the primitive aspects stay with us while the words do not. The heart palpitations are there, but the exact order of events may be fuzzy. This isn’t because anyone who has experienced trauma wants to lie or has ill will, it is just that their brain is damaged from the excessive stress they have experienced.

The memory issues don’t stop here. Even after the event, people who have PTSD can have a difficult time remembering things that are unrelated like appointment dates, where they set their keys and the name of the waiter. This makes it troubling for people in school or work to go about their daily lives. Many people who have experienced trauma can become successful and happy; it just takes more work for them because their brain is a bit behind.

Can CBD Help?

CBD oil has shown in studies to help the damage that occurs in the hippocampus and reduce the activity of the amygdala. Research suggests that it may be able to help patients with PTSD with their memory issues. It may also help with the anxiety, anger, confusion, and depression that comes along with this disorder.

 [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"]

Do you have a difficult time being motivated to do things? Things like exercising, taking a shower, or keeping your house clean? While being exhausted from work and/or taking care of the family can play a huge role in how you use your energy, depression can make that limited pool of motivation dry up fast. But there are a few things you can do to assist yourself making accomplishment a bit easier.

Why Does Depression Take Away Motivation?

You might be curious as to how depression has anything to do with motivation. Someone who has been struggling for years with depression and knows how it feels to feel like they avoid doing everything and anything may wonder why this happens. Especially when you get labeled as lazy or a slob, it would be nice to know what is going on in the noggin to help explain yourself to people and know what kind of help you need.

Where Does Motivation Come From?

To know how depression impacts motivation, we need to understand how we get motivated in the first place. What gets us out of bed in the morning and drives us to do our daily tasks? The answers lie in your neurotransmitters.

Both dopamine and serotonin play a role in motivation. This is why pharmaceutical antidepressants have been so successful. Of course, there are natural ways to improve your brain function, but not every brain is the same, and some people need a little help. Until recently, pharmaceuticals were the only medication available to help with this chemical imbalance, but now scientists believe CBD can be in the running as well. But to know how any of those even work, you need to know how your brain uses these neurotransmitters to drive your motivation.

Dopamine

Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters that help create the sense of emotion. The chemical signal gets passed in between brain cells through the synapse where it interacts with various receptors. There are many different pathways dopamine can take, but the one that leads to motivation is the mesolimbic pathway.

The mesolimbic pathway plays a large role in motivation and runs from the middle of the brain and branches out to several places like the cerebral cortex, which has shown in studies to be linked to motivation.

The nucleus accumbens is also affected by the mesolimbic pathway, studies show. This region of the brain triggers feedback to help the brain predict when a reward is coming. Basically, your brain recognizes that something important is about to happen so it kick starts the dopamine production.

Dopamine in this situation is meant to encourage people to perform tasks. People who have more dopamine in their striatum and prefrontal cortex have shown in studies to be more productive. The dopamine levels in the brain are influenced more by the cost and benefit aspect of a task rather than the pleasure of the actual activity. Though you may not enjoy the activity, dopamine makes sure you do it anyway because the reward at the other end is worth it.

Serotonin

Serotonin also plays a role in motivation. This neurotransmitter is what helps make the effort to complete a task less overwhelming. The way it works is by carrying messages between nerve cells, and it does most of its work in your intestines or central nervous system. It plays a regular role in regulating your appetite, sleep schedule, dreams, and mood.

A study found that when volunteers took a medication that increased their serotonin levels, they put more effort toward a task. Studies have also found that an increase in serotonin levels reduced the levels of apathy, making things matter more and easier to complete.

Depression And Motivation

Both serotonin and dopamine are lacking in depressed patients. While depression is still not fully understood, researchers believe that it may be caused by inflammation in the brain. When someone experiences a great amount of stress, inflammatory cytokines flood their brain. This can cause inflammation and eventual damage, causing the brain to not work as efficiently.

So how can you have the motivation to do things when your brain isn’t letting you? Well, you have to fight back. Depression is a battle, and you can win it. The battle doesn’t start with a large explosion. You have to sneak in the same way depression tries to sneak up on you. The first step is taking a small step.

How To Motivate Yourself When You Have Depression

1. Start Small

Have you gone a month without cleaning your house? Your task shouldn’t be to clean the whole house by a certain time. While, yes, that is a great long-term goal to have, this long-term goal can become overwhelming. Start off small, like making sure to do a load of dishes today or cleaning the toilet in the bathroom. You don’t have to make giant strides to achieve progress.

2. Be Easy On Yourself

Would you talk to your friends the way you talk to yourself? That is a question you should ask yourself whenever you are being mean. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you miss a day of being productive. Don’t let the guilt burry you into another unproductive day. Sometimes you need a break, and that’s okay. Just remember to be gentle.

3. Celebrate small victories

Did you take a shower for the first time in two weeks? Celebrate! Make a big deal about it. Even though you did a normal task that you might not think is very exciting, it is. Any step you take in the right direction is an exciting step, remember to celebrate your small victories. Even without depression, sometimes that’s all we have.

4. Positive Self-Talk

Motivate yourself! If you keep saying to yourself you’re too tired or nothing matters, that will continue to be your process. Positive self-talk is a huge game changer when it comes to depression. It doesn’t make it go away, but it helps you fight back. Your mind is so powerful, obviously look what it can do to you, but if you take control imagine what you could accomplish.

5. Ask Or Accept Help

Don’t be too proud to ask for help. If you are overwhelmed because laundry has stacked up over the past three weeks, have someone help you get through it. If someone offers to help you, accept it. They wouldn’t offer if they didn’t want to do it. You are not a burden to anyone. Believe it or not, some people feed off of helping others. You would really be doing them a favor by helping them feel good about themselves.

6. Think About The Future

When you have a task at hand that you really don’t want to do, don’t think about doing it. Think about how good it will feel when it is done. How nice it will feel to drive in a clean car. How happy your dog will be after you give him a bath. Or how strong you feel after doing some yoga. Focus on the reward for the task, because that is how your brain is programmed to work in the first place.

7. You Don’t Have To Enjoy It

The only goal you need to have for a task is to complete it. You need to accept the fact that you aren’t going to like everything you have to do. You may wonder how anyone gets anything done, but it is because people who don’t suffer from depression can fight through not wanting to do something they won't enjoy because they feel balanced most of the time. You don’t have that luxury, but unfortunately, life isn’t fair. If you get into your head that it is what it is and you just have to get it together and complete a task, it will make it easier.

8. Exercise

Studies have shown that exercise can help people with motivation, even in people who have depression. It is a natural way to elevate the mood-boosting chemicals in your body which has you feeling like you can take on the day.

Like stated before, start small with this one. You don’t have to commit to a gym membership, that is just asking to find excuses not to go. Start with a ten-minute walk in your neighborhood or yoga in the living room. Some stretches in between reports at work. It’ll be easier for you to complete if the goal is small, and eventually, you might find yourself doing more and for longer.

9. Let Yourself Focus

It can be hard to do anything when you are distracted. When it gets hard to complete, you are less likely to want to do it. People with depression can have issues with focus and concentration already; you should make adjustments to make sure that you can focus. Turn your phone on silent, put a movie on for the kids, or play classical music in your headphones while you get at it.

Medicine Can Help

Antidepressants are a common way many people are getting their brain to start cooperating. These medications have shown to work so well with some people because they elevate the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in your brain.

These methods can work for you, but they may not work for everyone. Some people experience side effects like weight gain, feeling foggy, or suicidal thoughts. If you are having a hard time with prescriptions, CBD oil may be able to help.

How CBD Can Help With Depression

Studies have shown that CBD oil may be able to help activate serotonin receptors. CBD hemp oil may also strongly modulate the mesolimbic system. A study published this year tested rodent models to see how quickly the anti-depressant effects began to work, and in just thirty minutes they noticed a chemical change.

CBD oil also elevates an endocannabinoid in your body called anandamide. This endocannabinoid binds to the CB1 receptor which helps regulate your neurological system. This includes things like your sleep, appetite, pain sensitivity, and your mood. It can help give you a more level mood, and it can help give you a boost of natural energy to get you going.

If you want to try CBD for motivation, taking a tincture, using a vape pen, or eating candy are some of the best methods because they work quickly. Stop by our shop to find the best solution for you!

Have you conquered your depression and begin to find ways to motivate yourself? We would love to hear any tips you have 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"]

Once you have experienced addiction and how it feels to leave reality, it can be difficult not to want to find yourself back to the substance that gave you escape. But these substances like alcohol, painkillers, or illicit drugs are slowly killing you; you can’t afford a relapse. Here are six tips on avoiding relapse to keep in mind while going through recovery.

1. Change Your Surroundings

You may not be able to control who you live with, but you can make a safe space for yourself to have a place to escape to. You need to have a stress free environment to run to so that you aren’t running to old habits.

2. Change Your Company

You are absolutely the company you keep. If you surround yourself with people who drink or do drugs, it is a lot harder not to partake. Even if they don’t try to break you, being around that kind of environment can do that work for them.

Having a healthy support system through your recovery is one of the best ways to be successful. Having loved ones who want what’s best for you and not the you that makes their night a good time. They can help you keep yourself accountable, give you a shoulder to lean on during the hard days, and help you discover your true potential in sobriety.

3. Get Professional Help

Some people go to school and have sleepless nights studying on how to help people exactly like you. They can help you get to the reasons why the only comfort you experience is at the end of a bottle or syringe. Taking care of these underlying issues will make saying no considerably easier.

4. Know Your Triggers

As someone who has struggled with addiction, just seeing someone on TV partakes in the activity could give me cravings. You might think that if you’re strong, you can handle anything, ignoring the triggers everywhere around you. But if you’re really strong, you won’t put yourself in a position to break and avoid your triggers as best you can.

5. Deal With Your Emotions

You may have used drugs as a coping mechanism. And now that they are out of the picture, you have no idea how to handle your emotions. One trick is to deal with them as they come. Your therapist can help you figure out how to do this. If you let them fester in your head too long, you could risk a relapse.

6. Be Productive

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, have you ever head that before? Being productive can keep your mind busy, and it can make you healthier mentally. Pick up a hobby, dive into work, or start taking care of yourself physically and emotionally. All of these things take a lot of work, so you’ll be occupied with healthy thoughts as opposed to destructive ones.

CBD For The Cravings

All of this is fine and well, but what about the cravings? What do you do when your mind won't let you let go of your old habits? CBD oil may be able to help with addiction according to studies by helping to reduce cravings. Studies suggest that CBD hemp oil could be a valid tool for avoiding relapse.

Have you conquered your addiction? What are some tips that you have to avoid relapse? We would love to hear your tips and tricks in the comment section below!

September is suicide awareness month. The purpose of this month is to just make it easier to talk about suicide. If people can’t talk about it, they just wallow in their darkness and are left to fall by their demise. As a community, we need to come together and help each other make it through another day. Here are some suicide prevention tips that may be able to help you do that.

While posting on social media what a crisis hotline number is a great thing to do, we may need to try a bit harder when it comes to our loved ones. Many people who are drowning in their own mental turmoil are very unlikely to use this information when they really need it.

This is where you, the loved one, comes in. There are things you can do to help your loved one. You aren’t a professional therapist (well, you might be) so you aren’t the answer to all of their problems to help them work through their issues. But you are someone who can be a pillar of strength when they are at their worst.

1. Listen

Human beings are problem solvers; it is in our nature. How else would someone be able to capitalize on games that are simply sliding candy over in the right direction to make a cool effect? But when someone with depression and suicidal thoughts come to you, they may not be wanting you to solve their problems.

What you should do first and foremost is just listen. This is something people need. No advice, no telling them what they should do. Just listen. Let them pour their heart out to you and when they do ask for advice, that is when you can unload on some wisdom. If you need some tips on how to talk to your loved one who is thinking about suicide, check out this article.

2. Ask

If your loved one seems a bit off, more so than usual, ask how they are doing. Make sure they are okay. Tell them you noticed something was bothering them and let them know you are there for them if they need you. And if they start to open up, they can start giving you red flags that indicate they are thinking of suicide.

If your loved one knows when they would do it, how they would do it, and have the means to do so, these suicidal thoughts might be becoming more of a reality for them. You may need to get rid of excuse they have for not seeking help like time, transportation, or motivation. You may also just need to go ahead and call a crisis center for them.

3. Be Sure

Some hospitals are great and have activities for people to do to help with their cognitive abilities and are kept in a safe room and aren’t allowed near anything that could hurt them. While other hospitals will put them in the same room as people, who have much more drastic mental health issues that can make their stay terrifying and uncomfortable making the entire trip worthless. In facilities like this, many people will lie their way through just to get out. If you feel that they are going to harm themselves, you need to be certain you are sending them to the right place.

There are also outpatient programs that your loved one can participate in that may help them. Being stuck in a hospital can feel like jail and may not work for them in the wrong facility. But if they are at a point where they will use anything to end their life, inpatient programs are one of the best ways to keep them under surveillance as they try to recover to make sure that they live through the experience.

4. Be Compassionate

You might be angry that they would even think of ending their life. But keep in mind they don’t want their life to end; they just want the pain to stop. If they are resistant to getting treatment and they refuse to go to a crisis center, there are ways that you can go around that to keep them safe. But in no way should you use it as a threat. This may just cause them to start plotting in privacy not letting you in to stop it.

Suicide Isn’t Easy For Anyone To Talk About

If you are too overbearing, you can scare people away. If you keep your distance, you give people room to do the unthinkable. There is a very fine line to balance on when it comes to helping people who are thinking of suicide. The best thing we can do as a society to help people is make it easier to talk about, make help available, and stop demonizing people who already feel like they are the worst person on the planet. Compassion can go a long way, let’s try and use it.

Have you struggled with a suicidal episode? What has a loved one done for you that really helped pull you out of your darkness? We would love to hear about it in the comment section.

[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"]

I’m a pretty big advocate for mental health; I think everyone needs to go get their mind checked out every once in a while just like you would your body. Some people are born with different brain chemistry and genetics, making them more susceptible to developing mood disorders while others can develop them from the life they have lived. One great tool for battling these challenging disorders alongside with therapy is CBD hemp oil.

Cannabidiol (CBD) may be the future treatment for mood disorders because of the interactions it has with the brain. By elevating certain chemicals and protecting healthy cells that already exist, CBD oil may be able to help manage the symptoms of mood disorders as well as aid in prevention.

What Are Mood Disorders?

Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and severe illness that if gone unchecked can lead to death. The symptoms can impact the way people feel, act, and go about their daily activities.

Symptoms Of Major Depressive Disorder

• Feeling sad, hopeless, or empty for up to two weeks straight
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Eating too much or too little
• Finding no enjoyment in any activity
• Poor self-image
• Difficulty with focus and concentration
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Major Depressive Disorder And Your Brain

It was once hypothesized that a lack of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine caused a depressed brain. Scientists now, however, believe that there is a bit more to it than that. They found that a depressed brain is more likely to cause stress hormones to become produced which can lead to damage to the brain.

The hippocampus, the part of your brain that control learning, memory, and emotions, is smaller in people with depression. Research shows that even in clinical remission, the hippocampus is still smaller than it needs to be meaning that the symptoms can come back if the depression isn’t treated. While this differentiation in the brain is substantial, other major parts of the brain are also affected by MDD.

Regions In the Brain Affected By Depression

• Amygdala- Your fear response
• Ventral Striatum- Where your rewards are processed
• Prefrontal Cortex- Controls planning, personality, and development
• Orbital Frontal Cortex- Controls decision making and cognitive processing
• Anterior Cingulate Cortex- Regulates emotions and certain physiological traits like blood pressure

Dysthymic Disorder

Dysthymic disorder is almost like a mild version of major depressive disorder, but it can still become debilitating. Like many illnesses, there is little known about dysthymic disorder, though researchers believe genetic components play a huge role. One of the biggest problems with this disorder is that often it goes unnoticed.

The symptoms of this disorder are the same as major depressive disorder. The big difference is that someone who has dysthymia can have normal feeling days and their symptoms aren’t as debilitating while someone with MDD has a constant feeling of depression.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is when you have unusual shifts in your mood, activity levels, and the ability to do day-to-day tasks. This illness can become so severe that the person afflicted experiences a psychosis often resulting in delusion.

Four Types Of Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar I
  • This is when manic episodes last for at least seven days or manic symptoms are so severe you need to go to the hospital. Usually, depressive episodes are also in the mix and last for up to two weeks. It is also possible that you can experience both manic and depressive episodes at the same time.
• Bipolar II
  • This is when you manic episodes are less severe and fall into the category of hypomanic. Depressive episodes are also present, but this disorder’s symptoms are less severe than Bipolar I.
• Cyclothymic Disorder
  • Hypomanic and depressive disorders last up to two years or one year in children and adolescents. But these episodes are not severe enough to be distinguished as Bipolar I or II.
• Other Specified
  • This is when you have manic or depressive symptoms, but your illness does not fit into the categories above.

What Do Manic Episodes Look Like?

• Having a lot of energy
• Feeling high or elated
• Feeling jumpy
• High activity levels
• Trouble sleeping
• Easily agitated
• Feels like you can do many things at once
• Feels like thoughts are going fast
• Participate in reckless behaviors

What Do Depressive Episodes Look Like?

• Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless
• Low energy
• Decrease in activity levels
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Feeling worried or anxious
• Forgetful and trouble concentrating
• Losing enjoyment in things that used to make you happy
• Eating too much or too little
• Thinking about death or suicide

There is also very little known about how bipolar disorder affects the brain, but brain imaging has given us a little insight. Brain imaging has shown that people who have bipolar disorder lack in cortical thickness, which is the number of layers of the cerebral cortex which plays a huge role in cognitive ability. Bipolar disorder can also cause a malfunction in the NMDA glutamate receptor. This receptor plays a part in functioning, brain aging, and memory.

Treatment For Mood Disorders

Often times, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants are prescribed to people who have a mood disorder like bipolar or MDD. These medications have had success because they help regulate the neurotransmitters in your brain. But recent studies have shown that CBD oil may be just as good if not better than leading pharmaceuticals.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical that you find in the cannabis plant. While you can get CBD from marijuana and the hemp plant, many companies like CBD instead offer products from the hemp plant because it doesn’t contain traceable amounts of THC.

Unlike THC, CBD oil doesn’t get you high at any dose. Unlike pharmaceuticals, the side-effect list is considerably shorter and there is the additional benefit of being unable to overdose on the medication when you are in a suicidal episode. One of the reasons that treatment can be so difficult with mood disorders is because of the increased risk of suicide, taking away a potentially harmful medication could be a safe alternative.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD hemp oil has a lot of healing potential because of the system that it interacts with- the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is in charge of regulating your body, including your mood. It can do this because of the cannabinoid receptors and the roles they play in your health.

There are two cannabinoid receptors, and both may play a role in helping with mood disorders. The first, CB1 receptor, mediates the neurological functions in your brain and is mainly interactive with the endocannabinoid anandamide. The CB2 receptor helps control your immune system and interacts with the endocannabinoid 2-AG.

CBD For Mood Disorders

CBD For Bipolar

Someone who has a mood disorder like bipolar may be prescribed antipsychotics to help with any psychosis they may be experiencing. Studies have suggested that CBD oil may be able to work as effectively as commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals. Further research has indicated that CBD may not be a cure for this illness as symptoms worsen after the CBD is no longer administered.

It is unclear whether or not CBD oil can help in manic episodes that people experience. In a study where patients received small amounts of CBD, their manic episodes were unaffected. However, further studying suggests that CBD oil may be able to help in other ways.

One of the issues that happen in the brain of someone is bipolar is that their NMDA glutamate receptor is malfunctioning. Studies have shown that CBD oil may be able to help with this dysregulation by regulating proteins that have proven to be effective in treatment.

CBD For Major Depressive Disorder And Dysthymic Disorder

Luckily, scientists know a good amount about depression, making the journey toward finding the right treatment a bit easier for us all. By knowing what parts of the brain are affected, we can find out what medicine or treatment plan can work best.

Studies suggest that cannabidiol has antidepressant effects that may be fast acting. In a rodent model, the subjects began experiencing antidepressant effects in just thirty minutes.

The chemical BDNF was shown to be elevated in the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. BDNF acts like the brain’s fertilizer helping to promote brain growth, leading scientists to believe that CBD oil may be an extremely valid treatment for illnesses that involve depressive episodes.

Cannabidiol has also shown to help reduce overactivity in the amygdala and strengthen the response of the hippocampus. This means that CBD hemp oil may be able to help with the anxiety symptoms that are so common in MDD patients.

It is thought that depression may be caused by inflammation in the brain causing regions of the brain to degrade and become less efficient. CBD oil has shown that it can help reduce inflammation as well as promote neurogenesis. CBD hemp oil may be able to slow down the progress of this illness or possibly even prevent it entirely.

Talk With Your Doctor

If you have a mood disorder and you don’t have a regular doctor, now is the time to find one. Navigating through a mood disorder alone can be very challenging, and if treated incorrectly, mood disorders can result in death.

If you have a doctor and you would like to try CBD, talk to them about it. Explain to them why you want to make the switch and make sure to go in with the right knowledge to have the most productive conversation.

A doctor can help you either wean you off your medicine as you make the switch, help you figure out how to take both medications, or determine if this is even the route you should take. CBD oil can make certain medications respond differently, so it is extremely important that you involve your doctor in this decision. And never go off your medicine without a doctors help, your symptoms can get a lot worse.

[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"]

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious illness that develops after some people experience a traumatic event. Everyone’s brain is different, so not everyone will get PTSD from experiencing trauma. While antidepressants are commonly prescribed to people who have this disorder, CBD oil may be a valid new treatment option because of the way it interacts with our brain.

CBD hemp oil interacts with the endocannabinoid system which is why it has such a long list of possible health benefits. Researchers have discovered that CBD interacts with the same regions of the brain that are affected by PTSD.  To know exactly how it works, though, you need to understand how PTSD affects the brain.

What Is PTSD

Traumatic events can cause your brain to change. Traumatic stress has shown to elevate cortisol and norepinephrine, which can lead to damage. The areas of the brain that are most affected by PTSD are the hippocampus and the amygdala.

The amygdala is in charge of your fear response. It is what alerts you to nearby threats. People who have PTSD have an overactive amygdala, which leads them to experience fear and anxiety during inappropriate times.

The hippocampus plays a large role in recalling memory and fear conditioning. People with PTSD have a smaller hippocampus, which explains how people experience painful flashbacks. Scientists believe that individuals who already have a smaller hippocampus are more prone to developing PTSD, which may explain why not everyone develops this disorder after trauma.

How CBD May Help

Cannabidiol has shown to help with many anxiety disorders, including PTSD. One of the main ways it helps relieve anxiety is by reducing the overactivity of the amygdala. When the amygdala isn’t as active, it isn’t sending as many fear signals to the rest of your brain.

Cannabidiol has also shown that it may be able to help with a damaged hippocampus. Research suggests that it promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which means it may be able to help prevent PTSD as well as treat it.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you have PTSD, you should be seeing a doctor about it. If you aren’t now is the time to start. Once you have a safe and healthy relationship with a medical practitioner, they may discuss with you what type of medications are available to you. Talk to them about taking CBD hemp oil, and make sure to go in knowing how it can help. Being educated gives you a better position in the conversation. Your doctor can help monitor your symptoms to make sure you are taking the right route to recovery.

Have you used CBD for your PTSD? We would love to hear your story in the comment section below!

Have you ever heard the story about the man who was building his house but spent all of his materials on his neighbors? His neighbors would come to him, asking him for bricks to help build their home, and he gladly gave them to whoever requested trying to help. But when he turned around, he noticed that he had given all of his bricks away which left him unable to finish his house. This man being more worried about others than himself ends up sacrificing something he was working so hard for. This man had no boundaries.

Setting healthy boundaries comes easy for some, but for others, it can be difficult. Setting boundaries is something that takes courage and self-respect, something that can be swindled by poor mental health and unhealthy environments.

Some people are so consumed with how their actions affect others they may disregard how having no boundaries affect them. If you feel that you are being a people pleaser, doormat, or pushover and it is affecting your mental state, you may need to reevaluate how you allow people to treat you.

Why Healthy Boundaries Are So Important

Boundaries reflect how you view yourself and what you value. Having healthy boundaries show how much you love yourself and how much self-respect you have. With healthy boundaries, you have healthier relationships, a healthier mental and physical health, and a healthy family.

When you have healthy boundaries, you are less likely to overwork yourself at home or at your job. You’re less likely to spend the money you don’t have and more likely to achieve goals that you have set for yourself. Setting healthy boundaries is key to self-care, and without them, you can find yourself bending over backward for everyone but yourself.

What Do Healthy Boundaries Look Like?

Time To Yourself

Are you around people the majority of the day? At home, you’re surrounded by family, which of course you love, and at work, you are constantly being bombarded by colleagues or your boss. Human interaction is important and something that we need, however, you need time to yourself as well.

Some people need to have their alone time whether it is taking a long hot bath or curling up in bed with a good book. When you’re giving yourself “Me Time,” you can relax freely and enjoy your own presence. Having alone time may also be able to boost your focus and concentration because it helps your brain restart and unwind.

Being alone can give you a chance to get to know yourself. Figure out your dreams and desires. This can also help make your relationships healthier because you understand what you expect from the company keep because you know what you need in a friend or spouse.

Keeping Things To Yourself

This doesn’t mean that you never tell anyone anything about you ever. But knowing what time and place is appropriate for what information is a strength that can help you in your profession. Teachers keeping their private lives from their students or employees keeping work talk just about work are people who keep their professional and private lives separate. This sets a clear idea that when you are in a certain position at work, the only thing that you need to talk about or disclose are things about work.

Sometimes it is okay to mix your personal life with your job, but in many cases, it can blur the lines. It can make you appear less professional when you let the two mix, even costing you a shot at a promotion or excelling in your workplace. When your clients, customers, colleagues, and bosses know that you are all business, it can build a respect for you and make it apparent how much you respect yourself.

Putting Your Goals First

If you have a deadline on a  project and someone really wants to go out for drinks because they haven’t seen you in weeks, saying no is setting a boundary saying that what you need to accomplish is important to you. If someone interrupts you while you are working and you let it slide, this indicates that what you are doing doesn’t need your full attention and it is likely that they will do it again.

Putting yourself first in these situations can relieve stress because you aren’t trying to balance other’s needs along with your own. Yes, of course you want to spend time with your friend or help a colleague in need, but what you are doing is important as well.

It may seem impossible, especially if the person trying to get your attention or help is family, but you need to know when it is appropriate to put your foot down. Explain to them that you have things you need to do and you can help them once you are finished. Respect yourself enough to not procrastinate your tasks for the sake of helping others if in the long run, it is going to cause more strain on you.

Sharing The Load

If you know that you are at your limits with whatever you are doing whether it is at home or work, ask for help. Of course, when doing so respect the boundaries that others have in order for them to maintain their mental health as you would hope they would do for you.

Asking to share responsibilities when you are feeling overwhelmed is a great way to practice self-care. If you feel like your spouse isn’t doing their fair share around the house, have a conversation explaining how you feel that you are taking on more than you feel comfortable with. If your coworkers aren’t picking up their own slack in the workplace, have a serious conversation about how it is affecting you and your job performance. Sharing responsibilities helps prevent you from becoming overworked and overwhelmed.

Disallowing Negative Talk

We are at a weird time right now as a society. The slightest discomfort from a comment or action can make you appear too sensitive, comparing you to crystalized water. But if something makes you uncomfortable, like inappropriate comments or jokes at your expense, shut it down. These small jabs can take their toll over time and start to become overbearing. You don’t deserve to be spoken to like that. Why should you sit uncomfortably? What do you owe them to keep your mouth shut?

This can be hard for many people because they grew up in a home where this was normal behavior or in an unhealthy environment that caused them to develop a low self-esteem. Maybe their parents or siblings always reminded them how they were never good enough, leading them into adult life to believe that it’s true. Which means that being the butt of a joke is expected. You don’t have to let that haunt you anymore. You deserve respect and others may follow suit if you start respecting yourself.

How Do You Set Healthy Boundaries?

This is a simple process that can feel almost impossible to do for some people. In some cases, mental health can get in the way of setting boundaries. Being a people pleaser and having the inability to say no or stand up for yourself can come too natural because of either an imbalance in brain chemistry, like with ADHD, or from having low self-esteem and valuing others above yourself. But even if it feels like it is impossible, it can still be done.

Take a moment and look at your life, what has you overwhelmed? Are there things that you constantly think about that drive you to a poor mental state? Is it the way people talk to you? Is it the workload you have? Is it always doing things for others but never doing anything for yourself?

Start to set boundaries in this area. If you feel like you are overworked, limit yourself. If you don’t like the way people talk to you, start to compile a list of things people can no longer say to you. Once you set your boundaries, the hard part comes in. Staying consistent.

When you are consistent, it lets people know that you mean business. Not everyone is out to get you or make your life miserable, but when you are consistent people will realize what they can and can’t get away with. If you give them an inch, they may take a mile, so keep your boundaries stable. If you find that you need to compromise, try to find a way that you can be flexible and still hold onto your self-respect.

Learn To Love Yourself

It will be pretty hard to set boundaries when you don’t love yourself. So this is something that you need to learn. There are ways you can fall in love with yourself like writing down things you like about yourself, giving yourself compliments, and practicing positive self-talk. A healthy self-esteem doesn’t happen overnight, so be diligent and remind yourself that you are worth it.

What are some boundaries that you have placed that have made your life better? We would love to hear your example 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"]

Do you or someone you love suffer from ADD or ADHD? There are numerous symptoms like hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and trouble learning. But did you know that some psychologists believe that someone with ADD or ADHD can also experience something known as rejection sensitivity dysphoria which makes rejection a lot harder to handle?

People who have ADD or ADHD can become more sensitive to rejection. They call it rejection sensitivity dysphoria. However, the idea is still a little new to the psychology world. Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) has been used to explain borderline personality patients, but Dr. William Dodson was the first to associate this condition with ADHD.

What It’s Like To Have RSD

People who have ADD or ADHD aren’t weak; they just feel certain things stronger. Imagine for a moment that everytime you enter a door, a small needle is pricked into your finger. Of course, it stings a little, but it isn’t so bad, and you can go about your day. Then when your friend goes through a door, they are met with a bowling ball falling on their head, which makes them decide they just aren’t going to go through doors anymore. It isn’t because they can’t handle the same activities as you, such as going from room to room, it’s because there is a difference in the severity of the consequences.

Rejection sensitivity dysphoria is an extreme emotional sensitivity to the perception of rejection or criticism. The rejection doesn’t even have to be real. This response can also be triggered by feeling like you are falling short of expectations either set by yourself or others.

How RSD Can Affect Everyday Life

If RSD isn’t managed, it can turn into a full-blown mood disorder which can lead to suicidal behavior from internalizing this feeling of lack of self-worth. If the person goes the opposite way and externalizes this feeling, their behavior can be seen as harsh and full of rage. Everyone experiences ADHD different, which may be one reason there are so many possible misdiagnoses.

People with RSD are often misdiagnosed as having a social phobia. While they may not be fearful of the people around them, but the seemingly inevitable rejection and criticism that comes along with social activity. Having RSD can make someone feel that rejection is imminent, leading them to isolate themselves in order to have protection from such extreme negative feelings.

People with ADHD can turn into people pleaser who have no boundaries and don’t know how to say no. They will do almost anything in order to make people happy, even if it costs them their health or sanity. It can also make people close themselves off, not trying anything at all, to avoid the rejection that they are so sure is coming.

Why Does This Happen?

This dysphoria may happen because of a chemical imbalance. Studies show that people who have ADD or ADHD have certain areas in their brain that are smaller than those without ADD or ADHD. Two of the regions of the brain, the amygdala and the hippocampus, are smaller in people who have ADHD. The amygdala is our fear response, which is overactive when it is at a smaller size, and the hippocampus is where our emotions, learning, and memory come from. Though psychologists haven’t discovered exactly why this dysphoria happens, it could be triggered by an overactive fear response and a difference in fear conditioning and memory.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you have ADHD and rejection makes your stomach turn, and you feel like the whole world hates you and you can’t do anything right and you never will, talk to your doctor about it. There is a specific reason you are feeling this way, and the reason isn’t that your thoughts are true. You can do anything, being rejected or criticized doesn’t define your capabilities.

Your doctor can help you cope with these feelings and learning skills to help you accomplish things in life even if you end up getting a big fat “NO.” They may also prescribe you medication to make your emotions less severe. Something like CBD hemp oil may be able to help calm down your mind so that you can tackle anything that comes your way.

Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. When one is suffering, the other is sure to follow. Depression is no fun in the mind to begin with, and it can also cause you health issues involved with the rest of your body.  The funny thing about depression is that it can make you not care about getting better, but these health risks in addition to symptoms of depression may be some good motivation to get some help.

What Is Depression

We have all heard someone say that they feel depressed. Whether it is because a loved one died or someone’s favorite show got canceled. But depression is more than just being utterly bummed out; depression is a mental illness that involves changes in the brain that make everyday life difficult.

We used to believe that depression was just your brain not producing the chemicals needed to function properly. But studies have shown that depression may be more than that. In a world filled with pathogens, scientists believe that our body has an inflammatory bias because of a genetic component that is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. This inflammatory response is what they believe causes depression.

A common thing I think about is how mental illnesses are like bad superpowers. Someone with social anxiety is exceptionally perceptive, yet this perceptiveness causes them to be fearful of the world around them. Someone with BPD can feel as if they actually feel others emotions for their heightened feelings and ability to read a room like no other, but their emotions are so out of control they can take over. When you have depression, scientists believe that you have successfully made it through the gene pool, and your body strives to keep the host, you, alive. But at the same time, the inflammation causes an illness that makes you wonder if it is worth it to keep on living.

Symptoms Of Depression

• Feelings of intense sadness or emptiness
• Feelings of anxiety
• Feeling helpless, worthless, or guilty
• Feeling hopeless and pessimistic
• Thoughts of suicide
• Change in eating behavior
• Change in sleep patterns
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling irritable
• Losing interest in activities you once loved
• Aches and pains

How Depression Affects The Body

While we know that depression can cause a whole bunch of different problems in the mind, what some of us forget is that it bleeds over into our physical health as well. This can cause a vicious cycle of physical health getting worse, followed by mental health getting worse, followed by physical health getting worse and so on.

Weight Changes

Depression can cause you to lose or gain weight at an alarming rate toward a weight that can cause health complications. Research shows that depression affects people differently, with some having a strong reaction to food and others who don’t.  

Sometimes people with depression can’t bring themselves to eat. Something as simple as having to prepare a meal seems so exhausting they would rather go without. The symptoms of lack of pleasure can make the work of eating seem like a waste since you don’t feel the reward. This shows true in the study, showing that people who have a loss of appetite don’t have a reward reaction when presented with food.

The feeling of how food reacts with your reward system can have the opposite effect and give you comfort making you eat every time you are upset which may be often. Many times people confuse emotional eating with satiating hunger when this is not the case. In the study, it showed that people who had an increase in appetite had a strong reaction in their brain when presented food.

Pain

People who have depression may start to experience unexplainable aches and pains in their body. This can be muscle pain, headaches, joint pain, and tenderness in areas. People who experience chronic pain can also develop depression. The link between depression and pain is because both use the same signaling pathways, neurotransmitters, and brain structures.

Heart Disease

Chronic stressors can make cardiovascular disease more likely to develop. One of the symptoms of depression is feeling irritable or anxious, which can contribute to having constant stress in your life. Depression as also been linked to coronary heart disease and stroke. Scientists haven’t found why this link exists, but they do have some theories.

One of the leading theories is that when someone is depressed, they may lose motivation to practice a healthy lifestyle. This means they aren’t eating healthy, exercising regularly, or sleeping well. When it comes to comfort eating, many people turn to foods that aren’t good for the body without balancing it out with nutritional meals.

Inflammation

Studies have shown that people with depression or anxiety are more likely to have issues with inflammation than those without depression. Chronic stress and depression have been linked to inflammation and changes in the immune system, and it might be because of the bad superpower mentioned earlier. Because our bodies are thriving in a pathogen-filled world, scientists believe that we have evolved into inflammatory bias making people with depression more prone to inflammation.

Changes In Sleep

About three-quarters of people who suffer from depression also have insomnia. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body isn’t going through the process that helps repair cells to keep you in tip-top shape. Not getting enough sleep can also cause you to become moody, weaken your immune system, gain weight, elevate your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and disrupt your cognitive functions.

Getting Depression Under Control

If you don’t take care of yourself and work to treat your depression and all of the symptoms, it can start to wear your body down. There are several different ways you can go about managing your depression, but so far the best equation that yields the most success is coupling therapy and medication.

Researchers are starting to advise that doctors not only take into account the chemical imbalance that is depression but to use anti-inflammatory properties in medicine for treatment as well. Unfortunately, depression medication can take a while to start working. For some medications, it can take over a month. But new research about using medical cannabis shows that it may be able to not only tackle many of the symptoms but also work quickly.

Not everyone lives in a place where THC full plant medical marijuana is an option. Not everyone wants to use THC because it can make the user high, like with the elderly or children. CBD oil is becoming extremely popular in all aspects of health, including with people who have depression.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical that comes from the cannabis plant. This chemical is found both in cannabis that contains THC, as well as hemp plants that have untraceable amounts of THC. At CBD instead, we provide an option of products made from the hemp plant to ensure that people in all 50 states can benefit from medical cannabis.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD doesn’t directly bind to the cannabinoid receptors in your brain like THC does, this is why it doesn’t get you high. Instead, CBD hemp oil elevates chemicals that already exist within your brain called endocannabinoids. These chemicals bind to cannabinoid receptors and help mediate your endocannabinoid system, which is the system in your body that makes sure your body is balanced and working efficiently.

Endocannabinoids And Cannabinoid Receptors

We know of two cannabinoid receptors, and possibly a third, that are all over your body. The CB1 receptor is mainly located in the brain, though it is found all over the body, and your CB2 receptors are spread evenly throughout.

The endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-ag, bind to both receptors. But they only have a strong bond with one receptor. Anandamide has a strong bond with the CB1 receptor, which helps mediate neurological functions like mood, appetite, sleep, and pain. The 2-AG endocannabinoid primarily binds with the CB2 receptor which helps regulate immune functions.

CBD For Depression

Recent studies revealed this year that CBD might be able to interact with a depressed brain quickly. In the study, they tested rodent models with CBD oil. In just thirty minutes, the rodent models were experiencing antidepressant effects.

But there is more to CBD than this. Not only may it tackle the underlying causes of depression by elevating chemicals that are usually lacking in depressed brains, but CBD hemp oil may also have the ability to address other symptoms and reduce the risk of disease that is associated with depression.

CBD For Weight Change

Cannabidiol may be able to help both sides of this coin. Cannabidiol is being known in the scientific community as being a regulator. They notice in many studies that it doesn’t affect the healthy participants in the same way it does with people who are ill.

Because anandamide binds to the CB1 receptor, elevating it helps to regulate neurological functions like your appetite. If you are underweight, you may be able to start gaining weight with CBD. For those of you who have become overweight, CBD oil may be able to help regulate your appetite so you can begin to lose weight.

CBD For Pain

You feel pain because your brain tells you to. Thanks, brain. But when CBD elevates anandamide, it may be able to help reduce your sensitivity to pain. By binding to the CB1 receptor, anandamide is able to tell the cell to stop sending out so many pain signals granting relief.

CBD For Heart Disease

Studies have shown that there are at least three big ways CBD may be able to help prevent or manage heart disease. CBD oil may be able to help with arrhythmias, which is when you heart isn’t beating the way it should. It also lowers blood pressure and may be able to help with inflammation of the heart.

CBD For Inflammation

Mentioned above, CBD helps with inflammation of the heart. This isn’t the only place it can help with inflammation though. Because your body is covered with CB2 receptors, CBD may be able to reach anywhere in your body to control inflammation, including the brain. When CBD elevates the 2-AG endocannabinoid, 2-AG binds to the CB2 receptor telling the cell to stop sending out so many attack cells reducing inflammation.

CBD For Sleep

If you aren’t getting a restful night’s sleep, you might be having disturbed sleep which makes it harder for your body to reach the REM stage. In this stage, your body is working hard to recover from a hard day. Without REM, our bodies would wear down a lot faster. CBD has shown that it may be able to help with sleep by regulating your sleep-wake cycle as well as promoting the REM stage of sleep.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you have depression, keep in touch with your doctor. If you don’t have one, now is the time. They can help determine how severe your depression is as well as help monitor the symptoms. They can also help decide what medication route is best for you. If you want to try CBD, going in well informed will be the best way to go about it. With the go-ahead from your doctor, stop by our shop and check out what products we have that would benefit you the most!

When someone experiences trauma, they may develop PTSD which can cause relationship problems. This can cause people to withdraw from their loved ones suffering from PTSD, not fully understanding why changes in the relationships are happening. Learning why these changes occur and what you and your loved one can do may be able to help your relationship stay strong and healthy.

What Is PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychological disorder that someone can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. It causes people to become guarded, occupied with their own thoughts, and withdrawn from the world around them. This can cause a strain on relationships, but it doesn’t have to.

How PTSD Works

Traumatic events like abuse, war, or watching someone die can cause people to develop PTSD, but scientists believe that it is more than the event that causes this disorder. In a study, they found that when someone already has a dysregulated hippocampus, they are more likely to develop PTSD from a traumatic event.

The hippocampus is a part of the limbic system. It plays an essential role in forming new memories from past experiences. People with PTSD have a smaller hippocampus, which makes it overactive potentially explaining the flashbacks and constant anxiety.

The amygdala is another part of the limbic system which controls your fear response. It is this little alarm in your head that goes off when you sense a threat and has your body act accordingly. If a tiger were chasing you, your amygdala would freak out and put your body into overdrive so you could try and escape to safety.

The amygdala is also what puts emotions to your memories, including the feeling of fear. People with PTSD experience heightened activity in the amygdala, which makes their fear response more severe causing constant stress on the person afflicted.

The overactivity in the limbic system trickles into the medial prefrontal cortex, which is what is in charge of the decision-making process. It has also been suggested that it plays a crucial role in retrieving long-term memories. When someone has PTSD, they aren’t just plagued by terrorizing memories. They are suffering from their brain making changes, which can causes problems in relationships.

Problems In Relationships PTSD May Cause

Feeling Numb And Distant

Immediately after someone experiences a traumatic event, they may begin to withdraw and become distant to those who love them. They often harbor feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment which can cause them to isolate themselves. Many people struggling with PTSD also have problems with trust, closeness, problem-solving, and communication which can make them feel the need to ride this disorder out alone. But isolating yourself when struggling with something as serious as PTSD will most likely make the problems worse.

Not Participating In Social Activities

People who experience PTSD might go out of their way to avoid triggers. This could be going out and having fun with friends to being intimate with their partner. This can cause their partner to become confused, thinking that they are the problem. If this is you, you are not the problem.

Someone with PTSD is likely always on guard because their brain is telling them to be. Searching for triggers everywhere to make sure that they feel safe and compelling them to avoid these situations. With their amygdala being overactive, these triggers can be everywhere, causing fear at every corner.

Negative Mood

Fear can often be represented as irritability or anger, which many people with PTSD struggle with. It can put them in a constant sour mood, making being around them less pleasant. If they are socially isolating themselves, this can also cause them to become cold and callous in order to protect themselves.

Overprotective

Someone with PTSD may become overbearing in the desire to protect the ones that they love. This fear that they harbor can turn outward, making them seem irrational in their decisions when in their mind they are making the right call. This can cause a partner to feel powerless to their control.

Violence

Verbal and physical violence are common in people who suffer from PTSD. And this is one thing that can truly destroy a relationship. You should in no way put yourself or anyone you love in danger in order to aid their healing process, but keeping in mind that they aren’t well can help motivate you to get them the help that they need.

People with PTSD have also shown to have issues controlling their impulses. This can make a partner feel like that any wrong move they make will cause an eruption of anger either physically or emotionally. This can also be another reason they push people away, knowing they could explode at any moment.

Difficulty Being A Team Player

When you love someone and want to spend your life with them, making crucial decisions together is a bonding experience and something that needs to be done to make the relationship strong and healthy. However, because of the dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex, people with PTSD often have a difficult time making decisions.

Having to make every decision on your own can become exhausting over time, and their inability to set their mind on anything can be frustrating for them as well. But you don’t have to live like this forever; you can make changes in your lives that help the both of you live a happy life together.

How Can Someone With PTSD Have Healthy Relationships?

PTSD can change the way that the person afflicted treats their loved ones, which can make their loved ones treat them differently. This turns around and makes the person with PTSD feel attacked or vulnerable creating a vicious cycle, but there are things that people with PTSD can do to manage healthy relationships.

• Build a personal support network that can help you cope with PTSD while working on relationships
• Build skills in problem-solving and connecting with others
• Learn how to play, be creative, relax, and enjoy others again with these skills
• Share feelings honestly and openly
• Rebuild strength in compassion and understanding

How To Fix Relationship Problems With PTSD

Have the problems already started? There are ways that you and your loved one can help make your relationship better together.

• Couples Therapy
• One-on-One therapy
• Group Therapy
• Anger and Stress Management
• Family Therapy
• Assertiveness Training

Considering the brain changes involved in PTSD can get pretty severe the longer it goes untreated, doctors often suggest taking medication along with therapy. Often time people with PTSD are prescribed an anti-anxiety medication or mood stabilizers to help with their condition. Studies have shown that taking CBD hemp oil may also be a valid treatment option.

How CBD Oil May Be Able To Help

Cannabidiol has shown in studies that it may be able to help with PTSD on several different levels. It has access to different parts of your brain because of its interaction with the endocannabinoid system. By elevating chemicals, opening pathways, and stimulating or strengthening receptors, CBD oil may be able to help make this journey through PTSD easier for both you and your partner.

CBD And The Hippocampus

So we know that one part of the brain that is affected by PTSD and may even cause vulnerability to the disorder is the hippocampus. Cannabidiol may be able to help repair the hippocampal damage through neurogenesis, which may be able to prevent the development of PTSD or work as a treatment.

CBD And The Amygdala

An overactive amygdala is a reason that people with PTSD are always plagued with fear and CBD oil may be able to help. While researching how CBD helps with anxiety, scientists discovered that it helps to reduce the overactivity of the amygdala. This may be able to help the person suffering from PTSD experience fear less often and less severe.

CBD And The Medial Prefrontal Cortex

In a study where they gave rodent models CBD, they found that it was able to help reduce their perceived fear through its interaction with the medial prefrontal cortex. In this study, they also note how CBD works in an upside-down U shape when it comes to dosing. When the rodent models were given double the amount of CBD, it actually worsened their contextual fear.

CBD For Depression

Many people who have PTSD may also develop depression. This could be because of life changes or social isolation, but studies suggest that depression may come from the way that stress and anxiety harm the brain through inflammation.  

Studies have shown that CBD oil can help with inflammation, which may include inflammation of the brain contributing to stall the degrading process. Researchers also believe that it can act as a fast-acting antidepressant, showing in rodent models to work in as little as thirty minutes.

Time To Get Serious

If you or your loved one have PTSD and it is making your relationship challenging to maintain, talk to a doctor. After reading this article, you have a good idea of what is going on in their brain, and this isn’t something that “getting over it” can fix. A therapist can help you and your loved one work through these problems together, helping you to become stronger on the other side. And don’t forget to mention adding CBD oil into the mix, it may be the stepping stone you both need to a healthier tomorrow.

 Do you have any tips you would like someone to know when it comes to loving someone with PTSD? We would love to hear about it in the comment section!

[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"]

I grew up in a musically inclined house. My grandfather was a band director, my mother played the cello, my sister played the flute, and I was the little drummer girl of the house until I graduated high school (sorry neighbors!). What I didn’t realize was that growing up with music, both classical and pop culture, were forming the way that I dealt with the world. To this day I rely on music for coping, focus, and relaxation. Researchers have long known the health benefits of music and integrating it into therapy, could music therapy be something that you need in your life?

What Is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is “clinical and evidence-based use of music intervention to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” Musical therapists will either play recorded music, use live performance, or have the patient participate in making music in order to achieve therapeutic effects. Musical therapists mix music theory and neuroscience by using different aspects of music to help maximize the positive results of musical therapy.

Tempo

Tempo is the speed of the underlying beat, meaning it is how fast the musical piece is. Musicians measure this in beats per minute (BPM).

Rhythm

Rhythm is the beat and flow of the musical piece. It is made up of both sounds and silence to make the piece come together and follows the tempo.

Tone

The tone is the frequency balance in the music. It is characterized by the duration and pitch of the instrument.

Timbre

Timbre is a combination of may characteristics including tone, the strength of the harmonics, the quality of the music, and how the sound varies over time.

Volume

This is what you would expect, how loud the music is. This shouldn’t be confused with dynamics, which is how the songs changes in intensity throughout.  

It is no surprise that music has effects on the brain, but it is the particular areas of the brain that it effects that make this type of therapy so useful.

Music Therapy And The Brain

In a study where patients were hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine (fMRI) while listening to music showed researchers what parts of the brain were active while the subjects listened to music. When it came to the brain processing the timbre of the music, the cognitive areas of the cerebellum and sensory and default mode network cerebrocortical areas were activated. When the brain was registering the tone, rhythm, and tempo, cortical and subcortical cognitive, motor, and emotion-related circuits were activated. Because large-scale cognitive, motor, and limbic brain circuitry are all associated with processing music, musical therapy could be a valid option for a myriad of health issues both physical and mental.

Different Types Of Music Therapy

Music therapy can range from listening to music to playing it. Knowing the benefits and style of each type of treatment can help you determine what might work best for you. You can find a full and more detailed list here.

Bonny Method Of Imagery And Music

This type of therapy is when you utilize guided imagery along with the therapeutic effects of music. This type of treatment can help people who are struggling with psychological and physiological issues. The patient is instructed to focus on an image as a starting point to think about and discuss problems they are having. Adding music into the mix is supposed to help with the healing process as well as awareness.

Dalcroze Eurythmics

This method is teaching music as a type of therapy. It focuses on rhythm, structure, and movement expression. It is supposed to help people with motor functions, as well as to improve physical awareness.

Neurologic Music Therapy

This type of musical therapy is based on neuroscience, the science of the brain. This type of therapy utilizes the perception and production of music, and it’s influence on the brain. Doctors who use this type of treatment claim that engaging with music causes changes to the brain that may be influencing motor skills.

Nordoff-Robbins

This type of therapy was developed for disabled children who have autism, learning disabilities, mood disorders, or developmental delays. This type of music therapy is widely used and is known for being accessible to all skill levels and ages.

Orff-Schulwerk

This is another type of therapy geared toward children with developmental disabilities. This type of musical therapy emphasizes schoolwork as well as humanistic psychology. Using this therapy may help a child with learning at school and improve their behavior with others.

Music Therapy For Fear And Anxiety

Music therapy has shown to have a physiological effect on the autonomic nervous system, which can help with fear and anxiety. With patients who were in the hospital for acute heart attacks, they found that using music therapy helped to reduce their stress. In the study, they found that the music helped by modifying the release of stress hormones.

When terminally ill children are in the pediatric hospital, knowing that their days are more numbered than they should be can cause an enormous amount of fear. This isn’t something any child should go through considering many adults can’t even handle this fear, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Research shows that utilizing music therapy for these children helped with their fear and anxiety. For the children who weren’t able to see their family as often as they needed, music therapy also helped fill in that social gap.

Musical Therapy And Pain

It is weird to think that music can help someone who is in pain, but research shows that it may be able to help. Studies have shown that music therapy may be beneficial for before, during, and after a medical procedure. Researchers found that calm, slow, and relaxing music proved to be beneficial with reducing pain. They also stated that it might be able to cut down on recovery time.

In patients who were undergoing heart surgery, they had some of them listen to music while in intensive care. What they found is that the music released oxytocin, which helps reduce pain signals being sent in your body.

Music Therapy And Parkinson’s Disease

While studying music therapy with Parkinson’s patients, they found that it may be beneficial in helping with sensory loss, depression, as well as the patients’ motor scores. Music therapy had an overall effect on increasing performance in daily activities, improving rhythmic limb movements, gait, and freezing in Parkinson’s patients.

Music Therapy And Alzheimer’s

Participating in making music opposed to listening to it has shown to be beneficial in Alzheimer patients. Making music has shown to help improve their cognitive functions and even reduce the amount of medication needed. The study states that this form of music therapy showed improvement in mood, self-expression, organization of the mental process, sensory stimulation, and motor control.

Music Therapy And Schizophrenia

Music therapy can even be beneficial to schizophrenia patients according to research. The schizophrenia patients who underwent music therapy showed an improvement in psychological symptoms and a slight increase in interpersonal relationships. However, in this study, their quality of life stayed the same.

Music Therapy And Delayed Speech Development

In children who have learning disabilities or autism, their speech development may be slowed by the way their brain functions. Research shows that music therapy improved children’s phonological memory as well as their understanding of sentence structure. Utilizing music therapy also showed an improvement in the development of speech and cognitive abilities.  

Music Therapy And Premature Babies

Researchers had live music playing for premature infants with respiratory issues, clinical sepsis, and SGA three times a week within a two-week period. During lullabies, the heart rate of the infants lowered, and when the parent sang it the feeding behaviors improved, and it improved bonding and relationship between parent and child.

Music Therapy And Depression

When comparing patients who went through music therapy versus psychological treatment, they found that the patients who experienced the music therapy had less depressive symptoms than those going through psychotherapy. More research suggests that coupling music therapy alongside traditional psychotherapy can be beneficial for people with depression. When patients were experiencing both types of treatments, they exhibited a reduction in symptoms at a higher capacity than those who only had psychotherapy.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you believe that music therapy may benefit you, talk to your doctor about finding a specialist near you to get you started. Utilizing a psychiatrist and medicine like CBD oil can also help elevate your recovery process.

Have you ever experienced music therapy? We would love to hear how it worked for you and any tips you might have for people who may be considering 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"]

Someone who has diabetes might have a bag that has their insulin, a snack, and the supplies they need to monitor their blood sugar. Considering they may not be able to control when they get food in certain situations, these kits can save their life or a trip to the hospital. When it comes to people who struggle with mental health, this emergency kit can be a pretty good idea. Here are just a few ideas of some things that you should keep in your emergency mental health kit that even just having these items within reach may give you peace of mind.

Headphones

Sometimes you need to escape from the world that is pushing down on you. If you are easily stimulated by your sense, being in a crowded area or around unpleasant noises might trigger you. If you love music, why not trade the negative sound into something more positive? This can help you take a break and give yourself some much-needed music therapy.

Fidget Toys

Fidget toys are things like fidget spinners, stress balls, or anything to keep your hands busy to help with your racing mind. According to studies, fidgeting with things around you can help you focus. Fidgeting may be able to help you block out distractions, help with boredom, and may even be able to help improve your productivity.

NoteBook

As a writer, I cannot express enough how much writing helps the mind. It is something that I have been doing since childhood, and I can tell you first hand it helps me out a lot. But don’t listen to me, science says so, too! Research shows that for those who manage their emotions through expression, expressive writing reduced anxiety levels. And who knows? Maybe you’ll come up with some dark, depressing, beautiful poetry that will make you famous one day.

Self-Note

Do you fall into negative thoughts causing your depression or anxiety disorder to take hold of you? It can be so difficult to get out of it, but writing down positive affirmations that are targeted toward your usual negative train of thought may be able to help. If you start to feel overwhelmed, read these notes to yourself to help get yourself out of that hole.

CBD Oil

A lot of emergency kits have Advil, essential oils, and body creams to help with pain, brain fog, anxiety, and other symptoms of mental illness that may become overbearing. But the cool thing about CBD oil is you only have to use one thing to take care of several symptoms.

Using CBD oil in your emergency kit may be able to help with bouts of severe depression, ruminating thoughts, panic attacks, headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue. We suggest having candy, vapes, or tinctures in the emergency kit because they work more quickly than pills or edibles. If your mental illness causes a rash to flare up, keeping a topical on hand may also grant you quick relief.  

Why Keep A Mental Health Emergency Kit

Having this emergency kit makes it to where you have things that you need in a crisis right there, so you don’t have to go look for it. When you are in the middle of an episode, simply being unable to find something that will help you at first glance is a big enough deterrent to cause you to continue to suffer in your head. If you have a mental health emergency kit, what do you keep inside? We would love to hear what works best for you in the comment section!

Bringing another human into this world using your body to create it Is one of the most beautiful things our bodies can do, even if it is a pretty gross process. But not all women can jump into this new role with a perky smile and tons of energy, some women experience postpartum depression, and CBD may be able to help.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown in studies to work as an anti-depressant, and may even work faster than common pharmaceuticals. By elevating chemicals that are usually lacking in depressed patients, CBD may be able to help those who are experiencing postpartum depression.

What Is Postpartum Depression?

After having a baby, some women may feel intense sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that makes it difficult to take care of day to day life for them and their family. After giving birth, the mother’s hormones drop quickly. This chemical change can cause the mother to start feeling mood swings and develop postpartum depression. Considering that many new mothers are unable to get the rest they need, sleep deprivation can also take part in developing this condition.

Symptoms Of Postpartum Depression

• Feeling sadness, hopelessness, emptiness, or overwhelmed
• Feeling anxious or overly worrying
• Oversleeping or having difficulty sleeping
• Losing interest in hobbies or other things they once enjoyed
• Feeling moody, restless, irritable, or having trouble with anger or rage
• Crying often for no apparent reason
• Trouble concentrating, making decisions, or remembering details
• Drastic change in appetite
• Thinking about harming themselves or their baby
• Continually doubting their ability to parent
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Feeling physical aches and pains
• Having a difficult time bonding with the baby

Risk Factors Of Developing Postpartum Depression

• Symptoms of depression during or after a previous pregnancy
• Medical complications during childbirth
• Previously having depression or bipolar disorder
• Stressful life event during or shortly after pregnancy
• Having a family member with depression
• Lack of support from family or friends
• Drug and alcohol abuse issues
• Mixed feelings about the pregnancy

Treating Postpartum Depression

Therapy is one thing that can help, but doctors may also advise taking antidepressants. But lately, research has been suggesting that mothers can find the same success using CBD hemp oil.

Recent studies have revealed in rodent models that CBD elevates chemicals in the brain that are lacking in depression patients such as synaptophysin, PSD95, and BDNF. The exciting discovery they found was that these effects came into effect in just thirty minutes of administration.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you are suffering from postpartum depression, talk to your doctor if you feel that CBD oil is the right decision for you. They can help you monitor your progress and can help you determine whether or not CBD will interact with other medications you are taking. You can find excellent quality products in our shop that can help you along the way.

Once upon a time people who threw their lives away gambling were seen as heathens that didn’t understand how to be an upstanding citizen. But now, scientists have discovered that pathological gambling is a neurological issue. Considering that CBD has shown to help people quit their cravings for hardcore drugs like painkillers, can CBD help with gambling addiction?

Cannabidiol (CBD) may be able to help with gambling addiction because of how it interacts with the reward system. It also has shown to help regulate activity in certain parts of the brain that may help with impulse control issues and decision-making skills. But to know if CBD even has a chance to help with this issue, knowing how exactly gambling addiction works is where we need to start.

Gambling And Your Brain

Researchers published a study in 2017 that targeted the brain pathways and their link to gambling addiction. They found that parts of the brain that control impulses can be weakened by people who pathologically gamble. It’s still largely unknown how it all works, but they are gaining more as research on this topic progresses.

The Insula And The Nucleus Accumbens

In this study, they found that the insula and the nucleus accumbens are affected by gambling addiction. These parts of the brain are involved in decision making, the reward system, and impulse control and are also linked to alcohol addiction. When they had test subjects looking at electronic casino images, the insula and the nucleus accumbens were active while the test subjects reported a craving to gamble from the pictures.

They also found that people who had weaker connections between the nucleus accumbens and the frontal lobe had more severe cravings. These same weak connections are also found in people who have drug addiction issues. Scientists note that these weakened connections can be weakened by mood and further reduced by stress which could be the reason that gamblers relapse when they go through a hard time.

The Reward System

Researchers have also discovered that pathological gambling alters the reward system. When gambling addicts and healthy volunteers were both tested, they found that the gamblers didn’t receive the same level of euphoria as the healthy subjects. This leaves researchers to believe that this is why it becomes an addiction.

The Prefrontal Cortex

Scientists have discovered that the prefrontal cortex in gamblers is altered, hindering their decision-making skills. This problem in the brain can also result in sensitivity to cues that cause cravings, a poor working memory, and the feeling that the value of the simulation from the drug holds more value than it really does.

Gambling addiction is very harmful, and not just for the wallet. Research has shown that people who are pathological gamblers are more likely to exhibit poor mental and physical health.

Physical Health Issues With Gamblers

• Sleep Deprivation
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Hypertension
• Peptic Ulcer Disease

Mental Health Issues With Gamblers

• Exacerbation Or Initiation Of Depressive Episodes
• Intense Levels Of Guilt Or Shame
• Inclination Toward Deceptive Practices
• Impulse Control Issues
• Impaired Decision Making

Social Issues With Gamblers

• Loss Of Productivity In Work
• Involvement With The Law Enforcement
• Strained Interpersonal Relationships

How To Gambling Addicts Get Treated?

Gambling addiction isn’t like a sprained ankle that you can just put on ice and be done with. It is a psychological issue that some think never goes away. Instead, it is something that you learn how to manage, like most addictions and other psychological problems.

Not all therapies work for everyone. Someone might find more success in group therapy while others may feel that the one on one connection is what they need to get better. If you or your loved one are truly committed to kicking this addiction, learning all of your options before you dive in may be able to help speed up the process.

Mood stabilizers and antidepressants are also used to help with the craving to gamble. These can also help with issues that come along with pathological gambling. While pharmaceutical options exist, studies have begun to reveal that cannabidiol may be able to help in the same ways.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol is a chemical that comes from the cannabis plant. CBD is found in both species of cannabis, the marijuana plant and the hemp plant. In states where marijuana is legal, you’ll likely find CBD oil that comes from the marijuana plant. In areas where it is illegal, hemp-derived CBD oil like at CBD Instead is the legal option because it contains less than .03% of THC.

CBD, unlike THC, is one of the many cannabinoids in the cannabis plant that doesn’t get the user high. Compared to other cannabinoids, it has a broader range of abilities making it a prime subject for scientists to research for medical purposes.

CBD works by enhancing chemicals in your body, opening pathways in the brain, and stimulating certain receptors. The system in our body that it most closely works with is our endocannabinoid system.

What Is The Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system is a system in your body that is in charge of regulation. When you get sick, it gives you a fever. When you break your leg, it dulls the pain and promotes healing. Scientists believe that CBD works so well because it may help enhance this regulation process by elevating endocannabinoids which bind to your cannabinoid receptors.

Endocannabinoids And Cannabinoid Receptors

There are two main endocannabinoids that influence a wide variety of things in the body and brain by binding to two different cannabinoid receptors. While the endocannabinoids interact with both receptors, each chemical has a stronger bond to a particular CB receptor.

The first endocannabinoid, anandamide, mainly binds to the CB1 receptor. This receptor helps mediate the neurological functions in your body like your sensitivity to pain, sleep cycle, appetite, and mood. The other endocannabinoid, 2-AG, mainly binds to the CB2 receptor which helps to regulate your immune functions. CBD may be able to help regulate all of these different areas because of its ability to enhance endocannabinoids. It may not be able to treat everything, but this variety of potential has a pretty wide range.

How Could CBD Help With Gambling Addictions?

CBD And The Insula

One of the areas of the brain that links to gambling addiction is the overactivity of the insula. In a study with patients who had panic disorder, neural imaging showed that CBD oil reduced the activity in parts of the brain, including the insula.

When studying people who smoked cigarettes, which is also an addiction, they were trying to see if CBD could help with the cognitive deficits related to nicotine withdrawal. In the report, they note that CBD did reduce the activity of the insula which may be why it was successful in reducing smoking cessations.

When researchers were testing to see if high doses of CBD would bring on THC-like effects, they reported that high doses of CBD at 600MG functionally deactivated the insula. They also reported that even at high doses, you still do not receive any THC-like effects.

CBD And The Reward System

When someone is addicted to a substance like alcohol or heroin, their reward system lights up when they use the substance, but it gets harder to achieve that initial euphoria creating the chase. This same process happens to people who gamble.

Cannabidiol has been studied on its ability to help regulate the reward system to offer as a treatment to people who are abusing substances. They found that CBD influenced the relapse stage of drug abstinence, helping to reduce cue-induced drug-seeking behaviors.

CBD And Depression

Studies have indicated that depression can play a role in the impulsivity that drives someone to gamble. This makes sense because there is evidence that there is more activity in the prefrontal cortex in patients with depression due to damage.

Recent rodent models have given us exciting things to look forward to as the research progresses, showing that CBD may act as a fast-acting antidepressant. In the study, the rodent models received antidepressant effects in just thirty minutes. One of the chemicals that was elevated was the chemical called BDNF, which acts as a brain fertilizer helping to repair the brain. One of the areas in the brain that received this elevation of BDNF is the prefrontal cortex.

Talk To Your Doctor

If you or your loved one are struggling with a gambling problem, get help now before it is too late. Many families have been torn apart and lives ruined because of this addiction, but it isn’t incurable which is good news for you.

When you see your doctor, they can help you figure out new coping mechanisms and help you become accountable. If you are taking any other medication, they can help you determine whether or not CBD may interfere with those medicines. The medicine won't make it all go away and cure you forever, but it may make the journey to recovery a little easier. Stop by our shop today to pick up the tools you need for success.

Have you ever had a gambling problem? What did you do to help get your life back on track? We would love to hear any tips and tricks you might have and we always love a good success story. Leave yours 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"]

The mental health stigma in the workplace is costing employers more money and providing them with less productive employees. The negative stigma on mental health is evident in many outlets of our lives, and one great place to start abolishing it is in the workplace.

Why Employers Should Focus On Mental Health

Money

It may seem like focusing on treatment plans and having a compassionate environment is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive, but it would actually save employers money. About 80% of workers who have been treated reported that their productivity and job satisfaction increased. This means taking less sick days, being in the doctor’s office less often, and using their paid time more effectively which results in lower medical cost and smarter spending.

It’s Extremely Common

1 in 5 adults has a mental illness in America. One of the most popular mental illnesses, depression, has shown to cause a decrease in productivity making a good amount of employees unable to function at their highest capacity. Research has discovered that ADHD is also common in the workplace, causing scientists to urge employers to participate in offering accessible mental health treatment options.

It Creates A Healthy Work Environment

If you as an employer were receptive and accepting to the reality of mental health, more employees would come forward with their issues. In the 1 in 5 adults who have a disorder or illness, 56% of them don’t receive treatment. Giving them the opportunity to come forward and letting them gain access to the help they need could put a considerable dent in that statistic. Having this type of atmosphere in your workplace can improve relationships and increase the productivity of your employees.

How Can You Help?

Whether you are a small business owner or in a high seat in a large corporation, being compassionate and understanding toward your employees can go a long way. Many people who have anxiety won’t even tell their employers that they have this disorder because they are afraid it may cost them a chance at a promotion, make them seem unwilling to do their job, or not be taken seriously. Being obvious about how you care about their well-being may help them come forward and get the treatment they need.

Do you work in a place that cares about your mental health? What does your company do that makes you feel safe and has helped you in your process of recovery? Have you worked somewhere that made you feel small and insignificant or fearful of explaining your illness? Tell us your story 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"]