The Science Behind Frustration and Anger: Does CBD for Frustration Really Work?

In psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition, related anger, annoyance and disappointment. Life is full of frustrations, from the minor irritation of losing something to bigger problems like issues at work. Ultimately what frustrates us will differ from one day to the next, depending on circumstances and of course, our mood. Something that frustrates us today, might not frustrate us tomorrow.

There are many questions surrounding the matter of frustration and what sets us off. Why do some people seem to get frustrated and angry more easily than others? Is frustration healthy? Is it a chemical imbalance? Most importantly, is it something that can be treated?

With these very valid questions doing the rounds, it’s rather frustrating (excuse the pun) to see the practice of using cannabis for frustration being seemingly overlooked and quite frankly, underappreciated. Now we not saying that frustration should be looked at as a medical condition along the lines of diabetes, cancer, or arthritis but what we are saying is that cannabis can do wonders in treating and minimising frustrations.

In fact, CBD is the perfect daily remedy, with the ability to help people to achieve a healthier emotional response to even the most trying and frustrating of situations.

What is frustration? And why, exactly, do we get frustrated?

Frustration is something that we are all likely to experience at some point or another. It’s an emotion that occurs in response to a lack of understanding whenever the results we expect do not seem to fit the effort and action we are applying. It could be situational (i.e. throwing a wrench across the garage because you can’t fix your car) or emotional (i.e. not understanding why your boyfriend/girlfriend acts the way they do).

This begs the question, why do some of us seem to get so easily angered and frustrated in situations that don’t seem to bother others? Why do situations that enrage some of us, barely even produce an emotional response from others? This has all got to do with a structure in our brain called the amygdala. You can associate the amygdala with one word, fear. It is the reason that we are afraid of things outside our control. It also controls the way we respond to certain stimuli by producing a reactive neurochemical response in situations that we deem as potentially dangerous or threatening. This response is often an emotional one, meaning that we react in the form of anger, rage, frustration, etc.

The fascinating thing is that the release of these neurochemical responses is dependant on our genetic makeup. Yes, that’s right, the reason some of us seem to get frustrated more easily and quickly than others, has a lot to do with our genetics.

There are a vast number of techniques and “coping strategies” out there for those of us looking to ‘get a grip’ on our reaction to the amygdala’s initial detection of a threat. Keep in mind that managing our frustrations is a learned skill rather than a ‘quick fix’ instinct that we are born with.

Coping mechanisms and conventional treatments for frustration and anger

As mentioned above, there are no shortage in techniques and coping mechanisms for dealing with frustration and anger. Many of these techniques are even used as preventative measures, to avoid emotional pitfalls before you even approach them.

As with any problem, the solution is to take a step back from the situation, figure out what your options are, decide on a plan, focus, and then take action. It’s all about giving yourself time to allow your rational side to kick in.

Here are a few “mind over matter” techniques that can be employed when the situation at hand is seemingly too much to deal with:

• Consciously look for the positives in EVERY situation: Always remember that things are not usually as bad as they first appear. Sometimes things might seem much worse than they are, simply because we are tired or mentally drained. Always try and see the good in a situation, no matter how ridiculously bad you think things are. For example, if you’ve made a horrible mistake trying to change the oil in your car and stripped the threads on the oil drain pan, remind yourself that at least you didn’t get burned on the scalding exhaust pipe and end end up in the local emergency room with third-degree burns.
• Be aware that there are ALWAYS multiple solutions to a problem: Where there is a will, there’s a way. You always have options. Granted, this is a lot easier said than done but remember that there will always be more than one solution to a problem, even if it means making a major sacrifice or compromise to your original intentions.
• Keep an active log of positive events, behaviors, and accomplishments: As silly as it sounds, keeping a log of all our accomplishments goes a long way in making us feel good and motivating us to continue on the path to a stress-free life. Even if it’s something as simple as keeping your cool when someone cuts you off on the way home from work, it’s good to remind ourselves of the positive behaviour because we have a tendency to only remember the negative occurrences.

Keeping a log also helps to visualize your accomplishments or lack thereof, over a given period of time. As well as surprising you with all the positive things you’ve accomplished, it can also show you areas that need improvement. That way you can put a plan into place of what needs to be done in the future to improve on your personal goals.

While these techniques have the potential to be very effective for some people, if implemented correctly, there are also many people who struggle with implementing these “mind over matter” strategies. They might be completely aware of what needs to be done in order to avoid falling into the emotional trap of anger and frustration but actually putting the strategy into action is a whole different thing.

For those people who struggle to maintain a positive frame of mind, using CBD for frustration is safe and incredibly effective. This is a natural remedy that can be taken every day in order to to reduce the overactive neurochemical releases that result in overwhelming waves of emotion.

Why CBD for frustration is an undervalued (and relatively unheard of) treatment

There are two main cannabinoid that can be found in marijuana, THC and CBD (short for cannabidiol). The most important difference between these two natural plant compounds is that THC is the psychoactive component of the plant, meaning that it is the ingredient responsible for getting you ‘high’ while CBD is non-psychotropic, meaning you won’t experience a ‘high’.

For this reason, CBD is becoming more and more popular as a day-to-day approach for achieving a more positive lifestyle. With the ability to take CBD before or even during work to experience all its health benefits and no risk of it altering your state of mind or cognitive reasoning abilities, this could just be exactly what is needed.

On a functional level, CBD works by interacting with chemical receptors in the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system, or ECS. If you are not familiar with the ECS, it is a massive network of naturally-occurring cannabinoids and cellular cannabinoid receptors that have been found in virtually every cell type in the human body. Studies have proven that these receptors influence conditions ranging from diabetes and cancer to schizophrenia and anxiety. You could say that just about every neurological and physiological activity in the body is regulated in some way by the ECS, hence cannabis’ seemingly all-encompassing therapeutic benefits.

The use of CBD to manage neurological responses is still very much a developing area of science. In the case of anger and frustration, it’s thought that CBD functions on a physiological level by manipulating CB receptors in the limbic region of the brain (the area which controls emotional response). Although it’s not completely understood how CBD affects the CB receptors, it is thought that cannabinoids help regulate the “fight or flight” chemicals that are released during perceived “threat” situations. Meaning that CBD works to reduce onset frustration by limiting the amygdala’s “command” for the nervous system to discharge emotion-inducing neurotransmitters.

Studies have also proven that cannabis plays a role in dopamine release. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers, attributed to general happiness and feelings of joy. Based on this finding, we can conclude that maintaining a healthy and positive state of mind is highly dependant on whether or not the brain is operating on appropriate levels of dopamine.

Now that we’ve covered how cannabis can be used as a treatment for frustration, let’s look at dosage and how to take CBD. The dosage amount will obviously differ from person to person but generally, most individuals notice incredibly positive effects on their happiness and general state of mind with as little as 3-6 drops of quality CBD oil per day. The best practice is to start out by taking low doses and working your way up from there, until you feel the desired changes. Alternative CBD products such as edibles (and even high-CBD flower like Charlotte’s Web) are also know to be effective.

Best CBD for anger management and frustration

As previously mentioned, studies around the use of CBD for specific health conditions are few and far between, nevermind “non-medical” conditions such as frustration and anger. Also keep in mind that not everyone will experience positive effects when taking CBD. In fact, although unlikely, it is possible for some people to not experience any effects at all.

Also important to note is that you should always be wary when purchasing CBD. There are a number of bogus products out there, ‘fakes’ that are being falsely advertised as hemp or cannabis products. Do your research and find a trustworthy brand or manufacturer before making a purchase.

Here are some links with useful information on worthwile CBD products (not a paid ad, promise):
https://www.cbdreviews.net/
https://www.reddit.com/r/cbdinfo/
https://cbdoilreview.org/

Thank you for reading! Follow us and leave a comment with what topic you want covered in the next post!

Read more:

CBD Oil: How Much is Enough? Your Guide to CBD Oil Strength
What is Microdosing Weed?
Weed Wars: Which is Better- Cannabinoids or Terpenes?