Depression aka major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental problems that we humans face. It is also one of the worst feelings that directly affect the way you think and act.

But the good news is; it is treatable. Psychologists have nailed it when it comes to treating depression. But healthcare professionals are not behind either. There are many medicines and supplements that help suppress depression. But as you all might know, they are packed with side effects that create a bundle of other problems to deal with. This is why it can be a good idea to try alternatives that are derived from natural substances.

CBD happens to be one of those substances that works very well against depression. At least that’s what people are saying who have been taking CBD to treat their depressive disorder.

So what we’ve done is collected as much research/studies we could find, to help you decide whether you should spend your money trying a CBD product.

Let’s dig in!

What Research Says About CBD & Depression

As a trusted source for all things CBD, we are not sure if CBD actually works for depression.

We know that’s a bitter truth but unfortunately there is little medical evidence that supports CBD works for depression.

The research that we have found are done mainly on lab rats. There are other studies that caught our interest but they were done on medicinal marijuana (which contains more than just CBD).

But don't lose hope just yet...

Why CBD maybe work for depression

This is an interesting study that we found, which suggests that ECS aka endocannabinoid system can relate to how we act, think and feel in terms of happiness. For you out there who don’t know what ECS is; it’s actually a bridge of sorts that allows your brain to talk to your body.

In layman terms, ECS allows your brain to have control over your bodily functions.

If what the study suggests is true, then it’s good news! Since CBD itself is a cannabinoid, we can assume that it may be the reason why CBD works well against depression.

But again, this is just an assumption. We can be wrong. However, if you read the testimonies of people drowned in depressed states, it kind of makes sense!

Another reason why CBD maybe work

Now, on the other hand, while researching on the topic of depression and how CBD may be able to treat this problem; we noticed that 5-HT1A receptor was thrown a lot at us.

You don’t have to wrap your head around this term. Just know that it is a receptor that binds to the neurotransmitter ‒ serotonin. Many prescribed drugs, that claim to treat depression, focus on serotonin, aka the “happy” hormone. It is believed that this hormone plays a vital role in our mood, sleep, digestion and appetite.

Just so you know, antidepressants work by elevating the levels of serotonin inside your body. But the 5-HT1A receptors have been a major pain in the butt for pharmaceutical companies.

This is because this receptor is a regulator of serotonin. If serotonin levels get too high, the 5-HT1A receptor can signal our brain to reduce the production of serotonin hormone. So in most cases, doctors prescribe a combative drug that keeps 5-HT1A receptors in control. This is why it takes quite a bit of time (about a month) to allow the antidepressants to work their magic.

But here’s the best part. We found out that CBD can be the solution to the painful problem that pharmaceutical companies have been facing i.e. keeping 5-HT1A receptors from regulating serotonin levels. This research also happens to back it up.

It can be the reason why CBD may work great against depression. Again, we need more human trials to be completely sure if CBD is a safe bet for depression or if it’s just not worth it.

Why CBD Alone Can’t Help Against Depression

Now, we believe in CBD. We really do.

But we also care for our readers i.e. you guys. So, we are going to tell you that CBD is not a complete substitute for any medical therapies or pharmaceutical drugs that have been prescribed to you. You should never go cold turkey, stop or change antidepressents without talking to your doctor first. 

You have to know that self medication can be dangerous. Sometimes it can have very good health benefits as a result, but, it can also have severe side effects if you are not too careful.

We believe that CBD will one day become a very favourable medicine for treating depression, but as of now, the first step to treating your depression is to visit a psychologist or consult a physician.

But if you’re doing this already and wish to add CBD as a supplement to help you recover faster from depression and improve the efficiency of antidepressants;

We recommend you read on:

How to Use CBD For Depression

If you are very new to CBD, you should know that there are a lot of varieties available. But what we recommend is CBD oil, which comes in three common forms:

• CBD oil tinctures
• CBD capsules
• CBD vape juice

Our recommended choice is of course, CBD oil tinctures. They’re highly versatile and all you need is to apply a drop or two directly under your tongue to experience its relaxing effects.

As for the dosage, A good rule of thumb is to start with the ‘recommended dosage’ labelled on CBD product that you’re using or planning to buy. There are many different strength products available and because of this we recommend only using 1-2 drops to start with to see how you tolerate the oil.

It’s a good idea to increase the dosage every week or two until you are feeling your best and no longer feel the symptoms of depression. This may be up to 10-20 drops per day depending on the strength.

Remember that you may not be able to feel any effects of CBD for a couple of weeks as it works its way through your body. It’s normal for CBD to remain dormant for a few days before letting you experience its effects.

These effects can be feeling calm, relaxed, joyful, and most importantly, less depressed.

Final Verdict

Depression is very common. We’re faced with life situations that sometimes beat us to a pulp.

But it doesn’t mean that we cannot get ourselves back on track. There are a lot of ways to overcome depression and CBD can be one of them. Although there is not enough scientific evidence/history to be highly confident that CBD might work against depression, we have seen very good results so far from those whom have tried.

We recommend you try CBD if you’re already doing therapy sessions or using a prescribed antidepressant to fight off depression, as it's likely able to aid in overcoming this dreadful problem.

So what are your thoughts on CBD for depression? Would you be willing to try it out on your own or would you want to wait until there is more scientific support to back up CBD's health claims?

If you have had success with using a CBD product we would love to hear about it in our comments section below. We also encourage you to share our article with any loved ones who may be suffering from depression.