Public speaking is an important skill. It can help you get ahead at work, or, if you struggle with it, make the climb harder. For many people, getting in front of a bunch of people can come with an illogical fear that makes it hard for them to function properly. They may know the subject they wish to speak on, but the very act of being in front of many people prompts a paralyzing self-consciousness and sense of doom.
This fear could come from no diagnosable condition, or, in some cases, be traced to social anxiety disorder, a common mental-health affliction that affects about 3 % of the population.
While no serious product has ever been offered to help specifically with stage fright, various psychiatric drugs do exist for social anxiety disorder which may come with side effects for many people. However, the plant-based remedy cannabidiol, or CBD, has been proposed as an alternative supported by scientific evidence.
While CBD is extracted from hemp and cannabis plants, it doesn’t contain the molecules that cause intoxication. It isn’t detected as a prohibited drug in blood tests.
A Brazilian study that looked at the potential benefits of CBD in addressing anxiety-related stage fright was published in the scientific journal Nature. The study placed two dozen subjects in public speaking situations, with the benefit of either an oral dose of CBD oil or a placebo. The levels of anxiety that they experienced were measured throughout the process.
The results of the study demonstrated that the participants who received the CBD oil supplement were able to think better on their feet, perform with greater comfort, and subjectively experience lower levels of stage fright. The scores obtained by the study subjects were found to be similar to scores usually seen in participants who complained of no anxiety in the area of public speaking.
According to sciencedirect.com, the mechanism by which CBD addresses anxiety and fear of public speaking is not thoroughly understood. However, initial theorizing finds that CBD activates receptors in the brain’s amygdala and then blocks them. These receptors have been linked to emotional processing, including anxiety .
While more than one study supports the use of CBD to tame the fear of public speaking, researchers haven’t yet arrived upon a definitive dosage recommendation for how much CBD actually works. Studies have used everything from 300 mg doses to doses as high as 600 mg.
If you think CBD could be an alternative to help you with public speaking situations, talk with your healthcare provider about it to determine if it is a viable option.
