Essential Oils and PTSD

In Part 2 of this article, featured writer Jennine Stromkins continues her discussion of PTSD with four case studies

Once called “shell shock”, “war neurosis”, “cardiorespiratory neurosis” and “idiotism” among others, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was believed to be a condition caused by the horrors of the battlefield that solely affected soldiers and other military personnel. However, as our knowledge around mental health has increased, we have become able to recognise its symptoms in patients other than those with direct battlefield experience. We understand now that traumatised animals can experience PTSD and even the close relatives of someone involved in a traumatic event, who did not actually experience the event themselves, can suffer from PTSD over that event. No matter its name, PTSD knows no barriers or limitations in its devastation of those it affects.

For those living with PTSD, the symptoms can range from life-limiting to life-destroying: depression; anxiety; nightmares/night terrors/sleep disturbances; panic attacks; irritability; angry outbursts; a deep sense of helplessness; difficulty with concentration/memory; difficulties at home/work; flashbacks; feelings of devastation/vulnerability; feeling of numbness; abnormal fear; fear of every-day activities; feeling overwhelmed by simple tasks; aversion to socialising; avoidance of situations that might trigger memories of the trauma; drug/alcohol addiction; chronic pain, hypertension or illness; overwhelming fear of death; compulsiveness; personality changes; self destructive incidents/self-injury; and thoughts of/attempted suicide.