Hemp Oil Products for Mental Health
Mental disorders are something that millions of people struggle with every single day. While treating them can be difficult due to their nature, over the years there has been an increase in the number of products that help minimize the individual symptoms of the most common mental health conditions – one of which is Hemp Oil.
In this article, we will go through what Hemp Oil is, how it works, how it can be helpful in terms of mental health disorders, and more.
Hemp Oil – What Is It?
Hemp Oil is one of the chemical compounds of the cannabis sativa plant. Contrary to THC, which is a compound that causes the ‘high’ usually associated with marijuana, it is not psychedelic. This means that it will most likely not cause any psychotic symptoms to the person that consumes it, no matter in which form they do it. While Hemp Oil is most commonly consumed as an oil, there are also other formulations available, such as an extract, oil-based capsules or tinctures, creams, lotions, edibles, and more.
Hemp Oil is an oil made by extracting Hemp Oil from a cannabis plant and diluting it with a carrier oil – this can be hemp seed oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil or another. In most cases coconut oil is used.
Most Common Mental Health Conditions
There are hundreds of different mental health disorders, some of which are more frequent than others. Some of the most common ones include depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), PTSD and social anxiety disorder.
Depression
Depression is also referred to as major depressive disorder or clinical depression. It is estimated that almost 4% of the global population (around 280 million people) deals with depression and each year that amount increases, as new people become diagnosed. Depression can take different forms, but its most common signs include not finding joy in things that used to bring you happiness, weight loss and lack of appetite, issues with sleep such as insomnia or trouble with concentration. Symptoms of depression can be so severe that living your everyday life and completing your day-to-day activities becomes a chore or impossible.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD is characterized by feeling constant and uncontrollable anxiety over everyday activities, to the point where it affects the way you live your life. Among physical symptoms of this mental health disorder you can find fatigue, sweating, nausea and troubles with sleeping, while the mental ones involve being easily frightened or irritability.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD, as the name suggests, is a mental health disorder that is triggered by a traumatizing event. The symptoms that accompany it can be divided into four categories – intrusive memories (flashbacks, nightmares connected with the event, emotional distress to reminders of the event), avoidance (avoiding places or people that remind the person of the event as well as talking or thinking about it), negative changes in the mood and thoughts (having negative thoughts about oneself and others, having memory issues, difficulty with experiencing positive emotions) and changes in physical and emotional reactions (being easily frightened, feeling guilty, troubles with sleep).
Although the symptoms usually start within a month from when the event took place, in some cases the first signs of PTSD can appear years after it. Additionally, the symptoms aren’t always of the same intensity, which means that if, for example, someone is stressed, they might experience more severe symptoms of PTSD.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Generalized social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition that is characterized by long-term, intense fear of social situations and being perceived negatively/judged by others. It’s important to notice that not every person who experiences discomfort or shyness during social situations suffers from this mental health disorder, as different people have different comfort levels. However, when those things affect one’s everyday activities, like work or school, and make it impossible to form any sort of relationship with others, it might be worth getting a professional involved.
Some of the most common symptoms, aside from what we already mentioned, include overthinking social interactions you participate in and analyzing them, trying to find flows and other negatives, avoiding making eye contact, avoiding situations in which you would be the center of attention, as well as several physical symptoms, such as fast heartbeat, blushing, nausea, or dizziness.
Hemp Oil and Mental Health Disorders
When it comes to using Hemp Oil for mental disorders, it’s important to know that it is not something that can substitute treating mental health disorders by medical professionals. While Hemp Oil may be able to help alleviate several symptoms associated with many mental health conditions, it can’t be used instead of medication.
So, how exactly can Hemp Oil help with mental health? Let us give you a quick rundown. Also, please keep in mind that the dosages we have put below are just orientative – every person has a different Hemp Oil tolerance, as there are plenty of factors that influence it, such as your weight, health state, whether you consume Hemp Oil regularly, and so on. The dosage that works for you might be too much or too little for someone else. If you’re unsure of your tolerance, start with smaller doses and work your way up.
Hemp Oil and Sleep Disorders
When someone suffers from a mental illness, they often have trouble with falling asleep and/or sleeping throughout the whole night – a sleep disorder known as insomnia. While there is medicine that helps with it, some people might not like taking it. In such instances, it might be worth trying out Hemp Oil. The recommended dose to start would be 25 mg.
Hemp Oil and Anxiety Disorders
There were some studies done that suggest that Hemp Oil can be helpful in alleviating anxiety and stress symptoms. In 2019, a group of researchers from Brazil conducted a study that involved 57 males who were divided into four groups – each group received a different dose of Hemp Oil or a placebo. The doses were 150 mg, 300 mg and 600 mg. The results revealed that those who took the 300 mg dose experienced anxiety that wasn’t as severe as the others’. Of course, your dose doesn’t have to be 300 mg – however, using Hemp Oil when you suffer from anxiety is something worth considering.
Hemp Oil and PTSD
In 2016, there was a study conducted that suggested that Hemp Oil used by applying it to the skin had a positive effect on a child suffering from anxiety and sleep disruptions connected with PTSD. Another study, this time conducted in 2019, found that those who combined counseling with Hemp Oil capsules experienced less severe symptoms of PTSD.
Hemp Oil – Frequently Asked Questions
How much Hemp Oil should I be using?
As we already said, this depends on a plethora of factors, one of the most important being why do you want to start using it, as different conditions can require different dosages. The best idea would be to start low, and if you feel like it isn’t doing anything, increase the dosage – just keep in mind that it might take a few minutes (anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours) for it to start working, so don’t take the next dose right away.
Is Hemp Oil safe to use?
Yes, Hemp Oil is completely safe to use, as long as you use it the right way. Although it is unlikely you will overdose on Hemp Oil, consuming too much of it can potentially lead to some other negative effects on one’s body.
Can Hemp Oil be used by pregnant women?
It is advised that women carrying a child do not consume Hemp Oil during pregnancy.
Will Hemp Oil make me high?
As we already mentioned, Hemp Oil does not have a psychedelic effect – THC does. This means that Hemp Oil or any other form of Hemp Oil won’t make you high.
The Bottom Line
Mental disorders are more common than one might think. Millions of people are diagnosed with them every year, be it depression, one of the anxiety disorders, PTSD, or other mental illness. What is important is that if you become one of those people, you take all the necessary medications and follow your doctor’s orders. While living with a mental illness can be hard, depending on how severe it is, in recent years there’s been an increase in products that alleviate the symptoms, and make them more bearable – one such product is Hemp Oil.
We hope that after reading this article you have a better understanding of what Hemp Oil is and how it can help with mental disorders. And if you are considering trying it out for yourself, just remember that there’s no harm in it.
Ready for a change? Shop our Hemp Oil products here.