Does CBD oil help you with your depression and/or anxiety?

Some of the psychiatric drugs that MD's prescribe often very long term, you really have to weigh the risk/benefits. When I saw from his bone density tests that his bones were being impacted and not to mention the possibility of tardive dyskinesia and he is doing better with CBD oil, less irritable, anxious and no aggression, it was a no brainer. I would think this would apply to others experiencing anxiety, depression etc , not just those with autism. as well. Too often MD's are quick to prescribe psychiatric medications without considering the long term effects, for example clonipin can be addicting others can cause tardive dyskinesia. I just hope that the CBD will continue to work for him. There is little research on this. Definitely need more studies.. However there is little research on FDA approved drugs for autism as well I figure a more natural plant has to be better than some of the psych drugs we know have serious side effects.

@stephanieann
Wow, I too am an RN. I thought all this was hippy crap. Oh my gosh, it is not.
I had tremendous abuse as a kid. I finished my healing 1/11/11. God has continually led me to the next step in my healing. CBD was introduced last summer and I will take this until the day I die.
I used to be on 16 meds. 6 of them were sedating. I took my last Effexor Jan, 2018. End effect of getting off all the meds was high anxiety...
CBD gives me a completely normal life. I moved recently from out of the Ozark wilderness to a town of almost 4000. My normal personality has come out and I am the hit of the senior center. I make everyone laugh with my antics and singing. I isolated for years after my husband died.
I use Lazarus Naturals. 50 mg to 1 tsp. Cost is a factor for me. I was paying $50 for 1200 mg in coconut oil. 2 bottles a month. I take 1/2 tsp 3 times a day. I feel wonderful.
Now I have no affiation with the company. They have 3 programs that give assistance with cost.
1. Vets 2. Disabled 3. Low income. 60%off once the appropriate papers are sent in.
I lost my nursing career after a simple bone spur surgery that became a 2 year nightmare. Ostiomylitis. Tomorrow I will order my first CBD at 60% off.
I also have MS. The polar vortex got me. My last bad relapse took 4 years to get under control. I know CBD helps my MS too. I have been using it since last summer. Like I said I will use this until the day I die.
Bright Wings

Hi,

My son took Clonopin daily prior to taking CBD. . I used CBD to wean him off clonopin and went very slowly lowering the dose of Clonopin as I very slowly increased the CBD oil . He suffered no ill side effects from using both to my knowledge. He used to take 1 mg of Clonopin in am and 0.5 in PM . When I started lowering the dose of Clonopin he initially took 0.5mg of Clonopin in am and 0.5 mg in PM . I initially gave him small amount of CBD oil every 4-6 hours. I would check with the prescribing doctor for the Clonopin and see what they think about it. FYI you may need to get a second opinion because not all MD's are familiar with CBD I also had a pill cutter and was even cutting the .5 mg Clonopin in half to get 0.25mg As I recall I made a change in the dosage about every 2 weeks. It took months but he was successfully weaned off the clonopin. You could of course also try just reducing the clonopin slowly and give no CBD until you are completely off of it. I again would check with the prescribing MD realizing that some MD's are firmly opposed to using any CBD. . I gave him some CBD while withdrawing the clonopin to prevent an increase in anxiety. Everyone can be different in how they respond also. Best to check with a couple MD's who are knowledgeable. My son's psychiatrist was not knowledgeable about dosing with CBD but was knowledgeable about how to wean off a psychiatric med. With SSRI's you need to go very slow as well to avoid untoward side effects.

The care by design is 18mg of CBD in 1 ml. 18:1. I initially started with Treatwell but they went out of business. Then I switched to Sweet Jayne, then Myriam's hope. It is a lot of trial and error. Now I have been using Care by Design since it seems to work a little better than the others. If you find a reputable marijuana dispensary with people who have treated others with autism and/or anxiety they can give you very valuable information. Also Radicle health clinic which was worth paying privately for consultation, was very helpful.
I initially started my son with a very small dose 0.25ml which had little effect, then went to 0.5 ml and now he recently started taking 0.7 ml every 4 to 5 hours. I also have his care staff take daily data on some of his target behaviors which indicate anxiety for him eg. yelling, hitting, rubbing hands together repeatedly, pleasant, more cooperative etc, You can look at the ATEC Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist on the ARI website and there are other behavioral checklists that can be adapted for an individualized treatment evaluation form. Taking quantifiable data I find is important because then you have an idea of what is happening daily, how the person is before the CBD and after. INMHO, data taking or at least journaling is important to determine the efficacy of psychiatric medications.
For my son CBD seems to start taking effect after about 45 minutes. Hope this information is helpful There are other websites on CBD and autism which I have to explore. I am not an expert yet so please do not take what I wrote above as a recommendation.. I am just sharing my experience. . I am a RN with a masters degree and may take an intensive course in CBD/medicinal marijuana to further help my son and others.

@merpreb, @brightwings And good morning to you both. Here is the FAQ message regarding shipping for Care by Design. "At this time, Care By Design products are only available for sale in the state of California and cannot be shipped or mailed across state lines." Hopefully, you have access to California. Some of their products are either all CBD or have high CBD to THC ratios. Their sight is good for its ability to help you with product choices based upon your responses. They also address the issue of hemp versus cannabis and why cannabis is most effective. All of their products contain only oils extracted from cannabis. Be safe and secure today. Chris