It was actually a bit devastating 2 years ago when my anxiety issues came to light and my panic disorder reared its ugly head. I tried deep breathing, praying, distraction and the "witch doctor," who helped me in numerous ways therapeutically, but did not cure the anxiety. As a last resort, I became just another one of "those people" who couldn't function without medication.
Dang, there went a good streak.
On the plus side, I have my anxiety under control and keep my panic attacks to a minimum. Of course, with all drugs (if you've seen ANY commercial), there are side effects. For me, this one causes insomnia.
Every. Single. Night.
So for 2-plus years, the only way I can get to sleep at night – no matter how tired – was to take "something" ... sleeping pill, Tylenol P.M., NyQuil, Benadryl, whatever helped. I tried to mix it up, alternating it so my body wouldn't get too used to one thing and not work for me. It was my new merry-go-round. Had to time it so I would take it early enough so that it wouldn't be so hard to wake up in the morning. And even then, I was groggy.
As a very last resort, I decided to give one more thing a try: Essential Oils.
Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and being beautifully fragrant to people, essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. Modern scientific study and trends towards more holistic approaches to wellness are driving a revival and new discovery of essential oil health applications.
As it happens, my next-door neighbor has learned about all of this over the past several months and has started using some for various needs. When she told me a few weeks ago she was "cooking up" some "Sleep Sticks," I was intrigued and stopped over.
Here she was, literally cooking up some beeswax and various essential oils, making a concoction that was poured into little Chapstick containers. It had the same consistency as lip balm but I was not to put it on my lips. Instead, my instructions were to rub it on the bottom of my big toes and the whole bottom of the foot if needed. Our largest pores in our body are on the bottom of our feet, with the largest of those on our big toes. You want your body to absorb something, that's where you go.
That very night I tried it. Still took quite awhile to fall asleep. I was hoping it was because I had too much on my mind. I just wanted so badly for this simple solution to work. The next night, I followed the same routine. Don't even recall "trying" to fall asleep. I just did.
Now we are officially two weeks free of any night-time sleeping aid – other than my magic stick! Hallelujah!
My neighbor Cindy also whipped up a special pain relief stick (I'm sure there's a more professional name than Pain Stick) that I have been using on my hips so I can run again. That is working well and I am feeling less and less pain as I use my legs and hips more and more. What a relief!! Hallelujah to that, too!
Probably obvious my next sentence is that "I drank the Kool-Aid."
Oh yes, I signed up to be an official witch doctor (I prefer Wellness Advocate) – buying, mixing and selling the multitude of magic potions that are do-TERRA Essential Oils. I am excited. It has worked well for me and I want to save the world! We know that not everyone reacts the same to each oil or oil blend. My Sleep Stick may not work for someone else but there are a multiple "recipes" to try.
Just think of something that is troubling you and there is an oil for that. I'm serious. Pain relief, digestion, energy, even a recipe to address Restless Legs Syndrome, which I plan to mix up for my mom who has been taking pills for decades. It's worth a shot. You never know.
If you are interested at all or want to learn more about it, check out my site: http://www.mydoterra.com/robynaustin/ We can talk about what's bothering you and what I (and the other witches in my coven) can do to help.
It could be essent-oil to you!
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