CBD and Alcohol Abstinence

Alcohol is one of the most socially accepted drugs. Enjoying a beer, a glass of wine or an occasional combo is more than normal for most people. Many times we don’t realize how addictive it is, and since it’s not something that people see as bad, it can become a daily habit and a bad habit that has both physical and mental consequences. If you are considering moderating or avoiding alcohol consumption altogether, the cannabinoid CBD may be able to lend a hand. On the one hand, with the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and on the other to substitute in a non-harmful way some of the effects that you do like from alcohol, such as relaxation, relief from anxiety and even stage fright. CBD also helps to fight hangovers.

Important note for readers
: all the information you can find in this article that does not include a link or direct quotation to a scientific document comes only from user experiences. Always, before any physical or mental problem, you should consult a specialist who will guide you in an effective therapy.

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What are the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption?

More than 60% of Spanish young people between 12 and 18 years old admit to having consumed alcohol in their lives. The main reason that adolescents base their occasional consumption on is to become uninhibited and integrated. However, most of them are unaware of the physical, mental and dependency damage they are being exposed to with those innocent drinks that are drunk weekend after weekend at parties and social events. On many occasions, especially for those who are shy, this habit will soon become an easy solution that they will end up resorting to when they need to calm down, for example, their social anxiety. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of death in traffic accidents and quite often leads us to do things and take risks that we would never take while sober. However, these are only the short-term consequences while the alcohol poisoning lasts. The long-term damage caused by alcohol abuse includes

Increased risk of liver disease such as fatty liver or cirrhosis (liver cancer)
Increased blood pressure which can lead to irreversible organ failure such as heart attacks, strokes or heart and kidney failure.
Brain and cognitive impairment
Chronic alcoholism

What is chronic alcoholism?

Excessive and habitual alcohol consumption can lead to physical and mental dependence on the substance, which is why it does not allow people who suffer from it to stop drinking alcohol. This pathology is called chronic alcoholism. If you think you suffer from chronic alcoholism we recommend that you seek professional help as soon as possible.

What is alcoholic abstinence?

If you are in the process of moderating or voluntarily giving up your regular alcohol consumption, it is very likely that you will suffer from some unwanted symptoms caused by the physical and mental tolerance you have developed. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are as follows:

Nervousness and insomnia caused by GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) deficiency.
Glutamate spikes that increase your stress and panic
Excess acetaldehyde, one of the most toxic by-products of alcohol metabolism, creates inflammatory compounds that travel through our bodies and cause everything from headaches to nervous system dysfunction.

How can CBD help you stop drinking?

Based on global user experiences, we have summarized the most relevant reasons why CBD can be of great help to people who want to stop drinking alcohol. On the one hand, CBD could act as a drug to alleviate some of the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms alcoholic alcohol combating physical dependence and on the other hand it is the ideal candidate to substitute many of the “favorable” effects of alcohol that make us psychologically dependent such as reducing social anxiety.

One of the benefits of cannabidiol that has more scientific evidence is its anti-inflammatory action. As we have already commented, the toxic by-products of alcohol that circulate in our bodies are inflammatory and would therefore act to counteract such inflammation.

Another known benefit of CBD is its quality as an antioxidant. Because CBD supports the proper functioning of the endocannabinoid system it will contribute to homeostasis to balance glutamate levels.

Alcoholism and the endocannabinoid system

Some recent research is focusing on studying the consequences of alcoholism on the endocannabinoid system. Several studies have found that, unlike other drugs,
prolonged alcohol consumption is destroying the ability of our endocannabinoid system to produce natural endocannabinoids.
So by consuming CBD we would be stimulating and supporting our endocannabinoid system to regain that crucial ability.

If your dependence is focused on the effects of alcohol to treat psychological dependence, remember that CBD helps reduce anxiety and is a powerful relaxant. A user who was having problems quitting alcohol due to her psychological dependence on it claims that she managed to avoid alcohol by substituting a 50mg dose of CBD mixed with a soda to give her the bubbling effect similar to her favorite alcoholic beverage.