The therapeutic value of fragrance has been recognised for thousands of years without being fully utilised. After aromatic molecules have been picked up by the limbic system in the brain, they continue their journey towards the lungs and to all the organs and systems of the body. So, besides the psychological effect the oils have, there are physiological actions in the body too.

We continue discussing the many different forms depression can take and which essential oils are helpful.

Agitated and anxious depression

You might recognise this type of depression in a person who is constantly on the move, always fidgeting with something, feel deeply anxious or anguished about things, and react in anger. These people despair over the smallest things and have rapid mood swings. This never-ending fretting usually covers up deep feelings of worthlessness and fear, sometimes accompanied by palpitations, unexplained tears and thoughts of suicide. The people suffering from this type of depression often throw themselves into work as a means of covering up the underlying feelings of inadequacy.

The essential oils that are valuable for agitated or anxious depression are melissa, cedarwood, lavender, roman chamomile, bergamot, marjoram, nutmeg, ormenis flower, valerian and lemon.

Dilute the following quantities of essential oils into 30ml of a base or carrier oil such as grapeseed or sweet almond oil to use as a massage oil:

    • Blend 1: 20 drops of cedarwood, 10 drops of orange
    • Blend 2: 5 drops of cedarwood, 15 drops of lemon, 5 drops ormenis flower (moroccan chamomile).

Lethargic depression

The influence of emotion and mood on a person is significant because the way you feel will determine the way you think, what you perceive, what you remember and how you behave.

Everything is an effort and is overwhelming to the lethargic depressive. From getting out of bed in the morning to answering the phone, washing hair or making a meal, the lethargic depressive ignores as much as possible and just longs to crawl back into bed and sleep. They are often diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and people with ME are often diagnosed with depression.

The essential oils that are helpful for lethargic depression are grapefruit, cypress, rosemary, helichrysum, peppermint, clary sage and eucalyptus citriodora.

Dilute the following quantities of essential oils into 30ml of carrier oil such as sweet almond or grapeseed to use as a massage oil:

    • Blend 1: 5 drops grapefruit, 10 drops rosemary, 15 drops eucalyptus citriodora
    • Blend 2: 15 drops cypress, 15 drops eucalyptus citriodora.

Hysterical depression

On a psycho-biological level, when we enjoy a pleasant fragrance we take deeper, slower breaths, relaxing our breathing pattern, bringing on relaxation. Experiencing a pleasant aroma is very helpful for the hysterical depressive.

Hysterical depression often affects people who have become depressed through an incident in their lives such as a job loss, bereavement, relationship failure or financial problems. They swing between moods, crying, shouting, sighing, being cheerful one moment and suicidal the next.

The essential oils that help in cases such as this are mandarin, chamomile roman, linden blossom, vetiver, bergamot, neroli, lavender, marjoram and valerian. Obviously all aromas depend on the person’s olfactory history.

Dilute the following quantities of essential oils into a 30ml carrier oil such as sweet almond to use as a massage oil:

    • Blend 1: 10 drops lavender, 15 drops chamomile roman, 5 drops mandarin
    • Blend 2: 15 drops neroli, 15 drops mandarin.

Manic depression

As a complementary to medicine, aromatherapy has helped many people through this condition, or helped make it more tolerable.

Extreme mood swings and behaviour patterns are the mark of the manic depressive. During the manic stage, these people are extremely positive, commit themselves to many projects, perhaps appearing a little too bright and cheerful.

Then overnight, without any warning, they become miserable, feel shameful, worthless and despairing. They often suffer from insomnia, lack of appetite and have thoughts of suicide.

If the manic depressive is on any type of medicinal therapy, the usual number of essential oils used should be reduced by half.

The essential oils helpful for manic depression include chamomile roman, chamomile german, frankincense, geranium, grapefruit, mandarin, rose otto, lavender, lemon, neroli, patchouli and sandalwood.

During a manic stage, using a single oil is best. A maximum of 15 drops of oil to 30ml carrier oil for a massage oil or 4 drops in a bath. Use lavender, chamomile roman, neroli or rose alone.

The following blends in 30ml carrier oil as a massage oil, could be helpful:

    • Blend 1: 5 drops mandarin, 4 drops geranium, 6 drops lavender
    • Blend 2: 2 drops chamomile roman, 6 drops lavender, 4 drops frankincense, 3 drops geranium.

Anyone who feels continuously depressed, for whatever reason, should certainly seek medical advice, because there may be a chance that an underlying physical disorder is at fault, such as a hormone imbalance (possibly from thyroid problems). Besides thyroid problems, depression might also be caused by a tryptophan deficiency, by a genetic factor, by problems or changes in life, or by no apparent reason at all. There are many options to help treat depression and essential oils and therapeutic massage are very helpful, positive complementary treatments.

 

Sources
Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Fragrant Mind
Lawless, Julia. Aromatherapy and the Mind