Is Aromatherapy an Effect Way to Help Battle Depression?

I have been fighting depression since 2001. I have been through counseling and tried different anti-depressants throughout the years. I have had a hard time taking the medication consistently and for various reasons have quit taking it altogether, only to later try it again. It seems to me that the medication only works when I first start taking it and then the effects wear off. So I began to wonder if there were alternative, more convenient, cheaper ways to battle depression. I became interested in aromatherapy after trying a lavender scented Epsom-Salt bath soak that claims to help induce sleep and another eucalyptus scent that aids in relaxation. I didn't know if I was experiencing the placebo effect or if these soaks actually worked. I decided to do some further research.

I soon learned there was more to aromatherapy than just smelling various scents. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils that can be applied topically and orally digested in addition to being inhaled (Mosby). These oils are extracted from plants through differing processes such as distillation, maceration, enfleurage, and pressing; the most common being distillation. During distillation, steam is passed over the useful part of the plant causing the oils within them to vaporize. After being passed through a cooling system, the oil condenses and is then separated from the water to be collected. Even though they can be expensive, always be sure to buy 100% pure essential oils because synthetic clones do not affect the body in the same way and the most useful properties are lost (McGilvery). These oils can be added to a bath, humidifier, warmed by diffusers or vaporizers, burned in fires or candles, and sprayed in rooms. It is important to dilute the oils with water, alcohol, or carrier oil because of their potency.

After being able to better define aromatherapy I needed to see if it could be successfully used as an anti-depressant. I was surprised to find that there was an essential oil for almost any common problem I could think of. Not only was aromatherapy claiming to help with depression, insomnia, and stress but it could also relieve ailments such as acne, indigestion, and even pre-menstrual syndrome (McGilvery). This intrigued me, so I narrowed my focus to the effects of aromatherapy on PMS, and in particular mood swings.

The symptoms of PMS, both physical and emotional, range in degree and can begin anywhere from weeks to days prior to menstruation. There are different types of PMS as well as many different causes such as stress, diet, and an imbalance of vitamins as well as hormones (Turner). Seventy to ninety percent of women experience PMS symptoms and 50% experience painful cramps also known as dysmenorrhea. Cypress and roman chamomile can be used to aid in the relief of cramps, water retention, and sore muscles. They are most useful when applied topically with a massage. Clary sage, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, rose, and rose geranium can all be used as anti-depressants and mood relaxers when inhaled. In order to achieve the best results, use aromatherapy when you first notice symptoms (Thorne).

Since most essential oils that help enhance mood are effective when inhaled, I will slightly shift my focus to smell. This is the easiest and quickest way to get the essential oils into the body. Once inhaled, chemicals in the essential oil react with chemicals in the brain. Odors easily adhere to millions of sensitive olfactory receptors just behind the bridge of the nose. They are then allowed to pass into the limbic system - the oldest part of the brain that is responsible for the expression of emotions, learning, and memory. The amygdala and hippocampus play a crucial role in the processing of smells (Mosby). Direct effects on human behavior and physiology such as activation of memories and changes in mood or emotional states are caused by aroma molecules. These effects may be explained by the close association of the limbic and olfactory systems (Galamaga). Odors play an important role in learned memory. The feeling or mood that is first experienced with the smell will return in the future when the same scent is present. That is why certain smells take us back to a specific moment in time like when I smell hot chocolate I am reminded of my Grandma's house, a safe and loving environment.

Although I have gained a vast amount of knowledge on the subject of aromatherapy, I feel there is still room for vast research to be done. I found hints of contradicting studies stating that "aromatherapy is limited to mood improvements ( Harvard Women's Health)" . I would like to spend more time researching and compare the authenticity of these articles and studies. I want aromatherapy to be proven successful. But I also don't want to be blinded by that bias. Why are there conflicting views of the effectiveness of aromatherapy? And will I be able to get to the bottom of this controversy without conducting an experiment of my own? I will let you know.

WORKS CITED

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PMS: It doesn't have to be part of your cycle. By: Turner, Natasha. Alive: Canadian
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