Social Anxiety as lockdown lifts How can CBD help?
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As the UK Government once again begins the process of lifting lockdown restrictions next week, Alexandra Gkoutzidou -Research Assistant at Always Pure Organics, discusses social anxiety and using CBD to manage the symptoms.
Governments around the world have enforced lockdown measures to control and prevent the transmission of Covid-19. The global pandemic has taken its toll on individuals physical health, mental health [8, 9], political relationships and the economics of people, households and whole countries. Many have reported suffering with depression and anxiety during this lockdown, coping with adjusting to a life spent increasingly indoors and the isolation that can come with it. Changes in work life, such as working from home, being on furlough or even losing their jobs, are all also contributing factors to a decline in wellbeing [8,9]. While most may take comfort in the knowledge that the lockdown measurements ease, there are also groups of people who will experience anxiety from the idea that they will have to go back to their “normal”, more social lives.
For more information on using CBD to help manage symptoms of anxiety (lockdown related or otherwise) see a previous article here.
A lot of people with social anxiety, have found comfort in the lockdown measures. Social anxiety disorder is a form of anxiety that manifests itself in social situations [1]. That manifestation can take the form of agonising over everyday activities, or avoiding such activities all together, always worrying of “embarrassing” oneself and fixating over such thoughts. Therefore, carrying out tasks and activities while ‘being watched’ by others can be more difficult for those suffering from social anxiety. The fear of being judged and criticised can become overwhelming. In such situations, the sufferer can experience unpleasant and distressing physical responses, such as blushing, excess sweating, trembling, palpitations, nausea or even panic attacks [2].
There is historic and scientific evidence to show pandemics, such as Covid-19, are harmful for the mental health of the affected population [3, 4, 5, 6]. But a recent study [7] investigated the effect of lockdown on social anxiety. To sum up, according to this study, the pandemic causes elevated levels of social anxiety, and the lockdown helps people with social anxiety minimise such feelings. Additionally, there are a lot of anecdotal cases of people who express their dissatisfaction, or their fear of going back to their ‘normal’ life once the pandemic is lifted. People with social anxiety might have found comfort in working from home and avoiding social situations, therefore may be experiencing feelings of dread around the idea of returning to the office or to social occasions such as weddings, parties and other gatherings.
Just like any other type of anxiety, CBD could help with the symptoms of social anxiety either by incorporating a CBD dose in the everyday life or with acute use before a stressful situation. For more information, read our article on CBD effects on anxiety here.
Author: Alexandra Gkoutzidou
References
[1] PMID: 25577940
[2] https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/
[3] DOI: 10.3201/eid1105.040512
[4] doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2651
[5] https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1116
[6] DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30078-X
[7] doi:10.3390/ijerph17124561
[8] https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-in-most-countries-who-survey#:~:text=Bereavement%2C%20isolation%2C%20loss,outcomes%20and%20even%20death
[9] https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/emerging-evidence-on-covid-19s-impact-on-mental-health-and-health?gclid=CjwKCAjwjbCDBhAwEiwAiudBy41_q5yWGnAG6AwKwQicnHiTeAfbVU23jQLpelqe-AlctgPd9MxadhoCe5cQAvD_BwE
As the UK Government once again begins the process of lifting lockdown restrictions next week, Alexandra Gkoutzidou -Research Assistant at Always Pure Organics, discusses social anxiety and using CBD to manage the symptoms.
Governments around the world have enforced lockdown measures to control and prevent the transmission of Covid-19. The global pandemic has taken its toll on individuals physical health, mental health [8, 9], political relationships and the economics of people, households and whole countries. Many have reported suffering with depression and anxiety during this lockdown, coping with adjusting to a life spent increasingly indoors and the isolation that can come with it. Changes in work life, such as working from home, being on furlough or even losing their jobs, are all also contributing factors to a decline in wellbeing [8,9]. While most may take comfort in the knowledge that the lockdown measurements ease, there are also groups of people who will experience anxiety from the idea that they will have to go back to their “normal”, more social lives.
For more information on using CBD to help manage symptoms of anxiety (lockdown related or otherwise) see a previous article here.
A lot of people with social anxiety, have found comfort in the lockdown measures. Social anxiety disorder is a form of anxiety that manifests itself in social situations [1]. That manifestation can take the form of agonising over everyday activities, or avoiding such activities all together, always worrying of “embarrassing” oneself and fixating over such thoughts. Therefore, carrying out tasks and activities while ‘being watched’ by others can be more difficult for those suffering from social anxiety. The fear of being judged and criticised can become overwhelming. In such situations, the sufferer can experience unpleasant and distressing physical responses, such as blushing, excess sweating, trembling, palpitations, nausea or even panic attacks [2].
There is historic and scientific evidence to show pandemics, such as Covid-19, are harmful for the mental health of the affected population [3, 4, 5, 6]. But a recent study [7] investigated the effect of lockdown on social anxiety. To sum up, according to this study, the pandemic causes elevated levels of social anxiety, and the lockdown helps people with social anxiety minimise such feelings. Additionally, there are a lot of anecdotal cases of people who express their dissatisfaction, or their fear of going back to their ‘normal’ life once the pandemic is lifted. People with social anxiety might have found comfort in working from home and avoiding social situations, therefore may be experiencing feelings of dread around the idea of returning to the office or to social occasions such as weddings, parties and other gatherings.
Just like any other type of anxiety, CBD could help with the symptoms of social anxiety either by incorporating a CBD dose in the everyday life or with acute use before a stressful situation. For more information, read our article on CBD effects on anxiety here.
Author: Alexandra Gkoutzidou
References
[1] PMID: 25577940
[2] https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/
[3] DOI: 10.3201/eid1105.040512
[4] doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2651
[5] https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1116
[6] DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30078-X
[7] doi:10.3390/ijerph17124561
[8] https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-in-most-countries-who-survey#:~:text=Bereavement%2C%20isolation%2C%20loss,outcomes%20and%20even%20death
[9] https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/emerging-evidence-on-covid-19s-impact-on-mental-health-and-health?gclid=CjwKCAjwjbCDBhAwEiwAiudBy41_q5yWGnAG6AwKwQicnHiTeAfbVU23jQLpelqe-AlctgPd9MxadhoCe5cQAvD_BwE
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