Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils obtained from plants to stimulate the sense of smell and olfactory responses. These essential oil aromas produce a response in the brain, stimulating the release of hormones and the limbic system in the brain. This produces a relaxing and calming in the body and produces relief from stress and anxieties.

The lessening of stress and anxiety helps the body heal itself of depression related symptoms such as headaches, digestive problems, back pain and other stress induced ailments. This in turn will allow for better sleep cycles, as most depressives suffer from either insomnia or to much sleep, and will therefore lead to a more rested and energetic person.

Research into the use and affects of aromatherapy show that these essential oils can be composed of hundreds of different compounds. It has also been shown that the human sense of smell is over ten thousand times more sensitive than the sense of taste. When studies with brain wave frequencies are done on subjects exposed to the smell of lavender increases in alpha brain wave activity in the back of the brain are shown. These alpha brain waves increase as a more relaxed state is experienced.

Other essential oils that help with depression include:

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