Thursday, March 21, 2024

Lavender For Anxiety And Depression

Does Lavender Really Help With Anxiety

How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety with lavender oil-lavender essential oil anxiety

Traditional folk medicine maintains that the smell of some plants can calm the nerves. Now, new research is suggesting that one fragrant compound present in lavender can lessen anxiety by stimulating the nose to pass signals to the brain.

Investigators at Kagoshima University in Japan studied the effect of linalool, a sweet-smelling alcohol that is present in essential oils of lavender and other scented plants, in mice.

They showed that exposure to linalool vapor affects the brain through smell and not by being absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs.

Another key finding was that unlike anxiolytic, or anti-anxiety, drugs , linalool works without impairing movement.

The researchers suggest that their study paves the way for further investigations into how to use linalools calming properties in humans, citing a need for safer alternatives to benzodiazepines and other anti-anxiety medications.

One application that they foresee is to help people about to undergo surgery to relax before receiving general anesthesia.

A paper on the study now features in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Anxiety can range from short-lived worry or fear about a problem, decision, or stressful situation such as doing an exam, to a lasting, or chronic, condition that does not go away.

When anxiety is chronic, the symptoms can progressively worsen and disrupt daily life, work, relationships, and school.

Topical Application Of Lavender Essential Oil

When it comes to anxiety and depression, the topical application of Lavender oil is considered as the most effective method.

For centuries, Lavender oil, its dried flowers, and extracts have been used both internally and topically for treating anxiety and depression.

According to the study, the topical application of Lavender oil can be a powerful way to reduce anxiety, as rubbing the oil onto the skin will let the medicinal benefits of oil entered into the bloodstream within as little as five minutes.

Following are the methods that you can adapt to enjoy the benefits of Lavender oil by topical application:

  • On the wrists: The easiest place to use lavender oil is your wrist. You can even use undiluted lavender oil by putting just one drop on the wrist and rub both wrists together. You can sniff your wrist anytime, anywhere to reduce depression and anxiety.
  • Make a roller bottle: Fill up a 10 ml roller bottle with 20 drops of Lavender oil along with fractionated carrier oil. Whenever you feel stressed-out, roll this onto collar bones or back of the neck to calm your mind.
  • On the pillow: For a restful sleep and to unwind the depression from the long working day, you can put a drop of lavender oil onto your hand and rub it on your pillow. This will wipe away all the anxious and depressive thoughts and make you fall asleep easily.

What Did The Research Involve

The researchers analysed the results of five randomised controlled trials that investigated the ability of lavender oil oral capsules to reduce symptoms of anxiety.3

Symptoms of anxiety include difficulty sleeping, excessive worry, panic attacks and poor concentration.

Two studies investigated people with generalised anxiety disorder, one investigated people with mixed anxiety and depression, and the other investigated people with anxiety-related restlessness and subsyndromal anxiety.4-7

  • Anxiety disorder: anxiety symptoms that are frequent, persistent and impact day-to-day life.
  • Subsyndromal anxiety: a term used by the authors of the study to describe anxiety symptoms that do not meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder.
  • Generalised anxiety disorder: a type of anxiety disorder where feelings of anxiety can be triggered by many different factors rather than from one specific cause.

Individually, all of the studies that were analysed had previously shown lavender oil oral capsules to reduce symptoms of anxiety more than a placebo .

The researchers used a statistical test to help further investigate the effect of lavender oil oral capsules in these studies, to give a single overall result.

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Will Adding Lavender Oil To My Mascara Make My Lashes Grow Faster

Adding lavender oil to mascara is purported to help lashes grow thicker and faster. The theory behind this is that tiny mites live on and feast on eyelashes inhibiting growth, and using lavender to kill the mites will allow lashes to grow faster. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Red Silk Essentials Lavender Pre

Lavender Ingestibles For Anxiety And Depression?

Roll-on essential oil products are pre-diluted blends a person can apply directly to their skin. They allow someone to carry an essential oil with them throughout the day, applying in small amounts to the wrists to inhale the scent.

This roll-on product is a 10% dilution of organic Lavandula augustofolia oil in medium-chain triglyceride oil. This product contains a relatively high concentration of essential oil, so a person should only use it on small areas of the body.

This product comes from a Good Manufacturing Practices and USDA-certified manufacturer. The company also say they source their essential oils from traditional, sustainable farms.

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Lavender Oil And Aromatherapy

Historically, EOs have been delivered as aromatherapy via inhalation or topical routes. Essential oils delivered via inhalation route may exert psychologic effects, because the olfactory bulb has limbic inputs in the amygdala and hippocampus that are associated with emotion and memory. It is hypothesized that smell-triggered emotional memory may be the etiologic root of situational anxiety in some circumstances. This form of emotional memory is exemplified by state anxiety associated with the characteristic smell of the dentist’s office, which has been reduced with LEO. Conversely, particular smells may be associated with positive emotions and mood, which is a core tenet of hypothesized benefits in aromatherapy.

Seasonal Depression & Anxiety

I have a love hate relationship with winter. I hate it because its dark and cold and I have to stay indoors more than anyone should. But Lavender Oil helps with some of my symptoms of anxiety and helps get me through the winter. The chemical properties of lavender have been studied and have proven to have great benefits both to calm and help the body sleep. As with everything our bodies are all different and react differently to everything around us. There are some rare cases of people having reactions to lavender so be sure to test a small spot on your body before putting a full dose on your skin.

Also Check: Will I Always Be Depressed

What Does Depression Feel Like

We all feel a little down every now and again when worried about something, faced with a stressful situation or are just experiencing general life overwhelm. But in most cases, we are able to bounce back from the blues fairly quickly.

However, for some, depression is a severe disorder that has far reaching effects. It not only affects peoples moods, but also their ability to concentrate and make decisions, as well as their physical well-being. The symptoms can range anywhere from mild to the more severe.

Depression is actually a very complex condition. According to research, theres no single known cause of depression. Instead, it results from a combination of factors like genetics, brain chemistry, hormones, physical health as well as major negative life experiences.

The signs of a more severe depression can therefore be quite diverse. However, if you or someone you know has experienced at least two weeks of feeling sad or depressed, and a loss of interest in almost all activities, then it may be a signal for help. And if you answer yes to five or more of these symptoms, you could be facing depression or a depressive episode at this time of your life…

If too many of these symptoms sound familiar, the first step is to seek help from your doctor who can assess you professionally. You may be prescribed medication, some form of therapy, alternative treatments or a mix of all of them.

S To Your Tms Treatment

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil, Health Benefits of Lavender Oil, For Anxiety, Depression

1. Are You Suitable?

The first step to finding out if you are suitable for rTMS treatment is to complete our screening form. We will review your screening form and contact you or feel free to call us straight away. Learn more

2. Your Consultation

You will complete a thorough psychiatric assessment with Dr. Matta . This 60-minute consultation will evaluate your mental health history and determine your eligibility for rTMS treatment. You will get a chance to see rTMS in person and find out how it works. Learn more

3. Starting Your TMS Treatment

You choose what date you want to start the treatment. On the first day: your motor threshold and treatment intensity will be determined. Objective measurement of your depression symptoms will be completed by our mental health technician. You are now ready to start your first session of rTMS treatment. Learn more

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Lavender Essential Oil Constituents And Usage

Lavender essential oil comes from the flowers and stalk, and contains more than 160 compounds. The oil is acquired through steam distillation. Though theres some variability in the constituents, if the lavender is grown in the right environment, and harvested and distilled properly, it will be rich in therapeutic compounds.

That said, if you distilled a lavender house plant, you probably wouldnt get much benefit from it.

High-quality lavender essential oil is rich in:

  • linlool
  • terpinen-4-ol
  • camphor

In Germany, doctors often prescribe a lavender-based drug called Silexan®, which contains standardized concentrations of linalool and linalyl acetate at 36.8% and 34.2% concentrations, but the remaining 29% varies in the concentrations of other compounds. I wanted to call this out as some lavender essential oil research uses Silexan, whereas most of the research uses regular, high-quality lavender essential oil.

Lavender essential oil is a common treatment for alternative medicine doctors. You can use lavender essential oil by inhaling it, taking it internally, or applying it topically. Research suggests that lavender essential oil is effective for anxiety with all three delivery methods.

However, the duration of their effects is different. It seems that internal use takes longer to experience a change, but also lasts longer, whereas inhalation has almost immediate effects, but those effects begin to fade faster.

Lavender Lemonade Hydrates Your Body:

Many headaches are caused by dehydration if youre also experiencing a dry, sticky mouth, sleepiness, decreased urine output and constipation in addition to your headaches, youre probably not getting enough fluids. Hydrating with a simple juice like lemonade could be exactly what your body needs to restore balance and eliminate that painful headache.

It is summer season and lavender lemonade can be used often. It does no harm but is very beneficial. One suffering from extreme headaches must try this and see its benefits.

Apart from used as Lavender lemonade, lavender can be used in different other ways to serve headache.

Other ways to use lavender for headaches and depression:

  • Mix 5 to 6 drops of Lavender essential oil to your bath water if you have dry skin.
  • Diffuse 10 to 12 drops of Lavender essential oil into the air during your workday for natural stress relief.
  • Add 2 drops of Lavender oil per ounce of your favorite lightly scented, unrefined organic oil for a body oil with all the benefits of lavender for improving your skin, relaxing your mind, warding off insects or helping you sleep.

Lavender is an excellent remedy for such disorders. Guys, till now you have been relying upon painkillers and other medicines which does no good but only harms you. Just for a once, give lavender lemonade a try. It is very good and works just fab.

Hope you like the post. If you think it is reliable and informative, then please share it. Take care and live well!

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Also Check: Vitamin D For Seasonal Depression

What Is Lavender Essential Oil

Excellent question! In order to understand the benefits of lavender oil for anxiety, you need to know what it is. Lavender essential oil is basically extracts of lavender put into a bottle. However, not all essential oils are created equally. Its important to opt for 100% extract as opposed to lavender perfume or lavender scent.

What Are The Telltale Symptoms Of Anxiety

How To Use Lavender Oil For Anxiety And Depression?

Feelings of anxiety in specific situations are a normal human reaction that most of us experience occasionally. However, those with anxiety may notice both physical and psychological symptoms, either in isolation or, more commonly, a combination of each, occurring frequently and potentially without a specific obvious cause.

“Core symptoms of anxiety are feelings of worry, apprehension and uncertainty this may be indicated through problems such as difficulty making decisions or feeling especially fearful of negative outcomes such as harm to ourselves or loved ones, or the fear that something awful will happen. More specifically, common psychological symptoms include feelings of tension, dread, agitation, restlessness and spinning thoughts making it difficult to ‘switch off’. This often becomes apparent and most noticeable as you are trying to fall asleep or stay asleep during the night but notice a spinning cycle of thoughts running through the mind, keeping you awake.”

Alongside the psychological and emotional signs, there are also physical symptoms, such as stomach upsets or nausea, headaches and excessive muscle tension. In the short term and when feeling acutely anxious, physical symptoms can also encompass a racing heartbeat, sweating and dry mouth.

Read Also: Can Being Lonely Lead To Depression

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

This award-winning pillow spray features a blend of essential oils, including lavender, vetivert, and chamomile. While this product aims to help people sleep well, these oils may also help with general anxiety and relaxation.

In 2017, the company funded an independent study using functional MRI scans to measure brain activity while people used this pillow spray. The researchers found that the spray activated parts of the brain associated with calmness and pleasure.

According to the company website, 90% of the oils This Works uses are organic, and they do not use synthetic color or fragrance.

Toxicologists have tested all their products against European Union and U. S. safety standards.

How Does Lavender Oil Works

Pure lavender oil is an incredible essential oil to use for your own health and wellness. Its among the gentlest of essential oils, but also one of the most powerful, making it a favorite of households for the healing properties and uses of lavender essential oil.

Lavender oil has a chemically complex structure with over 150 active constituents, which explains its effectiveness at helping with a lot of health ailments. Lavender oil possesses amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifier, hypotension, and sedative properties.

According to the research done in Florida, it has been concluded that Lavender is an excellent remedy to treat Anxiety and headaches.

Let us see the preparation of Lavender Lemonade and try it for sure.

Ingredients

  • Stir in cold water and lemon juice. Serve over ice. Yield: 6 servings.

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Lavender For Anxiety: The Best Way To Use This Calming Herb

Lavender has long been known for its floral aroma and attractive purple color.

Used at least since the medieval period , the plant and its many variations have commonly been used in perfumes, soaps, and recipes around the globe.

As well as looking and smelling lovely, lavender has a long history of being used in medicine. More recently, the plant is increasingly used to manage symptoms of anxiety.

Lavender is renowned for its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere.

In fact, one of the main benefits of lavender is that it can calm without sedating .

More than simply generating a serene state of mind, lavender can reduce anxiety by affecting the bodys fight-or-flight response.

Lavender essential oil to be effective in reducing:

  • anxiety

showed that aromatherapy administered during labor can reduce anxiety in women. The study also found that inhaling three drops of lavender every 8 hours for 4 weeks prevented stress, anxiety, and depression after childbirth.

Lavender used in aromatherapy massage has

Lavender may have several beneficial effects that help ease anxiety, including:

  • improved mood

has been shown to affect the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system controls bodily processes associated with anxiety, such as heart rate, breathing rhythm, and hormone secretion.

Lavender can help in regulating these bodily processes by restoring a neutral state. This involves lowering the heart rate, adrenaline levels, and slowing the breath.

Most Effective Way To Use Lavender For Anxiety

Lavender for sleep and anxiety | Lavender for stress | Essential oils

The majority of research on lavender for anxiety symptoms includes oral administration and aromatherapy, suggesting these as the most effective methods to reduce symptoms.

Clinical trials suggest the best use of lavender for effective treatment of anxiety symptoms is through oral supplements containing lavender essential oil.

Although 100 and 200 milliliters of lavender oil in capsules has demonstrated to be effective, clinical studies show the most effective dose of lavender oil is suggested to be 80 milligrams per day. The study emphasizes that the lavender oil must be of high quality and not diluted with additives or synthetic substances.

However, anywhere between 20 and 80 mg is still effective, and there are no reports of adverse side effects at this dosage.

For aromatherapy, research indicates that inhalation through olfaction should be at a minimum of 3 minutes to be effective.

Research from 2001 indicates that 10 minutes of inhalation has effects on bodily functions associated with anxiety, such as blood pressure and heart rate.

If youre using a diffuser, make sure its on for a minimum of 10 minutes to see benefits.

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