Anxiety and panic attacks is not very pleasant to deal with for the person or loved ones and carers. Individuals who suffer from anxiety will experience stressful situations more frequently that will affect their day to day functioning. A medical doctor might diagnose someone who has frequent panic attacks as having a panic disorder. Some of the symptoms may be:
- Physical anxiety attacks – Panic attacks that will include
- Heart palpitations and chest pain or discomfort
- Chest tightening and shortness of breath
- Struggling to breath.
- Dizziness
- Severe perspiration in other words sweating
- Nausea or abdominal pain
This sometimes may even feel like a heart attack. Do not hesitate to go to the emergency room to get that checked out. I had to drive my own husband to the hospital once and after a thorough examination it was explained to us that it was a panic attack.
- Psychological anxiety attacks – The person may be overwhelmed by fear and worry and overthinking everything. Fear of losing control or dying is a very real feeling during the panic attack.
- Behavioral anxiety attacks – Alienation and withdraw or avoidance is a major one. Avoiding any situation that makes you feel anxious is preferred most of the time. Sometimes however there is no choice such as school or work.
How long does the panic attack last?
Panic attacks can vary. It can be over in 10 minutes and sometimes last up to 30 min. Afterwards you can feel exhausted and drained.
The frequency of panic attacks can also vary. Experiencing a panic attack once or twice does not mean that you have a panic disorder.
Can essential oils help at all?
Absolutely! By inhaling the essential oils the smell receptors send signals to your nervous system as well as due to the properties of the different oils they can assist the body to deal with the stress and anxiety. Let’s look at a few of my favorite oils:
Lavender
Studies have proved that inhaling Lavender oil can reduce stress and anxiety. Lavender is very beneficial for nervous tension as well as nervous exhaustion. Lavender is helpful with digestive issues that are related to nervous tension.
How to use Lavender
- Diffuse 3 drops of lavender in a room for a calm atmosphere.
- Add 3 drops of Lavender with a cup of Epsom salts in a bathtub. The epsom salt contains magnesium that will further relax the person.
- Applying some lavender oil to the temple area or underneath the feet is an easy way of dealing with stressful situations or just calming the body and mind if you are tense. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be applied neatly unto the skin however I still prefer to dilute it in carrier oil.
Where do I buy good quality Lavender Oil?
I have picked out of few of my favorite Lavenders from top suppliers. I personally always just use Organic Essential oils. Although Lavender is a very familiar fragrance and one of the best all rounder essential oils you might find that you prefer some Lavender from a certain supplier. A company that I personally like to get my oils from is Plant Therapy.
Rose
Rose oil is super beneficial for the vascular, digestive and nervous system. It is because of this triple action that it is a particular useful oil to use for stress and nervous tension. The sedating properties of Rose oil helps to calm the nervous system.
How to use Rose Essential oil
- Apply topically – apply rose oil behind the ears or on the wrists to lift the spirit and boost your confidence and use it as a natural perfume.
- Diffuse – diffuse a couple of drops to create a peaceful atmosphere and combat depression
- Inhale directly – inhale Rose oil directly from the bottle to lift your mood and strengthen your spirit.
Where to buy good quality Rose Essential oil?
Pure Rose Essential oil is quite expensive, that is because of the amount of rose petals used to produce the oil. You can buy Rose essential oils that is already diluted in a carrier oil and obviously lowers the price significantly. What I like about that is that you can use the blends straight out of the bottle so you don’t have to go through the trouble of mixing it up and diluting it yourself. All the hard work is already done for you. Rose blends make a wonderful perfume so it is super handy to throw the bottle in your purse and use a drop on your wrist throughout your day as perfume.
Check out a few of the Rose essential oil blends as well as some pure Rose Essential oil.
Vetiver
Vetiver is known as the ‘oil of tranquility’ in India .Vetiver is very useful oil for nervousness or anxiousness. The sedative properties of Vetiver oil make it a fantastic oil to treat panic attacks and shock. It is also a helpful oil to use when you suffer from insomnia due to the panic attacks or anxiety.
How to use Vetiver
This is an oil with a strong peculiar smell and not everyone likes this. It is important to use an essential oil that you like though. If you find the smell too strong or overpowering or just plain repulsive, well then choose another oil.
- Inhale Vetiver straight from the bottle. It is that effective and potent.
- Dilute with a carrier oil and apply topically. If you dislike the smell then a good place to apply would be the bottom of the feet. Your body will still absorb the oil and you can reap the benefits but it is not right under your nose. This is a good place to apply Vetiver for children as well because a lot of them don’t want to smell ‘funny ‘.
- Diffusing Vetiver is an effective method as well.
Where do I buy good quality Vetiver essential oil?
Now I did mention my own personal dislike of the smell of Vetiver essential oil and that is just because I have an oversensitive olfactory system. It might be very different for you and it is a very valuable oil when it comes to being grounded and calming the nervous system. Since it has such a peculiar smell you might want to try Vetiver oil from different suppliers to find the one you really like.
Ylang-Ylang
Ylang-Ylang essential oil has strong anti-spasmodic and sedating properties which is very helpful to release stress and muscle tension when having a panic attack. Ylang –Ylang also helps to slow down the heart rate so a great oil of choice when your heart feels like it is going to jump out of your chest. Ylang-Ylang helps to negate negative emotions like low self-esteem, anger and jealousy which may be linked to experiencing the panic attack in the first place. In fact Ylang-Ylang is quite an amazing confidence booster oil to use.
How to use Ylang –Ylang
- Apply it topically- diluted. You can wear it as a perfume actually because it has a lovely sweet fragrant smell.
- Diffusing it
- Take a bath with a cup of Epsom salt and a couple of drops of Ylang ylang in it. Ylang ylang belongs to the chemical family of esters which makes it a safe oil to use in the water.
Where do I buy good quality Ylang-Ylang essential oil?
I will always recommend that you get a good quality oil. Ylang Ylang is one of my favorite oils and I often wear it as a perfume. One of my favorite suppliers is iHerb.
Bergamot
Bergamot oil is quite a unique oil in the sense that it has the ability to uplift and calm down at the same time. Therefor it is a great oil when there is a lot of sadness associated with the anxiety. It is a fantastic oil of choice to minimize tension in the body.
How to use Bergamot
- Due to its fresh citrus smell Bergamot can be used in natural deodorants or wear like a perfume diluted in a carrier oil.
- You can use Bergamot in the bath, perhaps only a couple ( 2) of drops. Bergamot is actually very effective for urinary tract infections so a great oil to add in the bath if you are struggling with that.
- Diffusing Bergamot will not only lift the spirits but freshen the room as well with the added bonus that it will help to curb cravings if you diffuse it between meals.
- Apply it topically , diluted of course. Bergamot will irritate the skin if you apply it in its pure form due to the d-limonene in the oil.
Don’t use Bergamot before going out in the sun due to the photo sensitizing effect .
Where do I buy good quality Bergamot essential oil?
Bergamot is almost a must in your cupboard. It is such a refreshing and revitalizing oil. Check out one of the best Bergamot essential oils here.
Roman Chamomile
Roman Chamomile essential oil is fantastic to relax the nervous system as well as the digestive system. So another great oil to use for those whose anxiety goes straight to the gut and you feel like you have a knot in your stomach. It has anti spasmodic properties so really effective to use for spasms and muscle cramps. Roman Chamomile helps to promote sleep and it is a safe oil to use on children and infants.
How to use Roman Chamomile
Inhaling Roman Chamomile straight out of the bottle is a quick way to use the essential oil. A human study that was done with inhaling the oil proved that a restful state of calmness with improved sleep was achieved.
You can also apply it topically by diluting the oil with a carrier oil. A synergy blend of Lavender, Roman Chamomile and Neroli is very helpful to reduce anxiety levels.
Where do I buy good quality Roman Chamomile essential oil?
Roman Chamomile is also known as English Chamomile and smells more like Chamomile tea. The fragrance of the oil is such an important part of it and you might prefer the smell of one oil from a specific company over the next. So sometimes it is a bit of trying different ones until you find the one that you really like. Here is a few of my favorites:
General Safety Information
Always use good quality essential oils, preferably organic. One of my favorite companies where I personally get a lot of my oils from is
Plant Therapy.
Do not take essential oils internally or apply essential oils undiluted on the skin.
Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil.
Dilute according to body mass. For children you can use a 1 % dilution and for adults 5 %
Pregnant women have to consult with a qualified aromatherapist and or midwife and doctor before using essential oils, especially topically.
If you have liver damage, cancer, suffers from epilepsy or other medical problems and take medicine on a regular basis then you have to use essential oils under the guidance of a trained aromatherapist.
Check whether the essential oil of your choice is safe to use around your pets. Here is a list of essential oils safety for dogs.
Using essential oil to assist in treating your anxiety and panic attacks is super helpful but do get professional medical help and assistance as well to get a handle on this. You never have to go through this alone and this is also certainly not something to feel ashamed about. Purely acknowledging the feeling and the emotions is a great place to start. If you can name it, you can tame it is something that I truly believe is helpful. Just having some kindness for yourself to just be in that moment and naming that emotion is necessary.
If you have any comments or want to share something with other readers you are welcome to leave a comment below.
Take care of you , so that you can take care of others around you.
Elize
