I know you can relate when I say that life can be quite overwhelming sometimes, if not most of the time, right? At one point or another of our lives, we all face anxiety and stress.
Overcoming these kinds of feelings is a winding journey to find peace amidst all the chaos. And that right there my friends, is where medication and supplements comes in lending us a helping hand.Natural medications like magnesium, L-theanine, ashwagandha, and hemp cannabinoids such as CBDA offer some much-needed relief and support so we can improve our mental health.
So in this post, we're going to chat a little bit more about how we can manage stress and find anxiety relief through medications digging deep on their benefits, things to keep in mind, and some common types of stress and anxiety medication you might come across.
And we'll also talk about natural supplements, particularly the novel cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) - a natural way to reduce stress!
Article Highlight:
- When you feel overwhelmed, anxiety and stress relief pills, like benzodiazepines and SSRIs, are often prescribed to help improve daily functioning by reducing physical and emotional symptoms of stress as well as enhancing our coping abilities. However, prescriptions often come with many unwanted side effects, and patients often look for alternatives before trying.
- Plant based supplements have become popular, such as CBDA from a raw cannabis plant or ashwaganda, offer a natural approach with potentially fewer side effects.
- Remember, it's always good to talk first with a mental health professional before taking medications or supplements so you can be sure for yourself that it's appropriate for your needs and preferences.
- When you combine prescribed medications and natural supplements like CBDA, it can potentially provide complementary benefits. But keep in mind that it's very important to take into account the possible interactions, side effects, and other individual factors.
- Your journey to finding peace from chronic stress and anxiety disorders is a personal journey, and with the right support and guidance, you can overcome any stress situations and combat mental health conditions so you can live a more blissful life.
Understanding Anxiety and Stress Relief Medication
The National Institute of Mental Health defines stress as a normal reaction to a threat, chronic stress can lead to anxiety and too much of it may cause anxiety disorders. For instance stress and anxiety becomes too much, medication can be a real lifesaver when it comes to managing these conditions.
It can help ease those pesky physical symptoms like elevated heart rate, sweating, and loss of focus.
It can help make our everyday activities a bit smoother and give us a sense of stability and control over our mental health.
There are some common meds that mental health providers prescribe for anxiety and stress relief, short term treatment of benzodiazepines, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and beta-blockers.
These drugs work by targeting neurotransmitters and receptors in our brains, helping to restore balance and calm those anxiety and stress-related symptoms.
Perks About Medication Usage
Symptom relief: Meds can offer fast and effective relief from anxiety and stress symptoms, making daily life more manageable.
Improved quality of life: By reducing anxiety and stress levels, medications can make a real difference in our overall well-being and happiness.
Better coping abilities: Meds can help us develop stronger coping strategies by taking the edge off anxiety and stress symptoms, making it easier to engage in therapy, self-help techniques, and other helpful interventions.
Things to Keep in Mind:
Potential side effects: Sometimes meds can cause side effects, ranging from mild to severe:- Weight gain
- Headache
- Sexual difficulties
- Insomnia
- Nausea
Risk of dependence or addiction: Some meds, like benzodiazepines, can be addictive and cause physical dependence if not used as prescribed or closely monitored by a healthcare professional. Addiction is a serious complication and comes with other side effects:
- Impaired thinking and memory problems
- Confusion
- Shallow breathing
- Nausea
- Coma
- Death (overdose, but also can be caused by combination with excessive alcohol consumption)
Interactions with other meds or substances: Anxiety and stress relief meds can interact with other drugs or substances, which can lead to unpleasant effects or reduced effectiveness. Make sure you let your healthcare professional know about all the medications and supplements you're taking.
Why It's Important to Talk to a Healthcare Professional
When thinking about medication for anxiety and stress relief, it's crucial to have a chat with a healthcare professional. They can:
Check out your symptoms and medical history: This helps figure out if medication is the right choice for you and ensures that any underlying medical conditions are taken care of.
Suggest the best medication for you: Your healthcare provider can recommend the most suitable medication based on your symptoms, medical history, and individual needs.
Keep an eye on your progress and tweak treatment as needed: Regular check-ins with your healthcare provider can help track your anxiety and stress management progress, see how well the medication is working, and make any necessary adjustments to your treatment plan.
Offer guidance on other therapies and self-help techniques: Besides medication, your healthcare professional may suggest other treatments options that may be suitable for your health condition and need, like therapy, relaxation techniques, or lifestyle changes to help you manage anxiety and stress more effectively.
Exploring Supplement Options for Anxiety and Stress Relief
If you're like me, you might be looking for natural options other than the traditional anxiety and stress relief pills.
The world of supplements have identified powerful natural compounds like vitamins, minerals, herbs, and cannabinoids that may help us in our anxiety and stress management. But, keep this in mind: supplements aren't regulated as strictly as medications, so their efficacy and safety might vary.
Its important to identify high quality sources before buying.
CBDA, magnesium, L-theanine and ashwagandha
There are many different supplements on the market, but we wanted to highlight a few of the major ones that have great feedback.
- CBDA for anxiety and stress: This is the natural form of CBD found in the hemp plant, and is over 500% better absorbed than CBD. We cover this more below.
- Magnesium: We don't get enough in our diet since the soil quality has gone down over the last 50 years. Most people do not take enough of it, you want to be in the 300mg to 500mg per day range. Also, do not use magnesium-oxide, very poor absorption. Look for magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate.
- L-theanine: This amino acid is often used in conjunction with other supplements to enhance their calming effect. Used as a starting molecule by the brain for many neurotransmitters.
- Ashwagandha: This is derived from a shrub (Withania somnifera) that grows in Asia and Africa and is used in Ayurvedic medicine. Buying high quality ashwagandha is difficult, we recommend KSM-66 products.
Benefits of Supplements
Natural ingredients: Supplements have natural ingredients, which is perfect if you're looking for non-pharmaceutical options.
Lower risk of side effects: Some supplements might have fewer side effects than certain medications, which is a plus for me.
Complementary approach: It's great that supplements can be used alongside other treatments, like therapy or medications. With proper guidance from a healthcare provider, these combination of treatment approaches may help enhance overall anxiety and stress management.
Potential Limitations
Limited research: The research on the efficacy and safety of some supplements can be limited, so that's something you should consider. Make sure to do your own readings about a specific supplement.
Variable quality: Just so you know, supplements aren't regulated as strictly as medications. That's why their quality can vary.
Potential interactions: Supplements might interact with some medications or other supplements, so keep in mind that it's super important to consult with a healthcare professional before you start using them.
CBDA is a Natural Supplement for Anxiety and Stress Relief
Have you ever come across this talk of the town's natural compounds called CBDA? It's a cannabinoid found in raw cannabis plants, mainly in hemp that's found to work like an antidepressant medication.
CBDA is actually the precursor to CBD (cannabidiol), which you might be more familiar with since it's pretty famous.
CBD has gained a lot of attention in the wellness community for its potential benefits, but CBDA is now recognized as the most potent cannabinoid in the hemp plant.
Are we biased, maybe, but I have personally discovered the benefits of CBDA, and so have many of my stressed out friends!
CBDA has better absorption than CBD, between 500% to 1000%, overcoming a lot of the limitations of CBD.
The Potential Effects of CBDA on Anxiety and Stress
If your not familiar with the endocannabinoid system, it helps regulate many of your moods, and it critical to mental health conditions.
One of the main mechanisms that CBDA and other hemp cannabinoids help with stress and anxiety disorders is through interactions with the endocannabinoid receptors.
A unique property of CBDA that was also recently discovered is its ability to directly activate serotonin receptors, specifically 5HT1A. These are important in managing many stress induced mental anxieties.
Many people are finding mental health benefits from hemp oil, and are only now discovering how powerful the plant can be with the new technologies bringing CBDA to the market.
Integrating Medication and Supplements
With all the information above, you might be wondering if combining medication and supplements like CBDA is a good idea for combating an anxiety disorder and easing stressful situations.For some people, integrative health approaches can potentially offer complementary benefits. Combining the benefits of natural supplements with the power anxiety and stress medications can help enhance overall treatment effectiveness.
Many people take magnesium with CBDA, and even combine it with L-theanine for great effects.
However, it's important to remember that there could be potential interactions, side effects, and some individual factors like the mental illness you are facing and your body's reaction to drugs and supplements. Hence, it is important to consider these when it comes to the safety and efficacy of this combined approach.
For instance, when you are taking benzodiazepines and you take it with another supplement could have an interaction which may lead to reduced effectiveness of the medications or supplements.
Additionally, when you combine multiple treatments, you may find it more challenging to figure out which one is providing the most benefit, plus there might be a higher risk of side effects when not guided by a healthcare provider.
Conclusion
So, in a nutshell, finding the best help from mental disorders like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, social phobia, to name a few, as well as anxiety symptoms and chronic stress is a journey that many of us go through.Stress and anxiety medications and supplements can be a great tool that can help you in this quest. It offers unwavering support to give you stress and anxiety relief.
When you're ready to look into supplement options, it's important you keep in mind both the potential perks, like what natural ingredients it contains and if it has lower risk of side effects.
One natural supplement that you may want to consider is cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). It's thought to have great anxiety and stress-relieving effects on our bodies. Yet we still need more research to fully understand its benefits and how it works.
Finally, take note that if you're curious and want to try CBDA or any other supplement out there, it's super important to consult a mental health professional. Also, don't forget to choose from a trustworthy brand, Natural Dos uses a third party lab to test all 5 main components in all our final products!
And also, keep an eye on your progress with a journal. Do you remember what you ate for lunch last week? It can be hard to keep track of slow progress, but its critical for long term health.
Start your anxiety and stress relief journey today!