For people with autism spectrum disorder- anxiety, overstimulation, sensory and behavioral issues are a constant reminder of the need for any calming remedies that might be beneficial. Loading up on prescription anxiety medication may not be the best option for most people with ASD because of the personality-altering side effects that come along with them.
For anyone looking for alternative ways to help calm and lessen ASD components, you may consider the potential benefits of CBD. CBD has been shown to have positive effects on lessening anxiety, behavioral issues, and overstimulation by blocking signals to the areas of the brain that control those specific traits. This alternative is much more appealing compared to lifelong cognitive and personality-altering medications that are prescribed to nearly all people with autism.
Introducing CBD
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive component based in the cannabis plant and is one of the main active ingredients of cannabis. CBD lacks THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol (the psychoactive compound found in marijuana), which results in not providing a “high” and won't have you feeling loopy. However, it can help to provide calmness and lessen anxiety for people with ASD. Of the one in 68 people in the United States diagnosed with autism, many are now considering the beneficial possibilities that CBD can provide alongside many other benefits that a wide variety of people experience.
According to a 2019 study done on people with autism, CBD Sativa extract resulted in improvements in sleep disorders, seizures, and behavioral crisis. Also, the study showed improvement in motor development, communication, social interaction, and cognitive performance. Over 93% of the participants in the study showed major improvements after using CBD and most patients showed improvement in more than one category.
Taking CBD
For those with some caution against CBD, there may be many questions and concerns about the possible benefits and side effects of the usage for people with autism. Another large concern at play is how people with sensory issues can take CBD. There are numerous ways CBD can be taken depending on comfortability level- including ingesting orally, inhalation, or applying directly to the skin. The product types widely vary as well- these include tinctures, gummies, concentrates, and topicals. The sheer amount of options can be beneficial for people with autism as some may like the sensation of gummies and oils over swallowing pills.
CBD has the ability to meet an array of needs, rather than being forced into using one product that may not suffice. For people with autism, the ability to mix and match products in order to meet specific needs is one of the many benefits that CBD products have to offer. For some people on the spectrum, gummies and other edibles are the best options to meet sensory needs while others may like CBD from tinctures better for a faster-resulting effect.
Another concern is dosing and the appropriate dosage to give to someone to receive the maximum amount of relief while still being safe. CBD allows for anyone, including first-time users and long-time consumers, to build up their dosage over a period of time by following the recommended amount and slowly increasing. In reality, not everyone benefits from the same dosage, and it depends on the severity of ASD components that will determine what dosage a person with autism will need to see any results.
Benefits of CBD for components of ASD
There are many studies, including those currently being conducted, as well as some that are already completed that analyze the potential benefits of CBD for people with autism. While CBD is a relatively new method being researched to examine the benefits on the spectrum disorder components, the understood pros greatly outweigh any cons. We are starting to understand how CBD may be a game-changer for people with autism to help ease their anxiety, calm their stimming, and reduce any severe behaviors.
The most important thing to remember is that all experiences with ASD are unique and the symptoms vary on a spectrum. Although, one of the most common reported symptoms of ASD is aggression and self-injuring behaviors. Many parents of children with autism report a lessening of aggressive behaviors and physical violence after taking CBD because it helps the child deal with the strong emotions that may come on without warning.
CBD has also been proven to help decrease social anxiety for people with autism. A major component of autism is difficulty with social interaction, and in the same 2019 study mentioned previously, 93% of participants showed improvement in the ability to interact socially. The benefits of CBD on socially-driven anxiety may help with calming overstimulation.
Lastly, stimming, or self-stimulating behaviors, is another element of ASD that can be seen as repetitive movements or sounds. Stimming can sometimes become uncontrollable and harmful if continued for long periods of time, and CBD may help to lessen the repetitiveness of stimming. These repetitive behaviors are often a result of overstimulation and anxiety, and by taking CBD, levels of anxiety may lower, allowing for a sense of calmness.
For parents of children with autism or anyone living with ASD, you need to try Naternal’s The Routine Pack. This bundle has the necessities to help calm and ease one’s mind, including the Ease CBD gummies, Full Spectrum tinctures, and the Rest CBD + CBN tincture. The variety of product types allows you to find what method works best for you or your child.
