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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It may not surprise you to know that millions of people across the globe engage in body-damaging behaviors regularly.
So much so in fact, that specialists actually categorize and study several body-damaging actions differently in an effort to better understand these various behaviors.
As more research is done on body-damaging behaviors and their effects on a person’s mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing, we discover more possible cures.
Ahead, we’ll discuss how cannabidiol (CBD) , an active ingredient in the
cannabis plant, can help curtail some of these behaviors. So if you’re wondering how CBD may help stop body-damaging behaviors, this is what current studies seem to tell us.
Types of Body-Damaging Behaviors
Before we dive into CBD’s role in potentially stopping body-damaging behaviors, it’s crucial to discuss everything the term encompasses.
For instance, you may think of body-damaging behaviors as habits like drinking too much or eating junk food. And this is certainly true, yet it does not provide the full picture.
In fact, unlike body-damaging behaviors like too much drinking and eating, there are also behaviors that do not involve conscious thought at all.
These are body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) and completely different from the habits we mentioned above.
BFRBs are also different from self-harm behaviors, like cutting, since people often engage in them without realizing they’re doing so, such as with nail-biting and hair-pulling.
So for the purposes of this article, we’ll discuss body-damaging behaviors both conscious and unconscious.
And, since there is a link between cannabis use and mood disorders for young people, we’ll strictly talk about CBD, not the psychoactive compound THC, and its use for adults over the age of 18.
How CBD Can Help Eating Disorders
While doctors do not consider eating disorders an instance of self-harm, they are often body damaging and typically accompany other mental health disorders that can lead spur other types of self-harm.
Some cannabis strains are associated with increased appetite, something crucial for people who suffer anorexia or wasting diseases.
Interestingly, research links cannabis use with the body’s metabolic process, so certain strains can also reduce appetite. Studies even show that marijuana users may have lower insulin levels, lower BMIs, and smaller waists. You can learn more about these studies here.
How CBD Can Prevent Hair-Pulling
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), one to two in 50 people experience trichotillomania in their lifetime.
It is a BFRB in which a person repetitively pulls out their hair. It can become such an issue if left untreated that the person can unintentionally create noticeable bald patches.
Luckily, studies show that cannabis can actually reduce the occurrence of trichotillomania in patients. It is believed that CBD’s role in the body’s endocannabinoid system may be the reason why.
While more studies are still needed, it illustrates that cannabis may help a range of compulsive disorders, including nail-biting and skin-pulling in addition to hair-pulling.
How CBD Can Help Stop Self-Harm/Self-Injury
Self-harm is the conscious act of engaging in an activity that causes bodily damage. People often commit acts of self-harm/self-injury as a form of release when they feel overwhelmed about a situation.
Although this is an under-researched area, specialists do believe that there is a link between self-harm and anxiety. According to GoodTherapy, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can all increase the lead to self-harm acts.
Luckily, there is plenty of research to suggest that CBD alleviates several forms of anxiety, including the ones we listed above.
Researchers believe that CBD interacts with several receptors in the central nervous system. In doing so, it can actually lessen the body’s response to the things that generally cause anxiety, reducing feelings of anxiety overall.
Conclusion
There are several types of body-damaging behaviors, all of which have different causes and inflict distinct mental and physical harm.
The good news is that the cannabis compound CBD shows promise as a way to stop different body-damaging behaviors.
CBD provides a unique reaction in the endocannabinoid system that may have far-reaching effects on mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Hopefully, more studies are carried out to better determine the how and why.