How CBD Changed My Life

This post has been months in the making, six months actually, ever since my first Equilibria box arrived in Vero Beach this past April, where I spent the spring quarantining with my family.

I’ve tried not to hide the fact that I’ve struggled with anxiety ever since I was midway through high school. I remember sitting in my parent’s bed studying for an AP Biology exam (why the heck was I in that class in the first place?!) and thinking that I was having a heart attack, because I couldn’t breath, had serious chest and jaw pain, and felt like my limbs were going numb. This happened multiple times again after that, and I decided that I needed some answers.

I went to see my pediatrician  (who was such an awesome and brilliant man), and as soon as I described what had occurred, he pinpointed it as a panic attack, which explained why I was having so much trouble breathing. He also told me that I had TMJ from clenching my jaw too hard when I slept (which would explain my jaw pain), and something called costochondritis, which is a relatively harmless inflammation of the cartilage in your breast bone (which explained my chest pain and numbness).

In a few conversations with my doctor, I had figured out exactly what was happening to my body, and that information was priceless and really helped to ease my mind. I then turned to ways to combat it.

I received treatment and retainers for my TMJ (to this day I don’t sleep without my nighttime retainer) and I turned to natural supplements to relieve my anxiety. For the most part this worked, and I thankfully haven’t had a full-blown panic attack since high school. BUT, my anxiety ebs and flows, and is still very much a constant part of my life, so I’ve always stayed in tune with additional products I could try to stay on top of it.

This all happened around 2011-2013, and if CBD had been as widely available and known to help with anxiety back then, you better believe I would have tried it. But it wasn’t, so I only became really familiar with the oil this year. Which, in hindsight, was just the year when I may have needed it most. So let’s get into it!

Note: I’ve been on Equilibria influencer Zoom meetings, 1:1 calls, and emailed with their CEO, so it’s safe to say that I have a major brand crush on them and have learned a LOT that I now want to share with you…

What is CBD?

So between leaving my job to run my blog full time, living with my family for the past six months (love you guys!) and everything pretty much being turned upside down this year, my anxiety has been spiking and I quickly realized (in April) that I needed to make a change and find some additional support.

That’s when I decided to reach out to Equilibria, after doing a ton of research into their company, and comparing them to other CBD brands (more on that below!). But let’s get to what CBD actually is first– CBD stands for cannabidoil, which is one of the natural compounds found in the Cannabis Sativa plant.

The Cannabis plant can be grown to be either “industrial hemp” with 0.3% of THC in it, or marijuana, which can contain 30% THC. THC is the main mind-altering ingredient in the plant. Of course CBD is extracted from the “industrial hemp” type and the purest form is taken right from the flower of the plant.

Ok so now that we know what CBD is, how does it work with our bodies?! Here’s another term coming at ya— the Endocannabinoid System (ECS for short!), which is a series of receptors in our bodies. This system is responsible for maintaining balance in our body for things like sleep, mood, pain regulation, and inflammation (remember the inflammation in my chest?! CBD can help that!).

Here’s another term– our bodies naturally create compounds called endocannabinoids that interact with the ECS to make sure that all of those things are balanced and working well. But as we get older and we experience stress, our bodies stop creating as many of these endocannabinoids, which means the ECS stops functioning as well and things like our sleep patterns and mood become unbalanced.

It’s been discovered that CBD is the perfect substitute to endocannabinoids and can help get the ECS balanced again, when it’s effected by stress. In other words, when we use CBD, we are replicating what our body already naturally creates with a plant substance that does a similar job… HOW COOL IS THAT.

If this fascinates you or you just want more information, then head over to Equilibria’s blog, specifically their post on ‘5 CBD Basics You Need to Know‘ and ‘Your Endocannabinoid System & You‘ to learn even more about it all.

What makes Equilibria different from other CBD companies?

I just got really wordy in the above sections (I couldn’t help it, I will absolutely talk your ear off about this company if you let me), so I’m going to go ahead and list out everything that makes Equilibria different & the best in the game when it comes to CBD:

• Their products are ethically sourced
• Their products are fully traceable (Equilibria owns their own organic farm in Colorado where ALL of their CBD comes from and have their own supply chain)
• Their products are tested by third-party companies
• Their CBD is derived from the plant’s flower only, which is the purest source of CBD! (It’s called ‘medical grade,’ AKA legit). Other brands also use the stalks, stems, and leaves of the plant, which is much lower grade and results in a lower quality CBD oil
• Every Equilibria customer is assigned their own dosage specialist who has a professional background in cannabis and will work with you one-on-one to figure out your best CBD routine
• It’s a female-founded and female led company

CBD’s Effect on Me

I remember taking my first full dropper of CBD oil back in April, and I felt its effects almost instantly (please note that is usually not the case and they do recommend consistently using CBD for three months to really see its full positive effects). I had tried CBD oil from another company about a year before this, and had a negative reaction (I found that it actually made me more anxious), so I was nervous trying it this time around.

But for whatever reason (maybe it’s how pure Equilibria’s CBD is), I had a positive reaction to it and felt calmed almost instantly. It’s kind of like the feeling after you take your first sip of wine after a long day, or when you wake up from a nap, calmer yet more energized. In the hours when my body is feeling the effects of CBD (whether from the drops or the soft gels I’ve consumed), I don’t have the tightness or angst in my chest that stems from anxiety, and I am much less likely to snap at someone or have a negative emotional reaction to something that doesn’t warrant one.

I still feel everything of course, but my stress and angst is not acute or debilitating like it once was. In fact, I think that I’ve become an all-around calmer, more productive, happier, and nicer person (in the crazy year of 2020, believe it or not!). It’s hard to explain and convey over writing, and is definitely the type of thing you need to experience yourself.

I currently take a dropper in the morning, right after I wake up, a softgel in the afternoon around 3pm, and then another dropper right before I go to bed. I will also occasionally use the relief cream on my temples/jaw line for headaches and jaw pain, and on my neck/shoulders after a day of hovering over my computer for a while (so guilty of this). And I’ve heard that it’s also life changing for bug bites, though I haven’t tried that yet!

This is the exact schedule that my dosage specialist recommended to me this past spring, and it’s worked so well since then! I haven’t missed a day since I started– it made that big of an impact on me. My ‘CBD’ Instagram highlight shows me explaining a lot of this as well!

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I hold the drops under my tongue for as long as I can before swallowing them & they have an almost instant effect

Is CBD for you?

I shared my story and road to taking CBD above, but of course everyone’s journey with anxiety and stress is unique, and you may not know if CBD is for you. So here are a few points that the Equilibria team has identified that CBD can help with:

Equilibria CBD may be right for you if…

• You wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep because your mind is racing
• Your brain won’t turn off and you struggle falling asleep
• Your patience level with your kids (or coworkers!) is negative zero and you’re pulling your hair out
• You are really sick of Zoom calls and dealing with your coworkers
• That looming work presentation makes your anxiety spike
• Your period cramps are THE WORST
• You look at the time every day thinking, “is it time for wine yet?!” but it’s only 3pm

What should you start out with?

If any of the above resonated with you, you’ve experienced panic attacks, or you just need something else to help take the edge off of a stressful day (in between coffee and cocktails), then I’d 1000% recommend trying this.

I started out with the ‘Brilliance Box,’ which is basically a sampling of their most popular items, the Daily Drops, the Daily Softgels, and the Relief Cream. This is awesome because you can try out all three very easily, without having to guess which one will work best for you. I’d recommend the mint flavor as well– it’s refreshing!

The Equilibria team recommends sticking with it for three months to get the full effect and see how it works with your body, so go with the subscription! Is it cheap? No. That’s because it’s of the highest quality of CBD oil. I am on a subscription basis with it now and it’s the BEST money that I spend each month. You also save 20% when you choose the subscription, and you can change or cancel it at any time.

Soon after you place your order, you’ll receive an email from the Equilibria team where you can schedule a call with one of their dosage specialists (think of them like CBD counselors). Definitely do this! It takes all the guesswork out of figuring out how much you should take/when. All of their dosage specialists are experts in the product and company (I talked with Maia!) and will ask you a few simple questions about your routine and stress levels, and then recommend a schedule for you. They’re also just so knowledgable and fun to chat with!

Use the code ‘amylittleson’ for 15% off your one-time order or subscription

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Any questions?! As always, feel free to email me at amylittleson14@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram— OR contact the Equilibria team with any questions or concerns you may have at all! I’m here to help, and honestly just want to spread the word about how this has changed my life in big ways, for the better. xx

Also, as per FDA guidelines, Equilibria is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any ailments or disease. As always, consult with your physician before starting anything new that may interact with your current health plan.