National Anxiety & Depression Awareness Week

May 18-23 is National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week.  “Designated to raise awareness surrounding the most common mental health disorders in the United States, this week is important for ending stigmas surrounding mental illness,” explains Niznik Behavioral Health.

Here’s what you need to know about anxiety and depression — and the natural solutions available to help us deal with it.  

• Anxiety & depression 101

• Supplements for anxiety & depression

  • CBD

  • 5-HTP

  • L-theanine

Anxiety & depression 101

Let’s begin by looking at what anxiety and depression are.  According to the DSM-5, depression means experiencing most of the below symptoms for two or more weeks: 

• Fatigue or loss of energy

• Inability to concentrate or make decisions

• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt

• Diminished interest in most activities nearly every day

• Extended periods of depressed mood nearly every day

• Recurrent suicidal thoughts, planning, or attempted suicide

• Significant increase or decrease in appetite leading to weight loss or weight gain

Depression may begin in the brain, but it can be powerful enough to cause a wide host of physical symptoms. Sleep problems are a common one — some people with depression never feel fully rested at night or fully awake during the day. They may experience so much fatigue that even the smallest tasks start to feel insurmountable. 

Depression has a variety of potential causes, which makes identifying the right treatment plan hard. For some people environmental changes (getting more sunlight, eating right, etc) can be enough to alleviate depression...but for many others, a more intensive approach is needed.

Anxiety has many similarities to depression, though it also has plenty of differences. According to the DSM-5 anxiety’s common symptoms include: 

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Restlessness

• Hyper-vigilance

• Panic attacks/panic disorders

• Insomnia and other sleeping issues

• Difficulty concentrating and racing thoughts

Supplements for anxiety & depression

Because the causes of anxiety and depression are so complex, holistic solutions (i.e. natural products!) are often the best solutions. 

CBD, delta-8 THC, 5-HTP, and L-theanine all have mood-boosting properties. Here’s a closer look at these natural supplements 

CBD

Studies show that CBD may alleviate anxiety by addressing the neurotransmitter imbalances that might be causing it. 

And though we can’t make any definitive health claims, we’re confident that CBD is one of the most effective, most natural things you can take for your mental health. After reading this article, we think you’ll be confident of that, too!  

CBD’s calming effects are one of the first things most people notice when initially taking CBD oil — whether they have anxiety or not. Usually this calmness happens alongside a subtle shift in one’s sense of well being. 

Some people feel more hopeful about the future; others feel freer to enjoy the present moment. It may even seem like reality has shifted just a little bit.  

While this might sound pretty mystical, it’s not. And keep in mind we’re not talking about CBD making anyone high — it definitely doesn’t do that. 

The way CBD boosts one’s calmness is interesting. One thing present in most cases of anxiety is an imbalanced serotonin: dopamine ratio, one where serotonin is too low. Impacting serotonin the way that traditional antidepressants do usually comes with some side effects. 

Most of the brain’s serotonin receptors are considered psychedelic, so ‘hitting’ them with a new chemical messenger (in this case CBD) can produce all sorts of weird mental side effects. Just look at SSRIs — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They don’t always work, and they aren’t always predictable. 

Amazingly enough, CBD manages to hit the right receptors without doing any of this. It actually encourages a certain type of serotonin receptor, the 5-HT1A variety, to join forces with other receptors. 

These other receptors? They’re the endocannabinoid system’s CB2 receptors, and when this bond is formed it allows one's mood to be lifted without any psychoactive stuff going on. 

And while it’s well known that serotonin is critical to mood, it’s less well known that this important neurotransmitter is produced mostly in the gut, not in the brain. It’s there that immune cells and gut microbes help convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin’s active form. 

If this process doesn’t go smoothly, it begins to show up in the body. Low serotonin in the GI tract has been linked to IBS, cardiovascular issues, and even osteoporosis. Once you take time to appreciate the gut-brain connection, it’s no wonder that IBS and anxiety tend to go hand in hand. 

Thankfully, CBD may improve gut health through several different mechanisms. It improves what’s called intestinal motility, meaning it helps the intestinal tract keep good stuff in and bad stuff out. This trait is especially promising to those with ‘leaky gut’ or Celiac disease, but it’s a general health plus for nearly anyone.

These improvements in gut health tend to impact different people in different ways. For some they lead to increased immune strength; for others less inflammation; for some others, reduced allergies.  For those with anxiety, this improvement in gut health likely helps boost serotonin, too. 

To summarize, CBD may improve one’s mood both directly (via changing serotonin receptors) and indirectly (via improved gut health). Pretty impressive! 

5-HTP

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is a naturally occurring substance 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin which is a vital neurotransmitter in the body. Serotonin is one of the primary neurotransmitters which supports healthy mood, appetite, and sleep. 

One study put the effects of this serotonin substitution simply: “5-HTP has definitely got antidepressant effect in patients of depression. Antidepressant effect was seen within 2 weeks of treatment and was apparent in all degrees of depression. The therapeutic efficacy of l-5-HTP was considered as equal to that of fluoxetine.”

We get our premium 5-HTP blend by extracting it from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant.

L-theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid found — you guessed it — only in tea. 

Unlike the amino acids most of us eat way too much of (think the methionine found in muscle meats), L-theanine is deeply relaxing. It prevents your nervous system from working too fast on the most basic molecular level. 

L-Theanine has also been found to stimulate the production of alpha waves in the brain, which may help create desirable soothing effects. Studies have shown that it may help with both anxiety and depression. Other potential benefits include:

• Healthy relaxation without drowsiness

• Healthy mental clarity and focus 

Feel free to check out our L-theanine product here.