I've struggled with anxiety since I was a kid. I remember driving in the car when it was raining and being terrified our windshield wipers would stop working and we would get in a crash. I never learned how to do a cartwheel because I was convinced I would fall and break my neck. As an adult, my anxiety can sometimes be crippling [1]; it feels like I'm a prisoner trapped inside my own brain.

And while I take a cocktail of medication for my bipolar II [2] (bipolar disorder exists on a spectrum and anxiety can be a symptom), sometimes my anxiety is particularly rough. Since my psychiatrist's office doesn't prescribe benzodiazepines (think: Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan) — and I personally don't want to take them — I have needed another quick fix to curb my anxiety and calm me down ASAP.

Enter cannabidiol [3], or CBD oil. I had read about how effective CBD oil can be to treat anxiety [4]. Even though I'm lucky enough that I don't get panic attacks, I was hoping CBD could treat the anxiety symptoms I do have: dizziness, racing, catastrophic thoughts. increased heart rate. nausea, etc. So when Charlotte's Web sent me a variety of hemp oils, I was eager to try them.

Since I was new to CBD oil, I started with the regular Hemp Extract Oil ($40-$100 at cwhemp.com [5]), which has 10 milligrams of hemp extract per one milliliter serving (about two full droplets' worth). After using that dosage a few times, I didn't see much difference in my anxiety symptoms. It wasn't until I started using Charlotte's Web Hemp Extract Oil Plus ($75-$189 at cwhemp.com [6]), which has 25 milligrams of hemp extract per one milliliter serving (about two droplets' worth), that I started noticing a difference.

When I'm starting to feel anxious, I take two droplets of the Hemp Extract Oil Plus under my tongue: I start with one droplet, let it set under my tongue, and wait about a minute for it to absorb. Then I repeat with the second droplet. After a few minutes, I can notice my anxiety symptoms slowly start to go away. It's not instantaneous, and it doesn't completely cure my anxiety, but I can certainly feel a difference [7].

Now, I keep a bottle of Charlotte's Web Hemp Extract Oil Plus with me at all times: in my going-out purse, in my gym bag, and in my work bag. I like the mint chocolate flavour the best, but also take the olive oil flavour, too. As neuroscientist and cannabis expert Josh Kaplan [8], PhD, told POPSUGAR, you don't necessarily feel CBD working for anxiety like you would feel the sensation of getting high with THC; it's more like a relief of symptoms.

That's exactly how I feel when I take it, and it's my new secret weapon. Not that taking hemp oil is a replacement for psychotropic drugs — this is a conversation you should have with your doctors before making any changes — but if you are looking for an all-natural anxiety relief remedy, try Charlotte's Web Hemp Extract Oil Plus. And if you're looking for an even more potent option, check out Charlotte's Web Hemp Extract Oil Advanced ($150-$275 at cwhemp.com [9]), which has about 43 milligrams of hemp extract per one-half milliliter serving.