Page 79 - ce_cusco_2019

Lavender is one of the oils which they say promotes relaxation and relieves stress. This claim aligns

with the few studies done on the treatment of anxiety with essential oils. However, if one were to purchase a

single 15 mL bottle of lavender essential oil from dōTERRA, it would cost them $30.67 (dōTERRA, 2018).

This is not including the suggested diffuser and fractionated coconut oil to correctly use the lavender essence.

Not only are essential oils expensive from companies like dōTERRA, they are completely self-administered

without information about dosages or interactions: “Essential oils should be treated with the same precautions

as any synthetic drug and only used under the advice of a qualified aromatherapist” (Perry & Perry, 2006, p.

266). For this reason, purchasing essential oils to treat depression and anxiety from multi-level marketing

companies is probably not the best alternative method to treatment with prescribed medications. If one wishes

to try essential oils, it would be better to seek out an aromatherapist or talk with a doctor first.

ANDEAN SHAMANISM

Latin America’s mental health care system is not known to be incredibly robust. In Peru, there is an

almost 80% treatment gap compared to only an almost 60% treatment gap in the United States (Kohn et al.,

2018). This means that 80% of Peruvians with a mental illness are not getting formal treatment. The

inaccessibilty of the standard mental health care system could lead people to turn more to traditional medicine

and shamanism. The indigenous Andean cultures which feature shamanism have a different perspective on the

world and therefore health. Shamans aim to find balance and heal through equilibrium:

This kind of understanding of one's place in the universe—as an integral part of all things rather than as a

separate entity—lends itself to a healing model of health and mental health. The shamans believe that their

role is to provide or restore balance in nature so that everything is in its place. When there is disharmony,

there is pain and suffering. Thus, they see themselves as being instrumental in removing an individual's pain

and suffering and facilitating wholeness. (Singh, 1999, p. 133)

79