Feeling down, moody, drowned with dark thoughts or in pain? These 11 essential oils for depression are AMAZING mood lifters!
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Do you feel down, moody, drowned with dark thoughts, or in pain? You might suffer with depression, and need to find a way to treat yourself. Being depressed is a psychological condition that usually takes a long time to go away. Many depression sufferers seek drugs to cure their depression, yet even after using drugs they often find their condition worsening.
Aromatherapy is a proven method for managing depression with high success rates. Using essential oils to help relieve depression and its symptoms is a lot better than taking drugs that have as many side effects or more adverse reaction than the benefits.
Symptoms associated with depression include:
- sadness
- fatigue
- low sex drive
- loss of appetite
- low self-esteem
- moodiness
How Do Essential Oils Relieve Depression?
Essential oils’ unique smell is carried directly to the brain, serving as a mood activator. Then, the limbic system assesses the sensory stimuli and processes feelings of happiness, helping to relieve depression.
Our emotional balance and moods respond well to the most basic smells. Aromas play a very influential role in our daily activities acting as a direct pathway to our emotion and memory. That is how they fight depression. Many essential oils will help relieve symptoms of depression if administered correctly.
The Best Essential Oils For Depression
1. Lavender Oil
Lavender is a common oil used in the relief of depression. It’s made of more than 150 components, which interact with each other to produce a curing effect that relieves depression.
Lavender oil helps elevate mood and has been used for a long time in the relief of depression.
According to the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 80-milligram lavender oil capsules can help fight depression.
Furthermore, it has no side effects, while many drugs and other artificial medications for treating psychotic conditions have side effects.
You can use lavender oil at home to relieve stress. Place a diffuser on the side of your bed and let the oil diffuse while sleeping at night or place it in the family room while you are watch TV or just wind down.
2. Bergamot Oil
Bergamot oil is very stimulating, which makes it a great antidepressant. It produces a feeling of joy, and it is energizing and fresh. Bergamot oil improves the movement of blood, thus helping relieve depression.
Mixing lavender oil with bergamot oil is known to both relax and uplift, both needed to treat depression.
Use bergamot oil at home either in a roller bottle, and apply it to your feet or temples, or you can add a few drops to your favorite essential oil diffuser and enjoy the uplifting effects of this delicious smelling oil.
Bergamot Essential Oil Diffuser Blend For Depression:
- 3 drops of bergamot oil
- 2 drops of wild orange oil
- 1 drop of eucalyptus oil
3. Rose Geranium Oil
Everyone loves the flowery scent of rose geranium oil. Rose geranium oil helps the body to balance hormonal levels and produces an enhanced feeling of relaxation.
Those held in an endless cycle of depression and work stress find rose geranium really helpful. This essential oil works by stimulating the lymphatic system.
Geranium Essential Oil Roller Blend Recipe For Depression:
- 10 drops rose geranium oil
- 7 drops lavender oil
- place into a 10 mil roller bottle and top off with FCO
Use a few times a day by placing on your temples and on your pulse points for a calming, relaxing effect.
4. Roman Chamomile Oil
Roman Chamomile is one of the best essential oils for fighting depression and promoting relaxation. That’s why you find chamomile is used as a popular ingredient used in candles and other aromatherapy products.
Its smell is unique and varies from slightly sweet to fruity at times. Roman chamomile has been used for over 2000 years in the relief of certain conditions, including restlessness, insomnia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and vomiting.
A distinctive effect of Roman Chamomile is its calming effect. It may not necessarily help in curing depression, but will help in the relief of a variety of associated symptoms.
Roman Chamomile elevates your emotions by providing soothing effects that help in the relief of depression and anxiety. At home, you can inhale chamomile vapors as a natural remedy for relief of general depression.
5. Ylang Ylang Oil
Ylang Ylang produces wonderful effects for the relief of depression and bad moods that arise from depression.
Breathing in this essential oil produces an immediate effect of relief for depression, elevating your mood and reducing feelings of anxiety and anger etc.
Ylang Ylang’s mild sedative effects help lower stress levels, thus helping you relax. Diffusing the essential oil in your home will help elevate mood, self-love, and confidence. You can also massage it into your skin, diluted in your favorite carrier oil.
6. Clary Sage Oil
Clary sage is one of the best essential oils for depression. It supplements the depression treatment you are undertaking and helps you in the fight against depression-related episodes of anxiety, distress and fear.
Clary Sage Depression Blend:
- 3 drops clary sage oil
- 3 drops lavender oil
- 2 drops bergamot oil
7. Sandalwood Oil
Sandalwood is characterized by a sweet, woody fragrance that helps you feel at peace, so it automatically reduces the feelings of less depression.
The sweet, woody fragrance is helpful in conditions such as insomnia and other sleep disorders by improving the overall quality of sleep. And as you sleep better, you can relax and cope better with feelings of depression.
Here’s a roller blend for better sleep with sandalwood oil:
- 3 drops Palmarosa oil
- 7 drops Sandalwood oil
- 4 drops Vetiver oil
- 3 drops Ylang Ylang oil
- top off a 10 ml roller bottle with carrier oil
Use before bed to calm your mind and get a great night sleep: roll on your temples, wrists or bottom of your feet.
8. Frankincense Oil
Frankincense oil is a great essential oil for depression: it helps relieve nervousness, anxiety, stress, tension, and fear.
It is also a great oil for helping the body preserve the overall cellular balance. It also helps the mind to maintain calm during times of anxiety and restlessness.
You can use it at home by applying 1-2 drops of the oil on the back of neck and feet to help calm your body and mind. Remember to dilute it with your favorite carrier oil.
9. Jasmine Oil
Jasmine oil calms the nerves and brings feelings of relaxation. This essential oil works by increasing activity in the class of receptors that respond to the neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid in the brain, which aids in controlling moods of excitement and depression.
Give Jasmine oil a try: it might be one of the best essentials oils for your depression.
Mix a few drops of jasmine oil with a few drops of lime oil and diffuse for a nice mood elevating effect.
10. Sweet Marjoram Oil
Sweet marjoram helps control blood flow and improves relaxation. It will help someone suffering from depression obtain a good night’s sleep.
You can use sweet marjoram oil in combination with other essential oils like bergamot, chamomile, and lavender for a more rich effect.
Try this diffuser blend and see how you feel: 3 drops each of sweet marjoram, lavender and bergamot oils.
11. Wild Orange Oil
Wild orange is a citrus oil and is known as one of the best oils for mood enhancing. I call it one of my happy oils 😉
Since it improves blood movement and cleanses the liver and gall bladder, it also helps relieve the body from panic.
Whenever you are depressed, just apply the oil (diluted with carrier oil) on the back of neck or bottom of feet to obtain a wonderful, relaxing effect.
These essential oils for depression might be your best friend when you suffer from depression. You might need to experiment with the different oils until you find what works best for you. Here’s to feeling your best!
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