From Loss to Love Again

So many people these days seem to be suffering with emotional instabilities.  As a Natural Health and Wellness Practitioner and Naturopathic Doctor, I am constantly working with people from a physical perspective (chronic fatigue, hormone imbalances, headaches, etc.) but also see my share of people living their daily lives miserable because of emotional challenges. 

Depression and anxiety can be downright insidious, inflicting the person with a very unhappy disposition, poor outlook on life, disrupting family and career and contributing to physical symptoms.  Grief can mean different things to different people, but certainly the loss of a loved one (spouse, child or parent) is what most people think about when they hear someone is grieving.

Also the loss of a job, moving across country or just general relationship problems can catapult some people into a state of grief.  Grief, in particular, can hit us very fast in the event of an unexpected death and often can be one of the hardest emotions for us to recover from.

It’s a medical fact that emotional stress impacts health and well-being. Doctors, psychologists and healthcare professionals often diagnose stress and anxiety as underlying causes of physical problems. Recent research now shows a link between emotions and the immune system. However, the emotional demands and stresses of everyday life can make it difficult to maintain a consistent, positive mental attitude.

When you feel fulfilled, happy and positive you tend to enjoy better health. You are able to get your maximum potential out of life and have more to give your friends and family.  You are upbeat, happy and contribute to your community in a positive way.

Unfortunately though, when suffering with grief, depression and anxiety can often follow and many people turn to alcohol, prescription (or recreational) drugs or even food to help rid themselves of the emotional pain they are dealing with.   Obviously with too much alcohol consumption or drug use, side effects can occur that sometimes make the person even worse.

Hiding out from friends and family members is something that also happens either with grief, depression or anxiety…often people feel ashamed or fearful about being around those that are close to them.

There is another answer.  Rather than taking a chemical and “numbing” yourself out, I recommend aromatherapy/essential oils that can naturally soothe your mind and help you feel better again.  Essential oils (known by some as Aromatherapy) can help you overcome emotional challenges.  They can help your immune system be stronger and help to lift your mood.

How do they work?

The dictionary states that “aroma” means “a distinctive, agreeable odor or fragrance.”  “Therapy” refers to “the treatment of disease or disorder as by some remedial, rehabilitative or curative process.” Put those words together and “Aromatherapy” means “the therapeutic use of fragrances to promote physical and psychological wellbeing.”

Essential oils are highly concentrated, aromatic volatile liquids that are distilled from plants.  They can come from the leaves, bark, flowers, roots or seeds of the plant.  Bushes, plants, shrubs, trees, herbs and flowers can all be used to make an essential oil.

Using therapeutic essential oils can be extremely healing as not only do they work on physical symptoms, but also the emotional aspects of a client, and naturally allow the body to find its balance again and bring about healing and homeostasis.

Each individual essential oil has a distinct function or purpose and hundreds of chemical compounds.  They can be used individually or combined with other essential oils to create a “blend” that is infinitely more powerful than the individual oils by themselves.  They are one of the greatest healing resources we have today, and although aromatherapy has been used for centuries, unfortunately, we have forgotten about these powerful oils.

Manufacturers have instead started using synthetic ingredients in everything from perfumes and lotions to laundry soap and foods.  All of these synthetic ingredients are not good for the human body and it is my personal opinion (and that of others as well), that it is because of synthetic and processed ingredients in personal care products and foods, that our health has been on a steady decline over the last century.

Natural, therapeutic essential oils are PURE and while they can be extremely powerful for aiding our health, they leave absolutely NO toxins behind in our body nor have any detrimental effects on us when used properly.

Olfaction, which is the scientific name for our sense of smell, is what allows our nose to smell.  Molecules from odors and fragrances reach the brain through our inhaling them.  Inside the inner nasal cavity is the olfactory bulb.  Covered in a special membrane called olfactory epithelium, this tissue consists of about 10 million nerve cells.  These cells carry information direct to the brain via the olfactory nerve.

There it is interpreted by the limbic portion of the brain, which is associated with memories, feelings and emotion.  The limbic portion of our brain is connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress and hormone balance.  So you can see utilizing essential oils can have a profound physiological and psychological effect on our body.

Clinical research performed at Duke University reports that certain scents promote relaxation, reduce stress and alleviate depression.  Other research shows that the sense of smell has a strong impact on our hypothalamus – this is an area of the brain that is the hormone command center of the body.

Inhaling essential oils has been shown to stimulate the secretion of antibodies, neurotransmitters in the brain (like serotonin), endorphins, hormones and enzymes.

Oftentimes, people mistakenly assume that because an essential oil smells flowery or sweet, that it is only to be used for perfume purposes.  This is simply not true and you should be aware that behind that sweet smelling oil is healing power.  Of course, this is only true when dealing with “therapeutic” grade pure essential oils and not a synthetic aromatherapy product. There are definite differences between essential oil brands and you should consult a Natural Health Practitioner that is well versed in Aromatherapy.

Utilizing essential oils can relieve the stress and pain associated with depression, anxiety or grief.  These emotional symptoms can be held very deep in our body and if not dealt with, can overcome your life and affect your relationships with others, your career and your family.  If you are suffering in silence with grief, depression or anxiety, please know there are healthy and natural options for you to get relief and I encourage you to contact me for more information.

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