Dost Mine Eyes Deceive Me???!!!

On September 26, 2018, an article on the Scary Mommy website caught my eye.  It was titled: Newsflash: Essential Oils Are Not Going To Cure You.  Since I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, I had to see what it was about.

Elizabeth Broadbent, is an author and regular contributor to a wide variety of on-line magazines as well as a wife and mother.  Her opening line dragged me into her story of neurological issues that she and her family face and the suggestions, by others, of so-called solutions to her problems…one such recommendation was for essential oils.  Before I continue, I want to make sure that (in the off chance Ms. Broadbent actually reads this blog) everyone understands that I agree with the title of her article:

Essential Oils DO NOT CURE any diseases.

What I disagree with is the way in which she attempts to get her point across and that she lumps everyone who chooses to use essential oils to help their body’s maintain balance into a few, very narrow, categories:

• The “patchouli-pushing mom with a side gig”
• The “college kid sucking ylang-ylang from a water bong”
• The “MLM pushers”
• The “proselytizing oil guru”

She, with very well thought out and excellently written anger and sarcasm, basically tells everyone to “get bent” because natural remedies don’t help and only medications prescribed by doctors will help “cure” the multiple neurological issues that her family faces.

I want to remind everyone that our bodies were created to heal themselves– medications (OTC, prescribed, natural, synthetic) either cover up the symptoms or assist our bodies in doing what they were naturally created to do

I Get It

I was reminded recently that, because I have this Aromatherapy education from a well-established institution of higher learning, it is my responsibility to try and educate others.  Just like you, I have listened to podcasts, read blogs, and talked with some who sell for the MLM companies, but I am shocked, again and again, at the misinformation.

• Horrified while I listened to someone tell about how they put undiluted oil onto their spine and watched as their skin bubble-up believing it was toxins leaving their bodies. (raindrop therapy)
• Saddened when my son told me about their friends who diffuse oil after oil, 24-hours a day, and their whole family is sick all the time.
• Scared to hear about people smearing oils all over themselves and their kids without thought to recommended daily dosages and contraindications.
• Been knocked off balance by the strong scent of essential oils emanating from someone, oblivious to the anosmia they are experiencing and the potential to sensitization they are creating

I am not a fan of people cajoling me into their way of thinking (think of every political campaign, EVER!).  I want to be wooed, educated, and challenged.  I want to hear why you think the way you think and not just hear you regurgitating what you’ve been told by your upline.  I want facts, which is what, I believe, Ms. Broadbent also wants though, other than one quote from WebMD,  it seems she didn’t seek out any educated information regarding Holistic Aromatherapy.  She seemed utterly worn out and, dare I say again, angry (this seems to be the most accepted language of our time).

Education

There may be many out there, like Ms. Broadbent, who do not realize that Aromatherapy is supported by science (something that seems quite important to her).  Hop over to Google Scholar and do a search for essential oils; you’ll see over two-million unfiltered results.  These are SCIENTIFIC articles of reproducible experiments published by degree-holding scientists (with lots of letters after their names) all over the world; some are even peer-reviewed.  More and more people are devoting much time and heart to become educated, Certified (completed education through recognized institution), and/or Registered (taken and passed the test from the Aromatherapy Registration Council) Aromatherapists.

I just graduated from the American College of Healthcare Sciences where I received my Certificate in Aromatherapy; with Honors.  The number of names being read at graduation, attesting to the amount of people who have taken the step to become educated about Complimentary Modalities, is staggering!  However, I believe that for every educated person there are many others spreading misinformation.

My Frustration

My biggest frustration, as I read Ms. Broadbent’s article, is that she was just on a rant.  I get it…really I do….sometimes you just have to get something off your chest.  But her closing comments completely dismiss centuries of knowledge and those who are currently working alongside medical providers (who are becoming desperate as medication after medication is failing; just ‘google’ the two words ‘medication resistant’ and see how many disorders appear), offering complimentary therapies, fighting against things like MRSA, HIV, Herpes, anxiety (which is plaguing our nation right now) and other terrible disorders.

In her frustration, she simply dismisses the body’s natural ability to heal itself.  If you’ve been reading my blog since the beginning, or perusing my website, you’ll know that I believe God made our bodies to heal themselves (science supports this fact), our bodies work best when everything is balanced (again, science), and that we all have choices to make (every day) that will build our bodies or break them down.

I was pleased that the author did recognize that essential oils are made up of complex (my emphasis) chemicals (as are prescription medications) and that they can be harmful (hence the need for education).  But, she lambastes people who, because their bodies are working and functioning in balance, don’t get the flu vaccine each year–she claims that the vaccine is the only way to prevent getting the flu!  (BTW: according to the CDC: Most people who, because of their body’s natural ability to fight illness [my emphasis], get the flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks).  She claims that believing in the natural power of essential oils means that you do not believe in science and, therefore she cannot converse with you (how sad).

Cmparisons

• An Aromatherapist is NOT a doctor; they do NOT diagnose or treat disease
• An Aromatherapist is a holistic counselor; taking into account the mind, body, and spirit of the person seeking their counsel
• An Aromatherapist does NOT sell essential oils
• An Aromatherapist makes recommendations and educates others about how essential oils may help bring balance back to their bodies.
• An Aromatherapist does NOT dispense medical advice
• An Aromatherapist, after careful consideration and an in-depth interview, will make holistic recommendations that the client can choose to follow
• Essential Oils do NOT treat or cure any disease
• The complex chemical constituents found in essential oils can help to maintain the body’s systems

Essential Oils are what is considered a Complimentary Alternative Modality (CAM) and a brief search in Google Scholar reveals over 222-thousand articles covering a variety of medical issues where CAM is a viable remedy.

Final Words

No amount of arguing, cajoling, or anger is going to persuade anyone (check out the internet for a look at our current political climate).  No amount of “Ritalin derivative prescribed by an actual doctor” or “lemon/jasmine/basil/patchouli/coconut” is going to cure anything that is out of balance in your body.  I will say it again, medications either cover up the symptoms or assist our bodies in doing what they were naturally created to do.

So, Ms. Broadbent is correct in her statement that essential oils are not going to cure you, but neither are the medications, prescribed by her doctor, that she touts.

• We do not have headaches because we have an aspirin deficiency
• We do not have cancer because we have an anti-cancer drug deficiency
• We do not have ADHD because we have a Ritalin deficiency
• We do not have anxiety because we have a Benzodiazepine deficiency (should I go on?).

These disorders come about because something is out of balance and that imbalance manifests in your body in that way.  Doctors do their best to medicate the symptoms, but they do NOT CURE YOU!  Your body does that on its own.

Am I discounting the place of a medical doctor in your life?  Absolutely not!  How can you effectively fight against an unknown enemy?  And sometimes you NEED a medication to be able to survive or are willing to take the side-effect risk for the benefit of the drug (OTC, prescribed, natural, or synthetic)

What I am saying is, simply, this.  If you ever get to the point where you’re tired of being prescribed medication after medication to deal with symptom after symptom, there are alternatives.  There are people who understand how the body works and will look at you as an entire person (body, mind, and spirit) and not just a list of symptoms.

If you have any comments or questions please feel free to post them below or send me a message.

Always consult a Registered Aromatherapist before using any essential oil blend or if you have any questions.