Aromatherapy is no longer the prerogative of enlightened natural health fanatics. Many scientists now recognize the benefits of essential oils in various fields including psychiatry. Discover the essential oils that can accompany depression, trauma or insomnia as part of a psychotherapy follow-up.
Reminder
Essential oils are not to be taken lightly. Although natural, aromatherapy is not without risk. Before any self-medication, it is preferable to talk to your doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist in order to avoid any drug interaction. Moreover, although very effective, essential oils cannot replace a current or future treatment (antidepressant, anxiolytic, mood regulator, anti-psychotic...) nor a psychotherapy.
The essential oil of lavender officinale, a powerful anxiolytic validated by science
The EO of lavender officinale (or true lavender) is the essential oil whose scientific studies expressly validate its anxiolytic power. In 2010, "The German researcher Sandra Schläfke showed that officinal lavender has an anxiolytic power as strong as lorazepram, a drug of the benzodiazepine family" (source: cerveau & psycho n°140 February 2022). Thus, people suffering from generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) can take 2 drops/day internally for 10 weeks to see their anxiety decrease naturally (in addition to an adapted psychotherapy).
The essential oil of sweet orange against the night anxieties
Nighttime anxiety is a mixture of anxiety and insomnia. The sweet orange EO helps to dissipate anxiety. It allows the release of GABA which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter able to calm the cerebral zones activated in an excessive way and which causes the anxiety. The sweet orange EO can be used in adults as well as in children. To do this, pour a few drops on a handkerchief to breathe and leave under the pillow in case of crisis in the night.
Lavender and lemon to relieve depression and trauma
La synergy of true lavender and lemon essential oils allows to relieve the emotional shocks as well as the traumatisms. The inhalation of these two EO has an anxiolytic and antidepressant effect. They modulate the mood while modifying the state of mind in a subtle way. They prove to be precious allies in psychotherapy. Indeed, the essential oil of lemon increases the concentration of serotonin and dopamine in the brain.
Which essential oils are good for the brain?
Here are the essential oils good for the brain by order of effectiveness according to the magazine Cerveau&Psycho n°140 Feb 2022:
- Anxiolytic : lavender, chamomile, lemon, mandarin, orange.
- Antidepressant: lemon, mandarin, orange, lavender.
- Sedative: chamomile, lavender, orange, lemon, mandarin.
Les Essential oils are inhaled on a handkerchief or by using an electric diffuser (not with candle so as not to burn the oil). They can also be applied diluted on the skin by making them penetrate by a light massage or by internal way (capsule, honeydew)
Depression and olfaction disorder
It was noticed that during severe depression, the sense of smell was disturbed. Sick people no longer perceive pleasant smells, unlike healthy people. Moreover, the reverse is also true: people with smell disorders can develop depression in the medium or long term.
The INSERM explains it as follows:
"Olfaction and its determinants are an interesting avenue: physiologically, the olfactory system is a site of neurogenesis that interacts directly with the hippocampus, a region of the brain that plays an essential role in neurogenesis. Moreover, brain imaging shows a very strong link between the activation of brain structures involved in the perception of emotions such as the amygdala and those related to olfaction."
Essential oils conquering health care institutions
Hospitals, EHPAD and other medico-social establishments are opening up to the use of aromatherapy in the accompaniment of depression, anxiety disorders, insomnia or traumas. It is the same in the offices of psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists who offer breathing exercises with essential oils in olfactotherapy.
Why adopting essential oils can relieve psychic disorders?
Essential oils are not addictive, nor addictive, nor do they have any adverse effects. The essential oils presented in this article are scientifically recognized for their benefits and for their effectiveness which joins without question that of the traditional anxiolytics. The psychotropic essential oils help to regulate the psycho-emotional balance by modulating the concentration of neurotransmitters in the brain.