Essential Oils to Reduce Alcohol Cravings

Essential Oils to Reduce Alcohol Cravings - how does it work?

In this session we discuss 5 Essential Oils to reduce cravings, and throw in 2 breathing techniques (Pranayama) with long time Yoga teacher Kristie Eccleston.

These 5 essential oils to reduce alcohol cravings mainly work by way of cognitive therapy, by interrupting the current neural pathway in the brain. An example of this for you might be: feel stressed > reach for a drink. Think of it like a well worn trail in your brain that's been carved out by years of use. This trail runs from the stressy feeling to wanting a drink and there are no other trails coming off this trail, infact this trail is surrounded by thick forest you can't walk through. Until now. And we create that new trail by introducing an essential oil along this trail. The introduction of essential oils into this pathway, flicks a new switch in the brain by chemical reaction and stops you in your tracks. This gives you a chance to pause and turn in a new direction. Think of the essential oil as the start of a new trailhead. We are starting to make a new trail and neural pathway and these essential oils can fast track that process.

1. Peppermint Oil- This oil is one of the best essential oils to reduce alcohol craving because it works with the olfactory cortex and crosses the blood brain barrier so quickly. Peppermint oil works to increase serotonin and decrease cortisol. Cortisol is the main stress hormone and serotonin is the relaxation hormone. In English this means peppermint oil takes you out of that state of mind where you are stressed out, upset, angry and desperately need a drink, into a calm and content frame of mind. We recommend taking a few drops rubbing it between your hands, holding your hands over your mouth and nose and taking 5 deep breaths.

2. Wild Orange- Doterra wild orange essential oil was used in aroma and pharmacology study where children who had high frequency of psychosis episodes used this oil in a diffuser for several days. Parents noted a significant decrease in episodes and in under a week. When you get an intense craving for your addictive substance whether it's alcohol, drugs or human being such that codependents experience, it feels like a psychotic episode. We know from first hand experience! Wild orange can reduce those episodes for any addicts no matter their age. You can use it in the same way peppermint oil is used, simply rub a few drops between your hands and your hands over nose and mouth, 5 deep slow breaths should be enough to calm yourself down and move on.

3. Breath- Highly oxygenated blood helps to manage stress. Breath Essential Oils opens up the oxygen receptors in the lungs and allows more oxygen in. This oil is best used by rubbing over the chest and has an added bonus of inducing a feeling of calm, again helping you to come out of a anxious state.

4. Adaptiv- This essential oil to reduce alcohol cravings is best used to create a new habit and thus should be used as a type of routine or ritual, on a daily basis such as at bedtime or meditation. This creates a new association with health and wellbeing, instead of stress and shame. This is a great tool for those early in recovery and need intense help on a daily basis. Once the new association is built between the scent of the Adaptiv oil and a peaceful, calm state it can be used while out in the world and you experience a trigger. A quick sniff of this oil can be used to manage the trigger effectively instead of falling into the cycle of addiction. A great oil to have on hand or in your purse during holidays with family!

5. Grapefruit: This incredible smelling Doterra essential oil helps a recovering addict by balancing blood sugar levels. Blood sugar is something rarely talked about in recovery but it's incredibly important to sobriety. Recovering alcoholics have very irregular blood sugar, blood sugar peaks and valleys drastically affect mood and thus the peace and serenity they talk about in the literature becomes this far off dream that can't be reached. Balancing blood sugar makes contentment possible. It's also important to note this essential oil doesn't come from the fruit of the grapefruit plant, it actually comes from the rind. Great news, because those who are prohibited from eating grapefruit, like those on blood pressure medication, are still able to use this oil. This essential oil for reducing alcohol cravings is best used in a diffuser through out your day.

Next time you get stressy and want to pick up a drink, instead grab one of these essential oils for reducing alcohol cravings and begin to create a new habit.

Did you know managing alcohol cravings is really about whole body wellness ?

Essential Oils to reduce alcohol cravings

Essential Oils to reduce alcohol cravings - questions and comments

We'd love to hear from you! Each recovery journey is different and each recovering addict got here in a different way. So what's your story? How did you manage the cravings? Do you have any other favourite essential oils to reduce alcohol cravings? Or do you have burning questions? Connect with your community, we're so grateful you're here! If you don't feel commenting publicly we're available for a free private consultation or you can join our Monday morning classes to set you up for a successful week!

If you're in pain and or not sleeping, there is no amount of white knuckling to get through an intense craving flare up. We MUST start with the root cause of addiction. These links can point you in the right direction.