Social anxiety disorder or SAD affects approximately 7% of the United States population annually. It is twice as common among females and the average age of onset is 13 years. Although a number of psychological and pharmacological treatments are available, only 30% of individuals experience symptoms of remission within one year. This creates a need for a more effective form of treatment and that’s why a good deal of research is examining the potential benefits of CBD for social anxiety disorder.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
The American Psychiatric Association characterizes social anxiety disorder as one which produces clinically significant fear concerning one or more social situations in which a person may feel judged, scrutinized or humiliated. With time, anticipatory anxiety and post-event processing may develop leading to dread about upcoming situations or events or heavy rumination about one’s performance. Some people will develop avoidance behavior to diminish discomfort, leading to chronic shyness and social withdrawal.
Psychological and Pharmacological Approaches
Only 50% of people with social anxiety disorder seek and remain in treatment or use prescription medications for their symptoms. Some options include psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy and first-line antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Other medications which may help manage symptoms include tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, benzodiazepines, and sometimes antipsychotics. The issue with these last medications is that they generally come with side effects ranging from mild to severe, and have the potential for abuse or dependence.
Research Findings on CBD and Social Anxiety Disorder
Despite the availability of current treatments for social anxiety disorder, a large number of people aren’t finding relief from their symptoms. This is why a new treatment option is vital and why researchers around the world are experimenting with CBD, in both animals and humans, to better manage symptoms of social anxiety disorders.
Preclinical studies with mice demonstrate anti-anxiety effects of CBD in various regions of the brain associated with this type of anxiety, including the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and insula. These areas are associated with the following:
- Tendency for people with SAD to quickly judge negative stimuli and misinterpret neutral cues
- Create a heightened importance of negative social cues
- Inaccurately appraise social situations and attention towards important stimuli
- Cause a misperception of one’s bodily arousal (anxiety) and immediate surroundings
- Lean towards avoidance as coping
- Inability to manage potentially negative evaluations of situations
In other words, research is demonstrating that CBD works in the brain and alters neural activity involved in SAD in parts of the brain associated with symptom development.
Final Thoughts on Social Anxiety Disorder and CBD
Social anxiety disorder affects a large number of people in the United and although only half reach out for therapy or medications, a large portion experience little to no relief. Researchers have looked into CBD as a viable remedy for this disorder and many others. Understanding the brain regions associated with SAD and how CBD works within them is a great step towards it becoming a powerful and effective medicine for those still in need for better symptoms management of social anxiety disorder.