Almost everyone we’ve spoken to asks about CBD and dosage...
“How much should I take?”, “How do I make sure I am not taking too much or too little?”, “How much do I take to notice it working?”
Before we get into those answers, I'll pose these important questions: "Why don’t we trust ourselves when it comes to our own health? and why do we trust others for answers, when in-fact we might sometimes be our own best doctors?"*
Most of us are trained from an early age not to listen to our own bodies, and not to question other people who have the credentials to know better than us.
We were probably checked out by a doctor within minutes of birth, and we have been seen for “wellness checks” regularly throughout childhood where we were told if we are “OK” or not.
Many parents don’t trust their own judgment and assume that “the doctor knows best” when it comes to their own child’s health decisions. So when it comes time for us to ask what to take or put into our body, we tend to go to others to tell us what is right or wrong.
*Please note: I am not suggesting that an opinion from legitimate medical doctors should be ignored, and I am not suggesting that only self-diagnosis is the answer, I am merely talking about listening to our body and trusting that we can feel what it is telling us; what our own body is saying we need and don’t need.
So with regard to questions about how much CBD a person should take– every BODY is different! And with so many unique health factors coming into play as we decide what, if anything, we should put in our body– recommended dosing is just that, a recommendation.
In my own case, no matter what potential remedy I have ever taken, I have been way more sensitive and I have needed a much lower dosage than any doctor has recommended; not by a little, but by like one-half.
Starting points are valid and necessary, but I realized early on that a recommended dose is usually not set precisely for you, and it may be off.
Once you ingest anything, natural or not, you will be the first to react and feel what is going on as far as beneficial effects and side effects.
Reading about side effects, I have learned that other people’s anecdotes are not always that helpful to me. I find myself watching for them or assuming their experience will happen to me, but thats that always the case.
When it comes to questions about being sure you are taking the right amount, I always suggest– start low and go up gradually, to find your own sweet spot. But also realize each day is different and some days we have more stress on our bodies, both physically and mentally, and may need a higher dose one day and less on other days.
Over time, after experiencing a calmer state, you may be able to decrease and eventually even stop your dosage. There are so many factors to consider; the biggest being ups and downs in your nervous system and how it works as far as getting relaxed.
Your own level of anxiety does not necessarily mean a higher or lower dose, but stress and calm come into play when dealing with dosing.
Genetics, emotional history, and overall health all play into this decision-making.
Something else commonly misunderstood, is that once you have calmed your nervous system down and regulated yourself, you cannot just instantly stop what was working. It takes time for your system to get adapted to this new calm state. At some point you can wean down and off, but that too is another point of listening to your body and being aware of stressors that can set you back.
So how do you know what to do? What will work for you?
I suggest you start by listening to your body. Pay attention to what it's telling you, how you feel. Practice a way of looking at your wellness in which you are in charge of it and you can listen to your body; trust that it will tell you what to do.
Here are some guidelines to follow:
- If you are an anxious, sensitive person– start lower and go up as needed.
- If you are already pretty mellow and don’t get overwhelmed easily– you may want to start at the recommended dosage or slightly higher.
- If you are fighting cancer or chronic illness– start with a higher dose and then adjust each day until you find your sweet spot.
You certainly do not want to stop getting needed support from your medical providers!
But most importantly– TRUST YOURSELF, you know what feels right for you!
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SOURCES
CBD Dosage: How Much Should You Take? - Healthline
https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-dosage
CBD dosage: Benefits, safety, and side effects - Medical News
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327518
CBD Dosage: How Much Should You Take? – Forbes Health
https://www.forbes.com/health/body/cbd-dosage/
What Dosage of CBD Should You Take? - Verywell Mind
https://www.verywellmind.com/cbd-dosages-how-much-cbd-should-you-take-5078580
Dosage, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol Administration in ...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC7092763