I'm a nut for aromatherapy. After a particularly
hard day, there are few things that I enjoy more than a hot soak in a
lavender-laced bubble bath, followed by a soothing peppermint-oil massage.
Because I have a severe anxiety disorder, aromatherapy is truly medicine for
me, and can help me to reduce symptoms like heart palpitations, panic-responses
and insomnia. My absolute favorite aromatherapy oil for anxiety is sandalwood --
which, especially when combined with lavender or other soothing oils, can
significantly reduce my symptoms of anxiety. Here are a few ways that
sandalwood oil helps people with anxiety disorders.
1.
Sandalwood oil simply smells good. Almost any pleasant-smelling oil possesses
some benefit for mood disturbances and anxiety symptoms. For some time, the
mainstream medical establishment attributed almost all the effects of
aromatherapy to simply smelling good. We now know that the medicinal benefits of
sandalwood for anxiety go beyond that, but it helps to some degree by simply
offering a pleasant aroma.
2. When
combined with massage, sandalwood oil can significantly reduce anxiety
symptoms. One study examined
the effect of sandalwood oil massages on patients with terminal illnesses -- a
group that, for obvious reasons, can be very prone to severe anxiety. The
authors of the study found that the patients who received sandalwood oil
massages had fewer anxiety symptoms than those who received massages with
non-fragrant oils. However, larger studies are needed to fully demonstrate the
validity of these results.
3.
Sandalwood oil can help you sleep. Insomnia and anxiety are often comorbid
conditions, meaning that they tend to occur alongside one another. When I'm
having significantly difficulty sleeping, a whiff of sandalwood oil is often
all it takes to help me drift into dreamland. At least one study found
that rats have a similar reaction. Upon inhaling the fragrant compounds in
sandalwood, rats slept more immediately and more deeply. Combine sandalwood oil
with chamomile, lavender, bergamot, or vanilla oils for a synergistic effect.
4. Sandalwood
oil can act as a meditation tool and ritual. As much as we tend to pooh-pooh
the placebo effect, it's important to remember that it is a huge part of why
medicines work. We are instantly soothed by the very act of acknowledging a
certain symptom and addressing it. When you tell yourself, "I'm having
anxiety problems right now," and respond by smelling sandalwood oil, the
act of using the sandalwood oil can itself become medicinal. By incorporating
it into other calming, meditative rituals, sandalwood oil can drastically ease
anxiety symptoms.
Although generally quite safe and associated with few side effects,
sandalwood aromatherapy isn't for everyone. If you have asthma, skin disease,
severe allergies, or chemical sensitivities, talk to your primary care provider
before using any form of aromatherapy. If you get the go-ahead from your
practitioner, you may find that sandalwood oil is tremendously beneficial for
easing your anxiety.
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