CBD is useful in handling various medical conditions, physical and mental. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that makes people switch between two entirely different behavior patterns. It includes episodes of depressions and extremely elevated moods called mania.
In this article, we explore the effectiveness of CBD in handling the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder?
Main symptoms associated with bipolar disorder include mania, hypomania and depression.
When a person with bipolar disorder is experiencing mania, they will feel excited and impulsive like in a state of euphoria. They might engage in behaviors like drug use and unprotected sex during manic episodes.
Hypomania is less severe than mania although both have a few similarities. Hypomania is less likely to cause trouble with relationships, work-life, or academics. However, some mood changes are going to be there.
Depression associated with bipolar disorder is characterized by deep sadness, pessimism, loss of energy, and suicidal thoughts.
How Is CBD Useful For Treating Bipolar Disorder?
CBD has antioxidant and neuroprotective properties that could be useful in handling some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. It contributes to an increase in the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels.
Here are some studies that support the usefulness of CBD in treating bipolar disorder.
A research study was conducted to study the effectiveness of CBD in handling the symptoms of BPD. The study included 133 BPD patients and each of them took 100 mg CBD every day over several weeks. All of them reported that their mood levels were more stabilized after starting the CBD course. The neurological tests conducted at the end of the period of the study found that CBD consumption caused a significant improvement in verbal fluency, attention, and logical-memory recall of the participants.
An animal study that was conducted to find out the anti-depressant effects of CBD concluded that CBD helped reduce the symptoms of depression by influencing 5-HT1 receptors, as well as serotonin and glutamate levels.
Oxidative stress and free radical damage are some of the factors that are believed to cause the development of the bipolar disorder. Being an antioxidant, CBD helps lower oxidative stress and free radical damage, thereby proving useful in treating bipolar disorder.
From what is known from research, the therapeutic action of CBD is reminiscent of typical antipsychotic drugs but it does not have side effects like antipsychotics.