Our state of mind has physiological fluctuations : small leaps without reason between serenity and anger, or melancholy are natural and must not upset us. If instead they become serious disorders that interfere with our way of living and relating to others, we need professional help. In some cases of mood disorders, aromatherapy can provide excellent support .

aromatherapy

By definition, aromatherapy is a discipline of natural medicines, which involves the use of essential oils . These are volatile, odorous molecules produced by particular plants and extracted in different ways, first of all the distillation in a stream of water vapor. Aromatherapy has different applications, known since ancient times, and several scientific studies that prove its effectiveness . Essential oils penetrate the body by inhalation or absorption through the skin.

Mood disorders: mild or severe?

Bipolar mood disorders in psychology (in the past called manic-depressive disorders) are ups and downs between depression and excessive euphoria. The depressive stage is characterized above all by insomnia, lack of appetite and sexual desire, slowness in moving and speaking, negative thoughts, feelings of guilt, ease in crying . Depressed people tend to see every situation as a failure, without the possibility of positive resolution. In the euphoria stage , hyperactivity, excessive ability, anxious insomnia prevail and there is the risk of developing mania for gambling, uncontrolled purchases or frenetic sexual activity.

These mood disorders have been associated with genetic and psychological causes, even the environment in which a person lives appears to be decisive.

It is always very important to assess how mood swings influence and condition life and social relationships. If we are dealing with mild non-pathological disorders, natural supportive therapies may be useful, while if we are dealing with real psychological disorders, a professional psychotherapeutic treatment is indispensable. Mood disorders can be caused by hormonal changes (think of premenstrual syndrome) or drug treatments.

In all cases you can benefit from aromatherapy to resolve or improve mood disorders.

Aromatherapy in mood disorders

The receptors in the nose transform odors into electrical impulses transmitted to the limbic system of the brain, the seat of emotions and instincts, so aromatherapy can act directly on people's mood, without going through the rational mind, without being filtered by thought . There are already some encouraging scientific studies on aromatherapy for mood disorders that show the effectiveness of treatment in severe clinical cases, such as Alzheimer's.

Always bearing in mind that every aromatherapy treatment must be followed by a professional, we see some essential oils useful for mood disorders even at non-pathological levels. Aromatherapy remedies for mood disorders that we can easily experience alone, by inhalation, include: bergamot, clary sage, geranium, bitter orange (and citrus in general), lavender.