This post is based on an interview I had with an aroma therapist. Aroma therapy is the half-science of how to use essential oils to support health and well-being. We met to discuss the use of essential oils for the problems that accompany PTSD: anxiety, insomnia, depression and dissociation.
Theresa: Hi! Thanks for having me over. I have never done anything with essential oils before, this is all new to me, so you will have to cover all the basics while explaining.
Aroma therapist: The most important thing you need to know is that essential oils do not replace therapy or medication. They are meant to support the healing, they usually don’t bring the healing. The second thing you need to know is that people react differently to different essential oils, but intuition is often the best guide on what to use. You need to like the smell of an oil. Don’t just blindly buy anything I recommend. Find a store where you can take your time and smell different oils, then choose what suits you best.
Theresa: If I go to a store, how do I recognize good quality oils. Is there something I need to pay attention to?
Aroma therapist: Yes, absolutely. You want to get essential oils, not perfume oils. Those are often sold cheaply for aroma lamps, but they do not have any “power”. Essential oils have active ingredients beyond just a certain smell that cannot be found in fragrance oils. You recognize a high quality oil by the way it is labeled. The label should say:
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the english and latin name of the plant
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country of origin
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an identification number
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the procedure how it was won
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what part of the plant it comes from
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list of active ingredients
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(safety advice)
I personally think that young living is the best brand in the US.
[no product placement, just her opinion. I looked at the prices and thought that they are pretty expensive. I personally own doTerra oils]
Theresa: PTSD comes with a cluster of symptoms. Anxiety, high arousal levels and sleeping problems are common. What kind of essential oils would you use for that?
Aroma therapist:
Cedar oil can be used for anxiety, tension and restlessness and to balance yourself
Jasmine oil can help with anxiety disorder and has a calming effect
Roman camomile is one of the strongest oils for fear, it does have a very strong calming effect.
Lavender is a very common one, it has a lot of purposes for all kinds of small physical problems, but it also works well with anxiety, depression, burn-out and especially sleeping problems.
Myrrh has a strengthening and stabilizing effect and works well with restlessness and anxiety.
Myrtle is also helpful with anxiety and helps the relax your muscles
Rose oil is calming and relaxing but it is pretty expensive.
Tonka is very relaxing and lifts your mood
Vertiver is a smell that some people don’t like, it’s very earthy, but also very good for anxiety, calming and strengthening.
Ylang Ylang is relaxing, helps with inner tension and exhaustion
There is more, but to keep it practical I will tell you what you can do with these.
To improve sleep you can take:
3 drops myrrh oil
3 drops lavender oil
1 drop jasmine oil
2 drops roman camomile
and mix all these into 4 oz (or half a cup) of cream, yes, the very thing you put into your coffee. This is creating a bath additive you can pour into your bath water, all natural of course. If you are too shy to use cream you can also use some sea salt for this. Soak in this bath for about 15 minutes, before you go to bed. In addition to the smell the skin will also absorb some of the oils and help you relax and sleep.
If you want something to help you relax and let go of fear during the day you can create some massage oil for yourself.
Take
2 drops ylang ylang oil
1 drop vertiver oil
2 drops tonka oil
1 drop jasmine oil
3 drops melissa oil
and mix those with about 1 oz (or 2 tablespoons) of jojoba oil. That is a neutral oil that will “carry” your ingredients (you can also use almond oil). Rub this on your palms, feet, belly and temples or where you like it. It can help you be more relaxed and less afraid.
Theresa: thank you for this practical advice! We are taking a break here. In part 2 we will look at more recipes and oils that can help with depression and dissociation.
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