Cannabidiol and Stress Induced Psychosis
Stress plays a major role in the onset and maintenance of mental health issues. Being exposed to chronic or high amounts of certain types of stress is associated with alterations in the body and the brain’s chemicals. Suppressing the immune system and exacerbating depression are some of the things that happen during the body’s biological responses to stress. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to modulate stress and anxiety markers in studies, but in humans the evidence for its anti-anxiety effects has been sparse and contradictory. It seems this is because clinically observable effects of CBD for stress-related conditions may only be seen in extreme cases-serious afflictions treated with high doses of CBD.
Recently, a small study on Clinically High-Risk (CHR) patients for psychosis (N=58 total) investigated whether CBD would normalize the neuroendocrine and anxiety responses to stress in this patient population3. Participants were recruited from a United Kingdom-based specialist that offers services to at risk individuals, utilizing clinical tools such as the Personal Assessment and Crisis Evaluation (PACE) to identify high risk persons.
To study the role of CBD in the stress response, the CHR patients took part in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and their serum cortisol, anxiety and stress associated with performing public speaking were estimated. Experimentally, one of the most reliable inducers of stress in humans, in a clinical setting, is public speaking. Public speaking can be stressful and anxiety provoking, which leads to measurable markers of stress like serum cortisol. Half of the CHR participants were on 600 mg/day of CBD (CHR-CBD) and half were on placebo for 1 week.And this 7-day treatment with CBD was shown to be effective and may potentially help partially attenuate these altered responses to experimental stress in CHR participants.
A comprehensive study involving CBD is of a particular importance due to a lack of available antipsychotic treatments on the dysregulated neuroendocrine stress response. It appears a regimented high dose of CBD was able to mitigate the harmful effects of stress exposure in CHR patients. It is also important to note several additional factors may also have affected cortisol, which were not controlled for in this study, including body mass index, night-shift work, menstrual cycle, and the use of contraceptives.
Before we start dosing CBD for our public speaking needs, whether it is in the board room or at the PTA meeting, the effect of CBD may be quite subtle in persons who are relatively healthy or they may not require such large doses (such as 600mg/day) of CBD to achieve a benefit. One of the major takeaways here is that for CHR and related patient populations, CBD may be one of the factors that helps to make difference in daily life.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
