Aromatherapy Vs. Stress and Anxiety

Using aromatherapy to treat stress and anxiety is not a new concept. During the Victorian era, people often carried handkerchiefs perfumed with lavender. Modern day research continues to verify what our ancestors knew all along - lavender is one of the most useful oils for relaxation. It works as both sedative and tonic, easing aches and pains while relaxing mood.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs and trees to promote well being. Oils are used in ways including inhalation, external application and ingestion. (New users should follow directions closely. Oils do differ in how they can be used.)It probably didn't take our cave dweller ancestors long to realize that burning different plants resulted in different aromas.

What began as trial and error has evolved into accepted, established practices. In years past, people diagnosed and treated themselves using aromatherapy. Now there are Aromatherapists with specialized knowledge of essential oils. A little oil goes a long way. Essential oils are concentrated - as much as 50 times more potent than the original form. In The Complete Guide to Plant Essences, author Daniele Ryman notes that the potency of one ounce of plant material is often represented in one drop of essential oil.

Research at the University of Miami Medical School, published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, showed that rosemary and lavender administered via aromatherapy positively affected both psychological and physiological functioning. Participants in the lavender group exhibited relaxation and improved mood. Participants of the rosemary group demonstrated decreased anxiety levels and increased alertness.

Lavender and rosemary aren't the only essential oils proven to aid in the treatment of anxiety and stress. Calming scents include orange blossom, vanilla, lavender, other floral fragrances, chamomile. Sandalwood, lavender and nutmeg appear to help users de-stress. Patchouli oil lifts the mood.

Aromatherapy recipes for treating anxiety involve mixing different oils to create soothing blends. Lavender, geranium and patchouli together are said to relieve tension and anxiety while melissa and chamomile serve as nerve sedatives and antispasmodics.

Common and often used oils for treating anxiety and anger include: basil, bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, frankincense, geranium, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli and ylang-ylang. Common and often used oils for treating depression include: basil, clary sage, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, melissa, neroli, rose, sandalwood, ylang-ylang.

One of the advantages of aromatherapy in treating anxiety is the immediate result without waiting for the treatment to work its way through the body. Inhalation is the most rapid form of aromatherapy treatment. Inhalation results in the oil's absorption into the body via the respiratory system and into the brain via the olfactory system.

The fragrance molecules reach the limbic system - the portion of the brain controlling emotions and feelings. Since the limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain controlling heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels, science has proven that oil fragrances are one of the fastest ways to produce physiological or psychological effects.

This is good news for anxiety sufferers who have trouble swallowing medications. There are no tablets to take, no nasty liquid to drink. No waiting for the body to digest and absorb ingredients before feeling relief.
Researchers from California and London studied the effects of inhaled or smelled essential oils on brain waves. Their research showed that oils such as orange and rose have a sedating effect with brain waves going into a rhythm producing calm.

Women, more at risk than men for many anxiety disorders, respond especially well to aromatherapy for treatment of stress and anxiety. People are different and do react differently to aromas. Memory can play a big part in the perception of aromas. Experimenting with different scents is still the best way to find what works for each individual.

Using aromatherapy can be as simple as putting a few drops of oil on a cotton ball and inhaling the essence or as complicated as processing the oils from the original plant. Essential oils are now used in a wide variety of products and available in everything from sachets to shampoos. Lavender has become so synonymous with relaxation that one well known detergent manufacturer now makes lavender scented detergent and features people resting comfortably on sheets washed in their detergent.

Cost isn't a deterrent in using aromatherapy to treat anxiety. Essential oils don't have to be expensive. They aren't hard to locate and do not require prescriptions or visits to a physician or healthcare professional. There's nothing embarrassing about being seen with a bottle of lavender or rosemary oil.

Aromatherapy is convenient and easy. It isn't difficult to add a few drops of oil to bath water. It's easy to tuck a bottle of essential oil in the desk drawer at work or slip a small sprayer into a pocket. It only takes a moment to massage a drop of lavender oil into skin. Using a scented candle, humidifier or diffuser can disperse the aroma throughout a room or an entire home. De-stressing your environment makes life more pleasant and reduces mental stress.

The scent itself may not be the only benefit of an essential oil. People often find pleasure and relaxation just in exploring the various scents available. Sniffing candles, exploring incense shops, trying out lotion testers and browsing bath bead selections are proven, inexpensive ways to de-stress, especially for women.

The next time you're feeling stressed, follow your nose to the nearest source of lavender and other essential oils and products. Do some serious scent research. Your body and mind will thank you!