Erika Guthrie
Can Rosmarinus officinalis be used to help facilitate the Grieving Process?
Abstract
Can Rosmarinus officinalis be used to help facilitate the grieving process? As proposed by the initial research question, this study focuses on the effects of the grieving process on the physical health of the human body and therefore, its relevance to the herbal medicine practitioner. The study begins with a brief definition of ‘grief’ as an emotional response to the life event of loss. It continues with an overview of relevant research into the psychology of grief and whether or not it has been demonstrated to play a part in the causation or exacerbation of human disease. Based on the clinical research available, the author also discusses aspects of the proposed aetiology behind such pathological manifestations of grief with a specific focus on cultural and social factors apparent in the Western world. Three areas of ill-health are highlighted specifically, including clinical depression, cardiovascular disease, and immune-system pathology. These investigations on the effects of grief on physical health are followed by a discussion of the example of Rosmarinus officinalis, Rosemary. It is proposed that this medicinal herb, through its traditional, folkloric, and modern use, may be seen as capable of supporting the health of the human body through the grieving process as both an internal and symbolic medicine. The study concludes by informing the herbal medicine practitioner that research into the link between emotional and physical health is in fact accessible and calls for the inclusion of such research into herbal medicine practice.
