Aromatherapy for Mental Illness

Hello to all!  This is Mama Bear from Mama Bear Musings ‘Guest Blogging’ for Amber.  I wanted to keep with what her blog is about and write a brief, but knowledgeable, article on mental health.

Naturally, being a Certified Aromatherapist, I wanted to inform more readers that Aromatherapy can help with Mental Illnesses.

I have fought my own battle with mental illness for twenty-plus years.  I have been a Certified Aromatherapist for fourteen years.  I have practiced Aromatherapy on myself, and clients, and have learned what works best for me.

I, currently, see a therapist and a psychiatrist.  I follow their recommendations and tell them what I’m using aromatherapeutically.  Always check with your doctor/doctors, before you begin something new.

 

 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF AROMATHERAPY AND MENTAL ILLNESS

 

From prehistoric times until today, man has coped with mental illnesses.  In prehistoric times, mental illnesses were thought to come from magical beings that interfered with the mind.  Shamans would perform spells and rituals to cure a person from mental illnesses.

Ancient Egypt was the first to show signs of change in the treatment of mental illnesses.  The Egyptian’s focused on the health and well-being of the soul.

The Egyptian’s and the Greek’s were the first to incorporate aromatic medicines in their practice of natural healing.  The Greek physician, Hippocrates, is regarded as the ‘Father of Modern Medicine’.  He wrote about the healing properties of aromatic medicines.

There were many other writers who wrote books mentioning the medicinal properties of aromatic herbs and oils.  The Arabs are credited with the discovery of distillation, which produces essential oil from the herbs, fruits, and trees.

Today we have many aromatherapists, herbalists, and many other Natural Alternative Practitioners.

 

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE EMOTIONS

Most Essential Oils have stimulating and sedative effects on the Nervous System.  Some Essential Oils have a balancing effect on the Nervous System.  Stimulating Essential Oils are useful for Depression and Nervous Fatigue.  Sedative Essential Oils are useful for Anxiety, Hysteria, Insomnia, and Nervousness.

Essential Oils have the ability to affect an Emotional Response.  The Limbic System is concerned with emotion and is connected to the Olfactory Nerves in the Nose.  Aromas can evoke an immediate and powerful response in the brain.

 

ESSENTIAL OILS AND RECIPES

Stimulating Recipe – Useful for Depression and/or Nervous Fatigue

 

¼ Ounce Carrier Oil

7 drops Jasmine Essential Oil

4 drops Marjoram Essential Oil

4 drops Clary Sage Essential Oil

Blend together and Shake well before each use.

 

Treatments

Inhalation – 1 to 2 sniffs as needed

Body Perfume – Wear blend as a Body Perfume; 1 drop behind each ear and 1 drop on each wrist.

Aroma Lamp – Add 3 to 5 drops of blend into the water, already added to the dish of an Aroma Lamp.  Keep Aroma Lamp in the same room with person being treated.

Body Massage – You may wish to double the recipe for Massage Treatment.  Place 10 to 15 drops of blend into the palm of your hand and massage the whole body, adding drops of blend as needed.

Bath – Place 15 to 20 drops of blend into a warm bath and soak 15 to 20 minutes at least 3 times a week.

 

Sedative Recipe – Useful for Anxiety, Hysteria, Insomnia, and/or Nervousness

 

¼ Ounce Carrier Oil

5 drops Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil

5 drops Roman Chamomile Essential Oil

5 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Blend together and Shake well before each use.

 

Treatments

Inhalation – 1 to 2 sniffs as needed

Body Perfume – Wear blend as a Body Perfume; 1 drop behind each ear and 1 drop on each wrist.

Aroma Lamp – Add 3 to 5 drops of blend into the water, already added to the dish of an Aroma Lamp.  Keep Aroma Lamp in the same room with person being treated.

Body Massage – You may wish to double the recipe for Massage Treatment.  Place 10 to 15 drops of blend into the palm of your hand and massage the areas of tension, adding drops of blend as needed.

Bath – Place 15 to 20 drops of blend into a warm bath and soak 15 to 20 minutes once a day.

 

DISCLAIMER:

 

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of physicians or mental health care practitioners.  It is also not intended to diagnose or prescribe treatment for any illness or disorder.  Anyone already undergoing physician-prescribed therapy should seek the advice of his or her doctor before using essential oils, reducing the dosage, or stopping such treatment.

 

Please visit: http://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/category/aromatherapy/  For more information on Aromatherapy.

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Twitter: @dmauldin3

Why I Am Not a Creative Writing Major

My therapist thinks I should be a creative writing major so I can go for my PhD and teach college since I’m already going for an English with middle education degree. Not only do I refuse to sank myself into debt, but I’ve never felt the need to do a creative writing degree because I’m a self-taught writer. Yeah, there’s the whole thing of being able to have groups in class and the teacher looking at it, but so what? That’s what my writer’s group is for. Beta readers. My freelance editor was practically my teacher. I had books on writing. I analyzed the fiction novels I read. Plus, I have tried other forms of writing, and I am a novelist through and through. I would hate to take a class on screenplay writing knowing I don’t like writing screenplays.

I took one class in creative writing and hated it. It was mostly the professor that drove me mad. He was not very effective at critiquing, especially poetry. His most common criticism? “This is a stone,” meaning I can turn it over and do something more with it. But he never specified how. I wasn’t even impressed with his critiques on my short stories. In fact, I never agreed with them, and this was the time when I had my freelance editor critiquing my novel. His criticism was just so shoddy compared to hers.

He isn’t the reason I didn’t pursue one though. Part of it is there isn’t much you can do with a creative writing degree, unless you want to go to grad school and teach. Another reason is that they teach you nothing on the business of writing. At least my university doesn’t. Even with indie or independent presses, you need to have some knowledge of the business, and many of the students I spoke with knew next to nothing. No idea how to do a query letter, synopsis, none of it. They only knew how to write, and even then there was some debate because critiques in class can be very shoddy since you don’t get to choose who you critique. Most don’t care to critique well either. How can I develop from that? I prefer to choose who critiques my stuff, and they are in the form of beta readers or an editor or something.

But mostly, I just don’t think I need to waste my time taking a creative writing class when I’ve effectively self-taught for years and learned from those already published. I have more control over who I critique and over who critiques me. And since I have a choice, criticism is often going to be a bit stronger–even though no one can compare to the freelance editor I learned from. At least, not now.

Perhaps there are creative writing programs out there that are great, but where I’m at, no thanks. I don’t know if I want to do teaching anymore, but I’ll give my apprenticeship a chance, and I’ll let the future surprise me.

All Writers Must Rest

I definitely do this for my cat.

Tomorrow I’m taking a break from blogging and social media in general. I’ll probably write an epilogue for When Stars Die, but that is as work-y as things will get. I’m also going to finish a gothic-ish design of When Stars Die’s MC Amelia that I’d love to have on a shirt. The drawing itself sucks, but the paint will totally make it come alive. I’m also hoping to receive a certain item that I can use for a new, better cover design for When Stars Die.

So I’m not exactly taking a break, but I do need one from social media because it can be hectic and trying. Plus, I have 80 followers, so I’ve earned a rest from it. In any case, any kind of art is therapeutic for me and not really work like social media is.

All of us as writers need to rest once in a while and get away from things that start to feel like work to us. Social media is one such thing for me. I don’t want to burn out on it, so I’m disconnecting myself entirely tomorrow. Instead of doing social media during lulls at my job, I’ll be reading or writing. I need to finish a certain book anyway so I can do a review of it and put it here.

Burnout in our line of work is common. Burnout happened to me last summer. It wasn’t just the depression that made me not want to write–it was total burnout. I obsessively write and edit for a long period of time, then go for half a year not doing any kind of writing because I’m so drained from it. My dad is always warning me even our passions can drain us, and he has never lied to me. He’s too right.

Now that I have a contract, it is crucial I don’t experience burnout, so I’m going to allow myself rest. It’s even more imperative considering I’m dealing with fibromyalgia and just got over a bipolar depressive episode. I’m doing my best to learn to not obsess over things. My therapist is helping me too through weekly goals. Not obsessing is one of them. I do find myself obsessing with stats on my website, so I’m pulling myself away and am going to try to train my brain not to worry about stats and just blog and read others’ blogs when I come back Saturday.

I used to be so fast with my life, so set on the future and reaching my goals as fast as possible. If I have learned anything from fibro and depression is that it is okay to slow life down and save the future for another time. So I am slowing down, breathing in, breathing out, and am going to relax with some art tomorrow with no worries about social media: e-mails, my website, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, ect. We all know social media is important, but we all know how draining and trying it can be.

Slow down. Take a break when you feel your nerves becoming frazzled. It’s okay. We’re human and we’re not meant to go, go, go! I’ll see you all Saturday!