CBD BENEFITS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
CBD for sure is quite helpful for various health issues like pain, anxiety, inflammation and seizures. Scientists are curious if CBD can be helpful for other disease especially mental health problems like depression, PTSD and schizophrenia or psychosis.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a mental health problem that affects the behavior, feelings and thinking pattern of a person. Most people suffering from psychosis appear to have lost touch with reality and love in their own world. Common symptoms include:
· Social withdrawal
· Trouble concentrating
· Temper flares
· Difficulty sleeping
· Delusion
· Hallucinations
· Catatonia
Medications are prescribed to reduce these symptoms as much as possible so the patient can return to a normal life as soon as possible.
CBD for Schizophrenia
Preliminary research carried out in humans’ shows that CBD may be helpful for reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia but we still don’t have enough evidence to make solid claims. However, it should be noted that cannabis compounds such as THC or tetrahydrocannabinol can add to the symptoms of psychosis.
CBD on the other hand is quite safe and works to reduce negative effects of THC. Patients of psychosis should avoid cannabis and THC rich strains as they can have negative effects on their on-going treatment.
A recent study conducted in 2021 showed that CBD can have a positive effect of cognition. 42 patients were treated with CBD and amisulpride, a popular antipsychotic medicine usually prescribed to such patients. Both were quite helpful in improving cognition but CBD showed lesser side effects. CBD may also help in reducing the positive symptoms but it has no effect on the negative symptoms of psychosis.
CBD can activate 5HT1A receptors which help in improving neurocognition in patients of schizophrenia. Lower level of glutamate in the brain can increase the symptoms which is why it is also known as hypo-glutamatergic disorder. CBD can reduce the activity of glutamate receptors blockers like ketamine to increase the level of glutamate in the brain and allow it to perform its functions ideally. CBD may also be helpful for reducing hallucination and delusions which are two most common symptoms of schizophrenia.
If you are considering CBD as a treatment option, make sure to go for CBD isolate or broad-spectrum CBD with practically no THC content. CBD is safe and does not cause any severe side effect. Patients can tolerate higher doses of CBD easily.
It is recommended to consult your healthcare practitioner before self-prescribing CBD for chronic health issues like psychosis.
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