Cannabidiol (CBD) is believed to help people who suffer from mental health disorders. CBD is commonly used by people who suffer from anxiety or depression as it helps relax the body and calm the mind, especially as a response to very stressful episodes and triggers.
As more people become habitual users of CBD and CBD products, questions begin to arise as to whether it can function as a method of treatment for more severe mental disorders. In particular, is there a possibility where CBD can help treat patients with schizophrenia?
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that prevents patients from remaining grounded in reality. While schizophrenic cases are diagnosed in less than one percent of the national population, the reality of living with schizophrenia can be horrific and the symptoms can range from mild to severe disorders.
Some people with schizophrenia will struggle to focus or have trouble thinking clearly. In more severe cases, symptoms can be as severe as mental delusions and complete hallucinations. The most common side effects of schizophrenia are a distortion or disassociation from reality.
The onset of symptoms generally varies based on biological factors and past life experiences. Interestingly, gender often dictates when schizophrenic symptoms may first appear. For men, symptoms are usually diagnosed in the early 20s, while women begin showing signs of schizophrenia in their late 20s to early 30s. Children are unlikely to be diagnosed with the condition as the symptoms will rarely appear in young minds.
Living with schizophrenia
Living with schizophrenia is a constant struggle to understand the differences between reality and illusion. Without proper treatment, people can lose themselves in their delusions and struggle to function in the real world.
Treatment centers that specialize in helping schizophrenic patients emphasize that there is no known cure for the condition and that any therapy to manage the severity of the symptoms is a lifelong endeavor. Schizophrenic experts recommend that patients be provided a safe space to treat their symptoms, receive unconditional loving and familial support, and undergo regular therapeutic sessions to treat their symptoms.
If treatment is maintained and proven effective, some schizophrenic patients are capable of living more or less normal lives. Doctors use specific medications and psychotherapy as part of lifelong treatment for schizophrenia. However, many in the medical community are curious as to whether CBD oil can be a viable treatment for schizophrenic patients.
Can CBD help schizophrenia?
Experts are currently divided on CBD and Schizophrenia and as to whether CBD can definitively benefit schizophrenic patients. One area that most doctors do agree on is that CBD is the more preferred cannabis compound over THC, which is what causes the typical high associated with marijuana use.
Dr. Joseph Pierre, a psychiatrist, and professor at the University of California is one of those experts that says schizophrenic patients should never touch THC-induced products. But he suggests that CBD may help those suffering from psychotic delusions regain their foothold in reality.
“Since CBD opposes some of the effects of THC in the brain, it makes sense it could be useful in treating psychotic disorders. There’s also some evidence that CBD has properties similar to antipsychotic drugs.”
While supporting further research into the effects of CBD on schizophrenia, Dr. Pierre encourages any schizophrenic patients to have a support community when trying CBD products. Some products do contain THC alongside CBD, and schizophrenic patients should have a trusted friend or loved one verify that their product of choice contains only CBD oil.
Can CBD cause schizophrenia?
More research is needed to conclusively determine the relationship between CBD and schizophrenia. However, much of the medical community is convinced that CBD, on its own, will not cause schizophrenia in users of the compound.
Instead, the emphasis is that THC and THC-induced products may cause or trigger schizophrenia in people who struggle to comprehend reality. THC has a psychoactive effect on the brain that triggers the high associated with smoking marijuana. In minds that are already fragile, and potentially delusional, THC can reinforce those delusions and cause a schizophrenic person to become lost in their altered perception of reality.
Treating schizophrenia with CBD
The most important thing to keep in mind when using CBD to treat schizophrenia is to ensure that the CBD products contain no traces of THC. Since THC can cause or amplify schizophrenic symptoms in patients, you must purchase products that only contain CBD compounds to protect your health.
That being said, there are several options available when selecting CBD products:
CBD oils: plant-based oils extracted from cannabis plants to help combat stress.
Edibles: CBD oils that have been added to gummies, tea bags, protein powders, and more.
Capsules: CBD oils converted into capsules that resemble over-the-counter medicine.
Balms: CBD oils that are added to skin care products including creams, lotions, etc.
Before you begin using CBD to treat schizophrenia, it’s important to do your research on the benefits of CBD products. This will help you determine what types of CBD compounds are best suited to treat your specific schizophrenic conditions and enable more energy, recovery, relaxation, or rest depending on what you decide is your best course of action.
