Anxiety, Depression and Aromatherapy

The most prevalent mental health issues of our time are anxiety and depression. According to the National Health Institute (NIH), anxiety can be experienced as generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobias, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. They also gave statistics:

• An estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults had an anxiety disorder in the past year.

  
  

• Past year prevalence of any anxiety disorder was higher for females (23.4%) than for males (14.3%).

  
  

• An estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.

Depression is also a common mental health issue. The World Health Organization says, "An estimated 3.8% of the population experience depression, including 5% of adults (4% among men and 6% among women), and 5.7% of adults older than 60 years. Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression. Depression can manifest as:

• poor concentration

• feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth

• hopelessness about the future

• thoughts about dying or suicide

• disrupted sleep

• changes in appetite or weight

• feeling very tired or low in energy.

If a person has five or more symptoms lasting two weeks or more, it may be diagnosed as major depression, also known as clinical depression. This type of depression can last weeks or months. It is estimated that 12% of men and 20% of women can suffer major depression in their lifetime. Symptoms that come and go, may be diagnosed as persistent depressive disorder, also called dysthymia, and is a long-term (chronic) form of depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually happens in the winter months and is often associated with the lack of sunlight and the production of melatonin in the brain. Lastly, a type of depression that most people have experienced is low mood. Usually, low mood lasts a few days or weeks. It can lead to other forms of depression.

Some people experience anxiety and depression together. Due to the parts of the brain associated with emotion, mood, and memory, it is fairly common for some people to have both. This can be debilitating and create serious quality of life issues. When symptoms interfere with daily activities, social interactions or if a person is having thoughts of harming self, it is always best to seek medical help.

Aromatherapy can help with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some essential oils work directly with the limbic system which controls mood. There are oils that help with insomnia, relaxation, stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, grief and PTSD. This is not to replace medical intervention, but combined with other modalities such as talk therapy, medications, lifestyle changes and even dietary changes, aromatherapy can provide much support.