Many people say depression is just the sensation of feeling down or sad, but this isn’t really accurate. Depression is much more than just feeling down it can manifest in all kinds of ways, but it will almost always be a persistent feeling that you carry with you.

Depression can last weeks or months and while it might be caused/ triggered by something in some cases depression just like anxiety can spring up at any time. There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about depression and even though it is an issue that has affected millions of people many people still trivialise it.

This makes the issue much worse because many people dealing with depression won’t want to talk about it or seek out help. But depression is a very real issue with many potential side effects and treatment can be difficult. And while depression can usually be treated with the time you will often need more than just that to feel better.

This is where CBD comes in so can it be used to help relieve depression? CBD is one of the many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and is believed to hold many medical properties. You might have heard claims that it can help with all kinds of illnesses, conditions, and disorders but is that true or are people getting a little carried away?

While many of the claims about CBD might seem, a little exaggerated there is actually some supporting evidence for some of the claims. However, for many of these things, more research is really needed especially when it comes to mental conditions like depression. For more info about the potential benefits of CBD click here.

However, cannabis and by proxy medical marijuana are known for their calming and mood-elevating effects and CBD is similar in many respects, isn’t it? So, let’s take a more in-depth look at CBD and see how it helps with depression.

CBD and Depression  

Before we examine CBDs potential as a depression treatment it’s important that we examine it in more detail first. CBD at least the products available in shops are derived from the hemp plant, not the marijuana-variety of the cannabis plant. This means it has much lower levels of THC in fact for CBD products to be legally sold the THC content must be lower than 0.3% in the US and many other countries.

This essentially means there is no risk of you getting a “high” when taking/ using CBD products. CBD is also incredibly versatile and used in many different products from oils/tinctures to capsules, edibles and more. Each delivery method is unique, and some are more potent than others, but they do all contain CBD so could help combat depression.

There is once again strong supporting evidence that shows CBD could help alleviate the effects of depression although much of the research was done using animals. Numerous studies have shown that CBD helps combat anxiety and depression and even appears to act as an antidepressant with some subjects.

Interestingly, these anti-depressant effects were found to work both in the long and short-term. In fact, more recent studies highlighted this arguing that CBD could be a potent fast-acting anti-depressant which could certainly benefit many people who currently suffer from some form of depression.

But how does CBD help combat depression? Well again more research is needed for sure but with the evidence, we have on hand there are some promising reports. For one thing, it appears that CBD has a positive effect on the brain’s serotonin receptors.

Serotonin is very complex but is heavily associated with feelings of wellbeing and happiness. Its functions go beyond this and it is often oversimplified but in this case, the way CBD affects the receptors could certainly show why it could have the potential to help combat depression.

Keeping a healthy balanced level of serotonin is one of the key ways to fight depression and CBD’s effects on serotonin levels certainly support its anti-depression capabilities. Another great positive is that CBD seems to have very minimal side effects, and some claim it has none at all.

This is particularly beneficial for people looking to treat depression because while there are anti-depression medications available many do have the risk of side-effects. While these vary, they can include things like mood swings, sexual dysfunction and other issues that can actually cause your depression to worsen.

However, like many areas related to CBD, more research and study is still needed. But let’s look at the evidence we have on hand, shall we? Could CBD help treat depression? It would certainly seem so although just how effective it will be will vary on a person to person to basis.

You might find CBD incredibly fast-acting while others might only feel minimal effects, or it could take a while for your depression to subside. But if you do suffer from depression (of any kind) then giving some form of CBD a try could certainly be beneficial but before you do make sure you know the risks and do your research.

CBD For Depression – What You Need To Consider 

If you suffer from some form of depression then CBD could seem like the miracle cure you have been waiting for and indeed the supporting evidence is good. However, you should keep your expectations low and never consider CBD has an alternative to medication.

If you have been prescribed anti-depressant medicine but would still like to give CBD a try then make sure you talk with your doctor first to ensure it is safe. If you aren’t on medication but are struggling with depression (a situation that is still, unfortunately, all too common) then CBD could certainly help.

But don’t expect a miracle cure everyone’s experience with CBD is different some people have reported very fast results while for others it has taken much longer to really take affect. The good news is CBD does certainly seem to have a lot of potential and could help relieve your depression and has more research is carried out we will have an even better idea of just how beneficial it could be.