CBD users are well aware that this substance can have a wide variety of positive health effects, such as pain relief, stress reduction, and protection against neurological diseases. But scientists continue to discover its new benefits, and surprisingly, cannabidiol also turns out to have an antipsychotic effect too.
CBD is a safe, well-tolerated substance for the human body, and as recent findings prove, it can help with symptoms of psychosis by interacting with the brain. Generally, this substance appears to be more beneficial in the early phases of the condition, such as in individuals who are clinically at risk or have early-stage psychosis.
In this Happy Garden guide, we’ll review the major positive effects CBD has on psychosis. We’ll also discuss possible causes and side effects that may help you discover the disease at an early stage and how to avoid its symptoms using cannabidiol products.
Psychosis is more of a set of symptoms that can be seen in a variety of psychiatric problems than a single illness or disorder. Considering this, it’s not included as a mental health disorder in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
Based on the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), some psychotic symptoms appear in the early stages of this condition. In particular, these symptoms can be expressed in:
After psychosis continues to develop, some heavier symptoms can occur. These effects are more complicated and prevent a person from having a normal life. Common psychosis symptoms are:
Even though the symptoms of psychosis are relatively easy to determine, it’s hard to find out or predict the exact reason for this condition. The reason is that each case of psychosis is unique. In some cases, it can be accompanied by other mental health disorders such as PTSD, substance use disorders, or bipolar disorder.
Therefore, psychologists and psychiatrists haven’t yet identified a definitive list of possible causes of psychosis. Although the origins of this condition vary, some events might contribute to the development of various forms of psychosis.
Some of the common causes of psychosis include:
Recently, cannabidiol has been the focus of the attention of the world’s leading scientists. As a result of studies of its effects on psychotic symptoms, nowadays, psychiatrists often recommend CBD supplements as an alternative treatment form to reduce the severity of psychosis.
Cannabidiol’s antipsychotic potential has been once more proven by recent research. The first trial, done in 1982, showed that it had antipsychotic characteristics. According to early data on rats, CBD also proved to have an unusual antipsychotic pattern.
Several further investigations using various animal models verified and increased the antipsychotic characteristics of CBD. For instance, the findings of a 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine suggest that cannabidiol is a highly useful substance for the treatment of psychosis. Therefore, it can contribute to the antipsychotic impact.
Furthermore, CBD medication was linked to higher anandamide levels in the first clinical trial, which helped to reduce psychotic symptoms. Thus, it may also help symptoms by balancing the ECB system, which might lead to clinical improvement. These findings indicate that cannabidiol may have a considerable impact on psychotic symptoms in psychosis patients.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that alters a person’s perception of reality. People who struggle with this condition are more likely to experience psychosis and related symptoms.
Common schizophrenia symptoms include:
According to the WHO, over 20 million people suffer from schizophrenia all around the world, and most of them are unable to take medications since antipsychotics have significant side effects, so better alternatives like cannabidiol would benefit many.
How does CBD affect schizophrenia? Researchers suggest that different cannabinoids have different influences on disease. In fact, while THC may harm schizophrenia symptoms, cannabidiol doesn’t affect them in any negative way. On the contrary, studies show that it lowers psychotic symptoms in addition to relieving anxiety.
Even though various studies have been conducted about the effects of cannabidiol on schizophrenia, unfortunately, there’s not enough evidence to conclude that it won’t lead to any serious side effects. This means that further research is needed to find out the exact benefits and side effects of this substance for psychosis.
However, what we know today is that CBD is safe for consumption and doesn’t harm our health in any drastic or dangerous way, but has many benefits for several diseases.
Here’s what we know so far:
In this study, 42 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia participated. They were treated with CBD or amisulpride, an antipsychotic drug. As a result, cannabidiol showed fewer negative effects than the other medications, yet both enhanced cognition.
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that occurs in the brain and is characterized by unintentional, uncontrolled movements, including shaking, stiffness, and coordination problems. Symptoms normally start slowly but get worse gradually, resulting in walking and talking difficulties.
Interestingly, CBD was also demonstrated to have antipsychotic effects in Parkinson’s disease patients who had been experiencing symptoms for at least three months and were suffering from the inconvenience caused by the disorder. The research included observing CBD’s effects on Parkinson’s psychosis. The result was desirable. This substance significantly improved non-motor symptoms, such as daily living activities and rapid eye movement disorder.
The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of CBD on Parkinson’s disease patients with psychotic symptoms. The results showed that it did not harm motor function but instead improved it. Cannabidiol was also demonstrated to have neuroprotective properties.
Furthermore, CBD has been found to have neuroprotective qualities as well, since it can facilitate the recycling of cell components. In fact, this substance often leads to significant improvement in overall function as well as a reduction in psychotic symptoms.
Yes, we already pointed out that cannabidiol alone can positively affect psychotic symptoms. But what if you’re already taking some antipsychotic medications? Will CBD interfere with other drugs?
The truth is that drug interactions are difficult to avoid since it’s difficult to predict how different medications will interact. Unwanted interactions can cause inconvenient and unpleasant side effects, rarely ending with fatal consequences.
However, you should know that CBD is usually regarded as a harmless and well-tolerated substance. Still, the wrong intake may cause serious problems. When it’s used with other drugs that have comparable side effects, the risk of unpleasant symptoms increases.
Specifically, combining it with OTC or prescription drugs and sleep-inducing chemicals like opioids, antipsychotics, alcohol, antihistamines, or antidepressants may result in increased side effects.
The list of medications that might undesirably interact with cannabidiol includes a wide range of pharmaceuticals, including heart medications or antibiotics. It may cause significant medication interactions with the following:
If you have schizophrenia or a schizophrenia-connected disease and take prescribed medication, the first thing you should do is consult with your doctor before trying CBD. It will help you avoid every possible side effect that might harm you.
Inadvertently consuming too much of it or interacting with other medications might induce adverse effects such as:
When you try to choose the right type of cannabidiol, there are a few things you need to consider. There are many forms of CBD and you should find the one that best fits your needs and will help you effectively reach your goal.
While inhaling cannabidiol or adding CBD oil to your food works faster and has a higher concentration, edibles like gummies take longer to be absorbed by organisms. Creams and lotions are other popular forms of this substance that are more likely to be used for external purposes. For now, oil and gummies are the most popular forms of CBD.
This means that you should determine the most suitable form of cannabidiol based on your required concentration and suitable absorbing time.
At Happy Garden, you’ll be able to choose the highest possible quality CBD products that come in all the above-discussed forms. To ensure that we produce pure products, we use the CO2 extraction method and follow the GMP-ISO 7 production standard, which guarantees quality and safety.
Even though further research is needed to finally conclude the exact benefits and harms of CBD while used as an antipsychotic substance, it is clear that cannabidiol is much more beneficial and less harmful than other alternatives that are currently available. That’s why it’s actively integrated into the healing process of schizophrenia and related diseases.
While choosing this substance and integrating it with your medications, remember to pick your dosage carefully, avoid interaction with other medications, and make sure you’re using a high-quality, reliable product.
That’s why we suggest checking out our CBD products shop page, where you can see why our customers think Happy Garden is the best option for buying cannabidiol products for their physical and mental health.
