Using Essential Oils for Depression
As always I appreciate Joy writing these posts and being honest with her experiences! I am learning so much about Essential Oils through these posts and this one hits home for me in a big way. As someone who has and still does struggle with depression this is one I really wanted to read. Please feel free to comment ( as long as it is respectful) or ask any questions you have! With all of that said, lets get on to the post!
Using Essential Oils for Depression
I read something interesting recently. Before adolescence it is just as common in boys as girls to have depression. After puberty the risk of a girl developing depression can increase up to twice as that of boys. Often they attribute that to changes in hormone levels. Puberty, pregnancy, giving birth, menopause, and in my case infertility issues can wreck havoc on your body and often how you feel emotionally.
When I was younger I felt like it was really a taboo thing to talk about depression. Looking back I have dealt with it off and on most likely since puberty. The way a person reacts to you confiding that you deal with it can definitely impact whether you share about it with others. I remember a few months after the birth of my daughter telling someone close to me (who is childless by choice) that I had postpartum depression. Her reaction caused me to not share anything about depression for a long time. It was around that time that some very tragic stories were in the news relating to PPD. She just couldn’t understand how I could be depressed after finally becoming pregnant after 9 years of trying. Of course she did not live near me and didn’t know what I went through on a daily basis having a medically fragile 2 year old and a newborn. I also knew how important it was to be under a physicians care during that time.
Whatever the cause of depression I think it is important for people to realize that they are not alone. Only in the last couple of years have I had discussions with some of my friends about the fact that I struggle with it at times only to find that most of them have also! The fact that I am not alone with it truly has a calming effect on me.
What are some of the signs of depression?
Here is a list that I copied from WebMD-
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
- Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
- Sleeping too much or too little, early-morning waking
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.
At some point in time I could identify with many of those symptoms. What can a person do? Well, first I must say depression is not anything to mess around with. I am not someone to go to the Dr. often but my OBGYN became my best friend in helping me deal with depression and anxiety over the years. I highly encourage anyone suffering it to discuss it with your physician. I do believe there is a time and a place for medication and I have had to use it over the years.
What does my post have to do with essential oils then? Well…I think that there are additional things to do to help. I have found prayer and talking with friends extremely helpful and just recently I have been looking into and trying different essential oils that help. Here is a list I found off of Everythingessential.me-
Oils & Blends: Bergamot, Balance, Elevation, Frankincense, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Melissa, Peppermint, Roman Chamomile, Rosemary, Serenity, Ylang Ylang
Essential oils based products: AromaTouch Technique, Life Long Vitality supplements
Also consider: Basil, Cinnamon, Citrus Bliss, Clary Sage, Clove, Cypress, Geranium, GingerLemongrass, Marjoram, Melaleuca, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Wild Orange
The oils that I have personally tried are-
Balance– This is a grounding blend that is beneficial to the central nervous system. It is helpful with those that deal with ADD, ADHD, autism, bi-polar and can assist in calming and balancing your moods. This one you can put on the bottom of your feet but the best way is to diffuse it. I actually have a few samples of this if any locals would like to try it! I LOVE this one.
Clarycalm– This is one I’ve started using as I have PMSDD and I am pretty sure I am about to enter the wonderful world of perimenopause. This blend comes in a little rollerball and helps balance women’s hormones and relieve symptoms that go along with PMS, monthly cycles, and menopause. Included in this one are Clary Sage to balance hormones, Lavender to balance and calm emotions, Bergamot to relieve feelings of stress and agitation, Roman Chamomile which is really helpful in helping you relax, Cedarwood to soothe nervous tension, Ylang Ylang to to help with confidence and feelings of well being, Geranium to help with hormone imbalance and PMS, Fennel which balances hormones and alleviates PMS symptoms, Carrot seed to regulate your monthly cycle, Palmarosa to reduce stress, and Vitex to regulate estrogen levels.
Frankincense/Lemongrass/Marjoram– These are some more of my favorites as they are also good for pain and I have chronic pain. Here is a blend using all three that I have found really helps me!
I have an order coming this week that has a new blend I am trying out- Elevation which is supposed to help with attention deficit, depression, hopelessness, lack of energy and stress. I will have to let you know what I think of that one next week when I write about something that unfortunately goes hand in hand with depression- ANXIETY
If any of you would like to purchase any of the Essential Oils , Joy does sell them. I would love for you to get them from her becasue you won’t just get a great product – you will also get great knowledgeable customer service! That is hard to find nowadays! If you would like to check out her store and the other Essential Oils she sells click here.
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