How Essential Oils Help With Addiction
In the pursuit of addiction recovery, a multi-pronged plan is always helpful. The goal is mental, physical and spiritual health so the more resources one engages, the better. This is why a holistic treatment center and, by extension, a holistic approach, is always a great route to take. Essential oils are a great addition to the holistic toolbox as indeed essential oils can help greatly with addiction. We will spend some time looking at which essential oils can be of service and how they will help.
While some recovery methods treat only the physical symptoms and the addiction itself, a holistic treatment center likes to emphasize the treatment of the whole person. Improving their entire well-being includes physical, mental, spiritual and psychological condition. A holistic approach takes care to assess the overall spirit of the person and their quality of life. To that end, essential oils are a highly effective tool in fortifying the emotional components involved in overcoming any addictions. Essential oils promote physical balance and emotional peace, and treating these things makes it difficult for any negative energies or destructive memories to take up any space in the body. Essential oils may also help to improve the mental state.
List of Essential Oils that Help with Addiction
Though not a comprehensive list, we will take a look at which of the essential oils can help with the recovery process and what specific ailment each oil addresses:
Geranium Essential Oil
This oil promotes love and trust. It encourages the release of pain and grief, two of the most common emotions that addicts find themselves trying to avoid or mask, resulting in said addictions. Once the pain and grief are alleviated, geranium comes in and promotes more trust, which can help rebuild healthy relationships.
Grapefruit Essential Oil
Regulating metabolism is the main advantage of this essential oil. It also helps maintain proper serotonin levels and promotes nourishment of all types. According to an article in Medical News Today, serotonin is commonly referred to as the “happy chemical,” so boosting serotonin is a reasonable goal in the fight for recovery. Grapefruit ultimately is a mood enhancer.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oil is good at combating mental fatigue and clearing any confusion. The main target of lemon oil is liver function and so it acts a cleanser for the organ. The citrus nature of lemon oil is naturally refreshing and invigorating. This is a great asset to anyone in recovery because lifting energy levels is a vital part of the process.
Peppermint Oil
This essential oil also addresses a specific physical symptom of the long recovery process: nausea. Nausea and vomiting are often a large part of the withdrawal phase of addiction recovery; peppermint oils can aid in that relief. Peppermint is also an effective deterrent for headaches; a few drops of peppermint oils on the temples can be cooling and soothing in the midst of head pain. Beyond the physical, however, peppermint is great at boosting the emotional state. It promotes joy, buoyancy, and mental clarity. These are all necessary for a stable and positive mindset while fighting addictions.
Tea Tree Oil
This oil (also known as Melaleuca) is mostly known for being an antiseptic agent. Along these lines, tea tree oil can clear dark energies that might be blocking paths. It is a good oil to reset functions.
Lavender Oil
One of the biggest advantages of lavender oil is relaxation. Lavender promotes calm, heightens the ability to communicate and allows for speaking one’s truth. Many find lavender is especially useful at bedtime, as its relaxing qualities promote peace and restfulness.
There are other essential oils that aid in the recovery process, but starting with these six will put you well on your way to re-building a healthy emotional foundation to steel you against addictions. It is important to note that essential oils are not a direct substitute for talk therapy or any other medical/clinical rehabilitation efforts. Essential oils should be used in conjunction with, or as a supplement to, more traditional methods of rehab.
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How To Apply Essential Oils
Each essential oil is different and it is important to look up guidelines and tips for how to apply/utilize specific oils. Certain oils are too strong to be applied directly and doing some may cause damage to certain organs. It is important to be diligent about which oils need a carrier oil for application or which oils need to be diluted.
But the main methods are:
Spraying
Some oils can be diluted in water and used as a spray for linens, clothes or the air.
Diffusing
If you own a diffuser, you can follow proper instructions on how to fill it with water and then put a few drops of one oil or a combination of chosen oils, based on the intended outcome. This will get the oil circulating in the air.
Steaming
Fill a sink or a large pot with hot water, add a few drops of whatever oil you need and then put a towel over your head and inhale the steam. This will help you breathe in the oil and reap the benefits held within.
Apply to Skin
Some oils can be applied directly to the skin. The most effective place is to the bottoms of the feet.
Ingested
Certain oils can be added to water and other drinks and ingested directly into the digestive tract.
Through these methods and with these oils, a holistic approach can be a successful route to addiction recovery. For more information, contact Desert Cove Recovery.
Picking The Right Recovery Center
Aside from the essential oils for addiction recovery, the choice of a treatment center is of paramount importance. When you enroll in a rehab center with qualified specialists and a comfortable environment, combined with the essential oils for addiction recovery, you will likely have a smooth transition.
So how do you identify a reliable addiction recovery center? You could use referrals and recommendations to a suitable rehab center. Likely, you may have a friend or colleague who has taken the path you want to embark on before. Therefore, they can recommend a quality rehab center. Additionally, you can visit the various rehab center websites and look over their reviews and testimonials. This way, you can gauge the effectiveness of a potential rehab center.
