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Dear Betsy, A dear friend is recovering from cancer. She is in remission now but she gets very depressed and suffers anxiety and panic attacks. I know you have an expert knowledge of aromatherapy, so do you think aromatherapy can help her? If so, what oils can she use?
Petra
Dear Petra,
What a good friend you are. This is a difficult time for your friend and I feel sure that aromatherapy can make her feel better.
In fact there was an extensive study carried out in the UK by Amanda Ramirez, the Director of the Cancer Research UK London Psychosocial Group at King's College London that showed treating cancer patients suffering with anxiety and depression with aromatherapy produced fast, impressive results.
They tested 288 cancer patients over a period of 12 weeks treating some with aromatherapy and some with other treatments including counselling and psychotherapy.
They found that a blend of oils that included lavender and bergamot saw patients symptoms lifting in just two weeks as opposed to six weeks in the group who had other treatments for depression and anxiety.
Your friend can try burning some lavender and bergamot in a small candle burner or add a few drops to a cup of full fat milk and add this to her bath at the last minute.
Massage has also been shown to release stress and help depression and anxiety, as well as boosting the immune system, so adding 6 drops of lavender and 4 drops of bergamot oil to 20mls of warmed sweet almond oil and massaging gently into the the skin before or after a bath can help.
If your friend is in remission then there should be no problem with her having a very GENTLE effleurage, stroking massage, with her doctor's permission. Please make sure she visits a qualified therapist.
Some physicians will prescribe gentle massage even during chemotherapy as they feel that it helps the patient recover better, cope with any side effects and can aid the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Other physicians may forbid massage until the patient is in remission. The most important thing to remember is that the oils should not be 'perfume' oils as they have no therapeutic effect and may in fact make your friend feel worse due to their chemical content.
You need to purchase pure unadulterated essential oils. If you have any difficulty in finding them, please email me again and I will personally help you acquire some for your friend.
