According to the CDC, one out of every five Americans struggles with mental illness. Chances are if you are reading this you may struggle with mental health or someone you love dearly does. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to share from my personal experience how I’ve managed my diagnosis and shed light on these important topics so in some small way I can help to remove the stigma around mental health and anxiety disorders.
Everyone experiences anxiety and varying levels of stress — it’s an evolutionary trait that is programmed into all of us to remain cognizant of the world’s potential dangers. However, there is a difference between feeling overwhelmed from life’s stressors and living daily with a physically debilitating disease. For me, anxiety doesn’t just creep up when life gets demanding. No, it’s a perpetual state of worry and torment. On the outside, everything can look normal – I’m a high-functioning career-oriented woman, as well as a positive and loving friend – but on the inside, I’m often fighting for control over my life.
Although I’ve been treated over the years for depression and anxiety episodes, it wasn’t until this past year that I was formally diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder. GAD is chronic anxiety that occurs even when there’s nothing going on to provoke it. Symptoms include constant worry, restlessness, and trouble with concentration. Panic disorder is unexpected and categorized by repeated intense episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical side effects.
I’ve found it extremely difficult to talk openly about my diagnosis. People discredit you when they find out you have anxiety. For instance, I’ve struggled with PTSD following a serious car accident and I’ve had people whom I considered to be close friends say things like “you should be over this by now” or “I feel like you use your anxiety as a crutch.” Although time has passed, I have no control over my body’s response to triggers. As if I choose to experience dizziness, blackout episodes, and complete dissociation from my body during extreme panic attacks. You have no idea how scary it is to lose all sensation from your hands and feet and experience involuntarily slurred speech. To have heart palpitations so great you think you are dying, or to not be able to hear what is going on around you since the only sound you can hear is the loud ringing in your ears.
People think of anxiety as a weakness and something you have control over. There’s no real control over it, but rather you can find ways to better manage it. It often takes a combination of medication, therapy, and mindfulness/stress-management techniques. Over these past few months, I’ve dedicated all my energy to finding a balance because over the winter my mood disorders were at such an all-time high that I thought not living would be better than existing. I’ve lived with passive suicidal ideation for quite some time now, but finally, it came to a point I was actively exhibiting high-risk behaviors because I wanted an out. After hitting rock bottom I finally surrendered and realized I did in fact want to live and to do so I needed to find healthier coping mechanisms.
In addition to specialized treatment and therapy, I truthfully found CBD to be a game-changer. I have been prescribed medication in the past, but it made me incapacitated and groggy. I needed something that didn’t take away my ability to function. I now take Hello Mellow capsules by Good Jane to assist with anxiety relief. It contains full-spectrum hemp and also amazing herbs like Skullcap, Lemon Balm, and Holy Basil.
CBD has become more and more popular and for good reason. While we are very early in our understanding of the full potential of CBD, there are many studies showing promise in using CBD to manage anxiety. CBD is short for cannabidiol, a cannabinoid compound that is found in hemp and marijuana. Both hemp and marijuana are part of the plant family known as Cannabis. The main difference between marijuana and hemp is they vary in levels of THC. Hemp contains low levels of THC, so don’t worry you won’t get high.
Studies have found that CBD oil is a natural anxiolytic (anxiety calmer) and is effective in treating social anxiety. The added benefit is CBD calms anxiety naturally without the potential side effects of pharmaceutical anti-anxiety medications. I recently met with the Liz, the owner of Good Jane and asked her more about how her CBD line helps with anxiety:
Why did you start Good Jane?
I started Good Jane because I wanted to create a safe but fun place for people to explore alternative medicine. Good Jane’s current product line features products that are aimed at helping make grown-up life easier.
What do you hope people gain from using your products?
I hope people will be able to make informed choices about their healthcare, and will find relief for common ailments that we all face as we get older – anxiety, stress, aches & pains, etc.
How has CBD helped you personally?
I use Good Jane’s capsules every day. I have found the Hello Mellow to help me regulate my stress response. I have two young kids and I have historically been home with them a lot. Hello Mellow helps me keep calm for longer than usual when the kids are acting up or life gets stressful. I also use Nighty Night every night to sleep. Being a mom, wife, homeowner and CEO of a new business is a lot of fun but also means I often have a lot on my mind. Before Nighty Night I would toss and turn for over an hour before falling asleep. And if i woke up in the middle of the night, forget going back to sleep. Now it takes me less than 10 minutes to go to sleep, even in the middle of the night.
What are most people apprehensive about with CBD and how do you calm their fears or concerns?
People still think they won’t be able to drive a car or parent their kids if they are taking CBD because they worry it will get them high. I’m here to tell you, you will probably be a better driver AND parent WITH CBD, and it DOESN’T GET YOU HIGH!
What are your visions for the company?
We started this company to start a conversation about mainstreaming cannabis and normalizing alternative medicine. We have plans to open an adult use marijuana storefront in Maine, which will continue that conversation and also introduce Cannabis to the mix. Hopefully people who might normally be embarrassed to go into a store or weary about trying cannabis will be able to come in and educate themselves in this safe and welcoming place. We are working very hard to redefine stoner stereotypes, mainstream marijuana and stop the stigma around it.
Everyone’s story is different when it comes to their mental health journey. For me, when things got to be their worst it was because I did not have balance in my life. I was working a minimum of ten hours during my day job and working late into the night on the blog with no days off. A huge takeaway from all this is how essential self-care is to maintaining sanity. At the time, I confused a glass of wine (make that two or three) for the ideal way to unplug at the end of the day, when in reality it left me feeling more anxious and drained. I’ve since learned how unhealthy alcohol is for people who suffer from panic and anxiety disorders.
I have a real tendency to throw myself into work in order to keep my mind occupied, but the truth is, no matter how much I love what I do, it does not define who I am. It’s a process, but I’m learning to put my mental health first. This includes often saying no to a social life and career opportunities. It’s been a very painful lesson, but I’ve learned that it’s better to do a few things really well than do a lot poorly.
Even if you do not have a mental health issue, anxiety plagues us all. The good news is that there are many safe and healthy ways to manage it, CBD just being one option. Although a pretty good option if you ask me! If you’re interested in learning more visit Good Jane’s website and for 15% OFF your next order use code FASHIONCOOKBOOK.
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