My topic is on the use of aromatherapy oils on Generalized
Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and on anxiety in general. Worry and anxiety seems to be
a large part of today’s modern lifestyle as we put a lot of pressure on
ourselves to succeed in our career ambitions and goals which often come hand in
hand with stress and anxiety as we try to fit these around our personal lives
and commitments. Often people do not focus on trying to undertake stress
relieving exercises or health treatments and ignore these emotions choosing to
solider on and as they continue to do this it can become detrimental to their
mental and physical health.
Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental condition that
causes a person to feel chronic feelings of excessive worry, anxiety and severe
dread without any real cause. People with this condition feel on edge, tense
and jittery throughout the day and depending on the severity of the condition
their anxiety levels can rise to unbearable peaks and fall in a wave like
fashion throughout their day which is extremely emotionally draining and
exhausting for the individual. A person with this disorder may worry about
minor things, daily events or the future. This condition is often linked to
depression as an individual suffering from this condition may be inhibited from
living their life the way they wish to, this can lead to poor quality of life
and in some cases can even lead to suicide. Some physical traits attributed by
this condition are elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, muscle
tension, sweating and shaking, insomnia, nausea and stomach problems.
Some good natural treatments for anxiety are a good healthy
diet, exercise, meditation, regular sleep patterns and herbal treatments such
as st johns wort. Other treatments often prescribed by doctors are therapy and
medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and benzodiazepine (sedatives). SSRI’s work to inhibit the uptake of
serotonin in the brain eventually causing the emotions felt by the patient to
be of a more normal, less distressing range. SSRI’s often come with unwanted
side effects such as blurred vision, feelings of agitation, loss of appetite,
loss of sex drive and sexual dysfunction and sedatives have side effects such
as drowsiness, fatigue, confusion and disorientation and often have highly
addictive qualities that can lead to drug abuse. Thus the need for alternatives
such as aromatherapy which can be a non-invasive, natural treatment option
without any unwanted side effects. It is so non-invasive that it can often be
used alongside SSRI’s and other prescribed medications and not affect their
actions.
The ‘grandmother oil’ Lavandula Angustifolia is one of the
most appropriate oils to use to treat anxiety. It is well known to have
sedative and antidepressant effects. The chemical composition of Lavender
allows it have anxiolytic effects with the main active constituents being
linalool and linalyl acetate which are esters. Esters work to be calming and
balancing on the body’s central nervous system and is good for terrain support.
Appleton (2012), states that in clinical studies linalool has been shown to
inhibit acetylcholine release (which is an excitatory neurotransmitter of the
autonomic nervous system) and influence ionic conductance of neurons in the
brain and linalyl acetate is described to exert a relaxing effect. Lavender has
also been shown to reduce dose dependently spontaneous motility and caffeine
induced hyperactivity in mice.
Also a study undertaken on the levels of anxiety on patients
which chronic hemodialysis showed on the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety
(HAMA) that the aroma of Lavender decreased the mean scores of HAMA suggesting
it to be an effective, non-invasive means for treating anxiety in patients. Now
discussing the effects of Lavandula Angustifolia compared to other treatments
such as SSRI’s and sedatives. Schafke & Woelka (2009) wrote an article
discussing the effects of silexan, a new oral lavender oil capsule in comparison
to Lorazapam (a common sedative prescribed to people with this condition) the
efficacy of a 6-week-intake of silexan compared to lorazepam was investigated in
adults with GAD. They also used the
Hamilton anxiety scale to measure the results; which found that the lavender
capsules effectively decreased generalized anxiety at a highly comparable level
to Lorazepam with the HAMA total score decreased clearly and to similar extents
in both groups. The overall conclusion is that the lavender capsules work as
effectively as lorazepam and is a preferable choice for treatment for GAD as it
does not have side effects or highly addictive qualities that lorazepam
possesses.
Lavandula angustifolia is not the only oil you can use to
effectively treat anxiety there are many others to choose from
such as Basil, bergamot, Roman chamomile, Virginia cedarwood, cypress,
frankincense, geranium, jasmine, marjoram, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, rose,
rosewood, vetiver and ylang ylang.
I believe one of the most effective ways to treat anxiety with
aromatherapy is through Swedish massage as it combines the therapeutic benefits
of the essential oils with the sedative effects of massage. A study was
undertaken by Edge (2003) on the effect of aromatherapy massage on mood,
relaxation and anxiety in mental health. The study was conducted on eight
subjects who were assigned an aromatherapy massage weekly for 6 weeks and were
measured on the hospital anxiety and depression scale after their initial and
final massages. Results of improvement where shown in 6 of the 8 subjects
showing aromatherapy to be highly successful and a powerful treatment option in
improvement of anxiety and mood levels
of those in mental health care.
To conclude my presentation aromatherapy is found to be a
highly effective, natural and non-invasive treatment that can work just as well
as certain prescription medicines prescribed by doctors for sufferers of
general anxiety disorder. Lavender especially with its active chemical
constituents being esters has a profound effect on the central nervous system
and peripheral nervous system at decreasing sympathetic nervous system dominance
and exertion and it has been found in combination with Swedish massage to
positively treat those in mental health care.
References
Appleton., J. (2012). Lavender oil for
anxiety and depression. Natural Medicine Journal. 5 (12). Retrieved from http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=289.
Edge., J. (2003). A pilot study addressing the effect of
aromatherapy massage on mood, aniety and relaxation in adult metal health.
Complementary therapies in nursing and midwifery. 9 (2). Retrieved from http://ezproxy-mc.mywisenet.com.au:2051/science/article/pii/S135361170200104X
H, Woelka., S, Schlafke. (2010). A
multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation
Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder.
Phytomedicine. 17 (94). Retrieved from http://wellpark.moodle.co.nz/mod/resource/view.php?id=9495
