Can CBD Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?
By this point, you’ve probably seen CBD suggested to help with a number of things. But can CBD help with alcohol withdrawal, and if so, how? Let’s take a closer look.
We discussed if you can take CBD and alcohol together recently, but in this blog, we will focus on taking CBD after you stop using alcohol.
What is alcohol withdrawal?
Before we can answer the big question of can CBD help with alcohol withdrawal, we need to understand what alcohol withdrawal means.
If you are an occasional drinker, you’re not likely to experience alcohol withdrawal if you cease drinking altogether. Rather, alcohol withdrawal affects users who have been drinking heavily for a sustained period of time, often weeks, months, and years.
Many circumstances affect just how intense the withdrawal may be. For some, withdrawal is just an uncomfortable period of time they must get through. For others, it can be a serious complication that wreaks havoc on the body.
Why do people get alcohol withdrawal?
Withdrawals are caused when users abruptly stop using alcohol. Their body must adjust to the changes which can cause a myriad of uncomfortable to dangerous symptoms.
Because alcohol is a depressant, it slows down brain function and interrupts the messages sent back and forth from your nerves.
When you drink often enough to cause withdrawals, it’s because your body has adjusted to the presence of alcohol for much of its time. It has to work harder to keep you awake and to maintain communication between different nerves in the body.
A sudden stop in alcohol consumption can really mess with the brain because it is not prepared to function without alcohol. It is still in this rapid state trying to keep you awake and alert, despite not needing the extra work because there is no alcohol present.
The symptoms
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal range from uncomfortable to dangerous. If you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal, we recommend calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free national hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to talk to someone trained in the field.
Some mild symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Insomnia
- Sweating
- Shakiness
More serious symptoms may also occur, including hallucinations and seizures. Additionally, a few days after quitting, some may experience other scary symptoms. These include racing heart, confusion, fevers, high blood pressure, and more.
How can CBD help with alcohol withdrawal?
We’re not going to sugarcoat it. CBD may help with some of the symptoms involved with alcohol withdrawal, but it certainly won’t eliminate your symptoms altogether.
Getting sober and getting through alcohol withdrawal is not easy. If you are working on it, first, give yourself some grace if you are feeling beat. It is not comfortable, but you are capable.
Don’t go through this experience alone. Tell loved ones you need extra support and call the hotline we listed earlier if you need someone to talk to.
Here’s what we can say about CBD and alcohol withdrawal:
We already have some studies about cannabis and nicotine that suggest cannabis may be beneficial for people trying to get through nicotine withdrawals. We also have extremely promising evidence that CBD can help morphine addiction. With this in mind, it’s not a huge stretch to assume CBD may help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Those with alcohol dependence may have diminished CB1 receptors in the brain which may be supplemented by taking CBD. Additionally, we have a lot of research showing CBD’s potential to improve anxiety and decrease stress. These are two things you surely want to do when going through an alcohol withdrawal.
If you search around the internet, you’ll find plenty of anecdotal stories and preliminary evidence about CBD for alcohol withdrawal. At Premium CBD, we want to be as transparent as possible so will leave it at the fact that CBD may help with alcohol withdrawal, but should be used as a tool among other things.
CBD may help to alleviate some of the immediate uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal, such as anxiety or increased stress. If you are considering using it for alcohol withdrawal, it’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional first.
If you choose to try it out, be sure to include other things in your routine to combat symptoms of withdrawal. These include meditating, staying hydrated, and seeing a medical professional if your symptoms are severe.
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