What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural and healthy emotion, induced by a real or supposed threat. It is a survival mechanism that provides the individual with better adaptability and reactivity to danger.
This mechanism allowed the first men to survive by bringing an adequate response when confronted with dangerous situations.
Nowadays, we feel anxiety when confronted with multiple situations, which are rarely related to danger and survival. However, our individual perception of these situations and the anxiety generated is often out of sync with their relative importance.
Depending on the severity and manifestation of anxiety, the following main disorders are associated with it
- Panic attacks
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Social anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Minor depression
Serotonin and CBD
What is serotonin?
Serotonin is also called the happiness hormone because it is often associated with the regulation of mood.
It is a neurotransmitter, that is to say, a substance that promotes the transmission of chemical signals in different areas of the brain. There are many types of neurotransmitters with different functions. Serotonin levels have a direct influence on our general well-being, our sense of happiness, and our mood.
Serotonin plays a role in several other major physiological processes such as the regulation of sleep, sexual desire, appetite control, or pain.
Serotonin and the treatment of anxiety.
Common treatments prescribed for anxiety affect the regulation of serotonin, among other things. Low serotonin levels are generally observed in individuals with these types of disorders.
SSRI treatments (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Prozac for example) act by blocking the recovery of serotonin via a specific neuroreceptor (5-HT1A) and increasing the amount of serotonin in the synapses. This availability of serotonin results in more signals being sent by brain cells, improving mood and reducing anxiety.
How does CBD interact with serotonin?
CBD is said to have a serotonin reuptake inhibitory action, the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors are said to be directly activated by CBD intake, promoting the regulation of serotonin levels. The increase in serotonin levels generated by taking best cbd oil uk will trigger a feeling of well-being that will reduce anxiety.
The disease is progressive and there are five stages. In the first stage, the symptoms have little impact on daily life. In the second stage, the signals remain weak but cause minor discomfort.
In the next stage, the lack of mobility is partial but the person’s autonomy is preserved. The disease is considered severe and disabling from the fourth stage onwards, mobility and autonomy are considerably impaired.
The fifth stage is declared when the person no longer has any mobility, or autonomy and needs assistance to eat and move.
Neurogenesis and CBD
What is neurogenesis?
Neurogenesis is the process of creating new brain cells. It plays a key role in neuroplasticity (our brain’s ability to learn), and related processes like learning and memory.
Although neurogenesis was observed in rodents in the 1960s, it was only proven in humans in 1998 by the studies of Peter S. Eriksson.
This process of permanent creation of neurons takes place in the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a significant role in various biological functions (memory, learning, spatial orientation, and emotional regulation) and is part of the limbic system.
Neurogenesis takes place in this area of the brain throughout life, although this creative process tends to slow down with age.
