CBD and Anxiety in Teens

CBD might offer a natural way to help them cope

If you’ve ever felt your heart race when walking into a crowded room, you know what social anxiety feels like. For some teenagers, that fear isn’t just nerves; rather, it’s an everyday battle that can make even small interactions exhausting.

These motivated researchers to conduct a study to see if cannabidiol (CBD), a natural compound found in cannabis but without the “highness”, could help teens who live with this kind of anxiety.

How the Study Worked

Thirty-seven teens diagnosed with social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder took part in the study:

• CBD group: 17 teens took 300 mg of CBD oil daily for 4 weeks.
• Placebo group: 20 teens took a similar oil without CBD.

Before and after the treatment, both groups took tests that measure how much people worry about being judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social settings.

What Happened After Four Weeks

The results were striking. The teens who took CBD showed significant drops in anxiety scores, while those on the placebo barely changed. The CBD group’s anxiety dropped from 24.4 to 19.1 on average, while the placebo group showed little to no improvement.

Even more interesting, after the study ended, over half of the CBD group chose to seek further help (like therapy or medication). None of the placebo participants did. That suggests CBD may not only ease anxiety but also help young people feel more confident about getting professional support.

Why This Matters

Social anxiety is one of the most common yet overlooked mental health challenges among teens. Traditional treatments like antidepressants or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can work, but they take time, may cause side effects, or are simply avoided by teens afraid of judgment from others.

This study’s findings show that CBD could be a safe, effective, and stigma-free alternative, especially for young people hesitant to reach out for help.

What It Means for You

If you, or someone you care about, struggles with intense social fears, the idea of “just being yourself” might feel impossible. What this study offers is hope: that a natural, non-addictive option like CBD may help calm those fears without the downsides of conventional medication.

These results show that CBD can help your wards find the courage to step out, connect, and live more freely.

Original Study Section

• Title: Anxiolytic Effects of Repeated Cannabidiol Treatment in Teenagers With Social Anxiety Disorders
• Date: November 2019
• Authors: Nobuo Masataka
• Link to Study:  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02466/full?undefined&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=blog&utm_campaign=thc-and-anxiety

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