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Essential Oils for PTSD
Living with PTSD can be unbearably painful and exhausting, but essential oils can help soothe the intense symptoms.
Surviving years of neglect, abuse, and trauma can leave you riddled with anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression.
Essential oils can boost healing, especially when used during journaling, meditation, and therapy sessions.
Aromatherapy for PTSD
Aromatherapy can be a helpful tool for people for healing the physical and emotional symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Here are some ways essential oils might be helpful for PTSD ⤵️
✅ Encourages relaxation: Many essential oils, such as lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang, have calming and soothing properties that can help provide relaxation and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.
✅ Promotes better sleep: Numerous essential oils help promote better sleep, which is often disrupted in people with PTSD.
✅ Reduces symptoms of depression: Essential oils might help reduce the symptoms of depression that are commonly seen in cases of PTSD.
✅ Promotes emotional healing: Aromatherapy can provide a sense of comfort and relaxation with its grounding and centering properties.
It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before using essential oils, especially if you have any medical conditions or are taking any medications.
How to Use Essential Oils for PTSD
There are several ways to use essential oils can be used to relieve your stress, anxiety, and depression.
Here are some ways to use essential oils for PTSD ⤵️
🌿 Inhalation: One of the most common ways to use essential oils is through inhalation. You can add a few drops of essential oil to a diffuser or vaporizer, or simply inhale the scent directly from the bottle.
🌿 Topical application: Essential oils can also be applied topically to the skin. It’s important to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil or almond oil) before applying it to the skin. You can apply the diluted oil to the wrists, temples, or other pulse points.
🌿 Bath: Adding a few drops of essential oil to a warm bath can help promote relaxation and reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety.
🌿 Massage: Essential oils can also be used in massage therapy. Dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil and use it to massage the neck, shoulders, or other areas of the body.
Remember to use essential oils with caution — especially around pets, kids, and pregnancy.
And now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the best essential oils for healing symptoms of PTSD…
Essential Oils for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Speaking of healing, have you downloaded your free inner child healing workbook yet? 👇
1. FRANKINCENSE
Frankincense has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years for its grounding and centering properties, but this woodsy, citrusy essential oil has so much more to offer.
Benefits of frankincense:
⭐ Balances mood fluctuations
⭐ Decreases feelings of depression
⭐ Reduces anxiety symptoms
⭐ Natural sleep aid
When emotional pain from PTSD seems unbearable, frankincense can help ease the overwhelming negativity.
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More essential oils:
👉 13 Therapeutic Essential Oils for Healing Childhood Trauma
2. ROSE
Rose essential oil has been shown to have a positive effect on the nervous system, which brings feelings of relaxation and calmness.
Benefits of rose:
⭐ Reduces stress
⭐ Brings calmness
⭐ Emotionally grounding
⭐ Minimize feelings of depression
Rose has also been shown to have a positive effect on the endocrine system, which regulates the body’s stress response.
3. CHAMOMILE
Pretty much everyone thinks of tea when they hear chamomile, but this powerful flower is so much more versatile.
Benefits of chamomile:
⭐ Eases you to sleep
⭐ Fights off anxiety
⭐ Promotes relaxation
⭐ Alleviates PMS symptoms
Whether you use chamomile through essential oils or drink it as tea, it is an incredible way to ease your inner child.
More tea recommendations:
👉 13 Herbs and Teas for PTSD (and Healing Emotional Trauma)
4. LAVENDER
Fun fact: I used to despise the smell of lavender.
But now I associate the floral scent with peace and relaxation.
Benefits of lavender:
⭐ Reduces stress
⭐ Decreases anxiety symptoms
⭐ Promotes calmness
⭐ Lessens depression symptoms
Lavender is wonderful at bringing more serenity to your nighttime, which is especially helpful for people battling the effects of childhood trauma.
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Do you have childhood trauma?
👉 15 Signs of Childhood Trauma in Adults (Repressed and Unresolved)
5. CEDARWOOD
Cedarwood is another earthy essential oil that’s powerful at lessening the turmoil caused by childhood neglect and abuse.
Benefits of cedarwood:
⭐ Grounds conflict and chaos
⭐ Calms intense emotions
⭐ Combats negative energy
⭐ Improves sleep quality
When you’re facing devastating post-traumatic stress, invoke the power of cedarwood.
6. NEROLI
With Neroli’s orange blossom scent, you’ll be able to grieve the impacts of PTSD in a much healthier way.
Benefits of neroli:
⭐ Decreases fear
⭐ Provides a peaceful mindset
⭐ Relaxes the soul
⭐ Encourages positive emotions
Think of neroli as a daily pick-me-up in bottle form.
Need another pick-me-up?
👉 101 Healing Inner Child Affirmations (to Reparent Yourself)
7. CLARY SAGE
Clary sage has a scent like no other, with its earthy, fruity, and floral with hints of smelling nutty and herbaceous
Benefits of clary sage:
⭐ Grounds emotions
⭐ Boosts moods
⭐ Eases stress
⭐ Calms down nerves
You can also use clary sage to reduce symptoms of menstrual discomfort.
8. VETIVER
When you have a hard time focusing on anything but your emotional pain, vetiver can help you let go of this burden.
Benefits of vetiver:
⭐ Lifts energy levels
⭐ Promotes better focus
⭐ Improves mood
⭐ Settles down nervousness
If your mind wanders during a healing session, diffuse some vetiver to help center yourself.
More ways to heal childhood spiritually:
👉 11 Ways to Heal Childhood Trauma Spiritually (and Awaken Your Inner Child)
9. CORIANDER SEED
Coriander seed offers a sweet, peppery, and slightly fruity scent to help alleviate symptoms of stress.
Benefits of coriander seed:
⭐ Supports mental focus
⭐ Elevates mood
⭐ Calms frazzled nerves
⭐ Aids in relaxation
Putting coriander seed on before you sleep can also help you get a better night’s sleep.
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10. LEMONGRASS
Lemongrass is probably my most used essential oil due to its subtle, yet delicious lemony scent.
Benefits of lemongrass:
⭐ Gives an emotional boost
⭐ Lifts the spirit
⭐ Alleviates discomfort in muscle aches
⭐ Eases tension headaches
When you diffuse lemongrass, you can expect the room to feel refreshed from stale and negative energies.
11. BERGAMOT
Bergamot can bring much-needed balance to your life.
Benefits of bergamot:
⭐ Decreases feelings of sadness
⭐ Helps you unwind
⭐ Stress reduction
⭐ Eases anxiety
Bergamot is one of the most powerful and calming essential oils out there.
12. BLUE TANSY
Diffuse some blue tansy to create a positive and uplifting environment.
Benefits of blue tansy:
⭐ Boosts confidence
⭐ Increases self-esteem
⭐ Soothes nervous tension
⭐ Uplifts mood
PTSD creates such a dark and negative place, but blue tansy can help eliminate the darkness.
13. SWEET ORANGE
With a deliciously citrus scent, sweet orange increases overall feelings of wellbeing.
Benefits of sweet orange:
⭐ Relieves stress
⭐ Improves mood
⭐ Manages depression symptoms
⭐ Natural sleep aid
Sweet orange is super effective at helping you overcome any rough patches in your healing.
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14. SANDALWOOD
Sandalwood is a favorite for meditation to help relax your mind from the worries caused by childhood trauma.
Benefits of sandalwood:
⭐ Quiets the mind
⭐ Calms agitated emotions
⭐ Releases nervous tension
⭐ Relaxes from worries
With sandalwood, you’ll gain the mental clarity to heal your inner child on a soul level.
More on meditating:
👉 22 Powerful Inner Child Healing Meditations (Guided and Unguided)
15. LIME
For a PTSD essential oil bursting with vibrance, lime is an electrifying choice.
Benefits of lime:
⭐ Promotes positive thinking
⭐ Clear the mind
⭐ Encourage mental energy
⭐ Refresh living space
Using lime can offer you that much-needed change in tone and energy around you and within you.
16. JASMINE
Jasmine offers a distinct floral yet sweet aroma that uplifts your senses and creates a positive and happy vibe.
Benefits of jasmine:
⭐ Promotes a loving atmosphere
⭐ Improves emotions
⭐ Combats exhaustion
⭐ Increase romantic energy
When you’re overworking your body and mind, use Jasmine to help relieve any built-up tension.
17. YLANG YLANG
Ylang ylang provides a sweet and floral scent while encouraging you to see the gratitude in your life.
Benefits of ylang ylang:
⭐ Gives energy boost
⭐ Calms the mind
⭐ Reduces worry
⭐ Levels mood
PTSD can make the simplest tasks seem overwhelming, but ylang ylang can give you the confidence to overcome anything
Essential oils for trauma:
For a lot of us, our childhood left us with PTSD or C-PTSD.
Using essential oils can help boost the healing that’s needed to overcome your painful childhood.
Here’s a recap of the best essential oils for healing PTSD ⤵️
⭐ Frankincense
⭐ Rose
⭐ Chamomile
⭐ Lavender
⭐ Cedarwood
⭐ Neroli
⭐ Clary sage
⭐ Vetiver
⭐ Coriander seed
⭐ Lemongrass
⭐ Bergamot
⭐ Blue tansy
⭐ Sweet orange
⭐ Sandalwood
⭐ Lime
⭐ Jasmine
⭐ Ylang ylang
💾 Bookmark this page for whenever you need a reminder of the best PTSD essential oils.
More inner child healing posts:
- 17 Magical Crystals for Healing Childhood Trauma (and Emotional Pain)
- 101 Healing Inner Child Affirmations (to Reparent Yourself)
- 70 Healing Inner Child Quotes (to Help Overcome Childhood Trauma)
- 40 Child Abuse Songs (When You Had a Bad Childhood)
- 13 Nostalgic Activities to Reconnect with Your Inner Child
- 107 Toxic Parents Quotes (When Mother and Father Are Abusive AF)
- 21 Powerful Inner Child Healing Meditations (Guided and Unguided)
- 13 Inner Child Healing Exercises (for Your Wounded Younger Self)
- 17 Must-Have Healing Gifts for Your Inner Child
- 11 Ways to Heal Childhood Trauma Spiritually (and Awaken Your Inner Child)
- 23 Inner Child Oracle Cards (for Deep Shadow Work)
- 23 Tarot Decks (for Intense Inner Child Work)
- 33 Sentimental Toys for Your Inner Child (for 90s Babies)
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