Bach Flower Remedy (therapy)

 

BACH  FLOWER  THERAPY
- Remedies & Their Action -

The word 'Bach' is pronounced as 'Baakh'
The Bach Flower Remedies are also called the Bach Flower Essences

 Think Positive !

The Bach Flower Remedies 
Help to Correct Emotional Imbalances and 
Replace Negative Emotions with Positive Emotions

Introduction:

The Bach Flower Therapy was introduced between 1920 & 1930 by 
Dr. Edward Bach a well known Physician, Bacteriologist, Homeopath 
and Researcher, who deeply studied 38 Flower varieties found 
in and around Mount Vernon, England.  

Dr. Bach discovered that the essence of each of the 38 Flowers 
is associated with a basic human emotion and that the 
essence - in a diluted form - can bring back an emotionally disturbed person 
to a positive and happy state of mind. 

Dr. Bach also found that these essences can greatly help in 
the treatment of most physical illnesses by treating the 
accompanying emotional disturbances (sufferer's worry, 
apprehension, hopelessness, impatience, irritability etc.), 
which could either be the contributory causes of those illnesses 
or acting as obstacles in the path of recovery.
He therefore named these diluted essences as the 'Bach Flower Remedies'.
The Bach Flower Remedies have been found to give wonderful results, either when used on their own or as a complementary therapy to 
homeopathic or other forms of treatment.

The Bach Flower Therapy is simple and anybody can learn how to select the remedies - by simply following the steps explained below:

Step 1: Read the Details of all the 38 Bach Flower Remedies (see below),
Step 2: Select the Emotional Disturbance/s the person is suffering from,
Step 3: Now, Select the Remedies which are indicated for those emotional conditions.

Note: In case you feel that more than one remedy match with your emotional conditions, you may prepare a 'Personal Formula' by selecting upto 7 remedies and preparing a Mixture of the same.   

The Remedy Selection Procedure has been further simplified
by broadly classifying the Remedies into 7 Groups viz.:

1. Remedies for treating 'Fear' 
2. Remedies for treating 'Uncertainty'
3. Remedies for treating 'Insufficient interest in Present Circumstances'
4. Remedies for treating 'Loneliness'
5. Remedies for treating 'Over-sensitivity to Influences and Ideas'
6. Remedies for treating 'Despondency or Despair'
7. Remedies for treating emotions of 'Excessive Involvement' 

REMEDIES FOR: EMOTIONS OF FEAR

1. Terror and Fright – Remedy: Rock Rose:This remedy is for persons who experience panic, terror or extreme fright which makes them feel helpless, frozen and unable to move or think clearly. In some cases, it may be accompanied by trembling, perspiration and sudden paralysis or even loss of consciousness. 
Rock Rose will help them to calm down and feel in control of their fears.

2. Fear of Known Things – Remedy:Mimulus: This remedy is for persons who already know what they are afraid of,example:  fear of dogs, illness, pain, accidents, heights, poverty, darkness, death, spiders, being alone, losing a job etc. They may also be shy, timid and hesitant or nervous about contact with other people. 
Mimulus will reduce their fear and help such persons to face the situation with confidence.

3. Fear of Losing Control Over Mind –Remedy: Cherry Plum:This remedy is for persons who are afraid that their impulsiveness and uncontrollable anger may make them lose control of their thoughts and actions and either make them 'act insane' or unintentionally do something violent or terrible or suicidal. 
Cherry Plum will help such persons to regain their mental strength and give them the confidence to take the right decisions.

4. Fear for the Safety of Loved Ones –Remedy: Red Chestnut: This remedy is for persons who are excessively caring and are always anxious and worried that something very bad might happen to their loved ones i.e. relatives, friends, pets etc. - even to the extent of neglecting their own well-being. 
Red Chestnut will help them to overcome such irrational fears and to appreciate the unpredictability of life’s events.

5. Fear for Unknown Reasons –Remedy:Aspen: This remedy is for persons who constantly feel vague and unexplainable anxiety and fear and are unable to properly describe these feelings to others. In some cases this may also cause them to have nightmares or talk/walk in their sleep. 
Aspen will help such persons to gain control over their worries and be more positive.

REMEDIES FOR: FEELINGS OF UNCERTAINTY

6. Lack of Trust in One's Own Decisions –Remedy: Cerato: This remedy is for persons who do not have enough confidence in their own experience, judgment or decision-making abilities even in small matters and constantly seek the opinion and advice of even those who are not capable - which often leads to their being misguided or wrongly influenced. 
Cerato helps such persons to have trust and confidence in their own intuition and decision-making abilities.

7. Inability to Choose Between Alternatives –Remedy: Scleranthus:  This remedy is for persons who are always indecisive and uncertain and have difficulty in choosing between two available alternatives – even in everyday matters like what food to cook/order or which elevator to enter. They are prone to keep changing their choices and decisions and their inability to discuss their difficulties with others sometimes makes them suffer from fluctuating moods (swinging between happiness and sadness/anger/brooding etc). They are also likely to suffer from uncertain mannerisms like twitching, shaking, unsteady walking, jerky actions etc. 
Scleranthus helps such persons to be more decisive and take quick decisions and be free to attend to other important matters.

8. Discouragement After a Setback –Remedy: Gentian: This remedy is for persons who get easily discouraged and feel depressed and pessimistic when things go wrong even slightly or when faced with even small delays or difficulties. Any failure or even minor illnesses etc. makes them disheartened and full of self-doubt. 
Gentian will help such persons to accept failures and setbacks as a part of life and encourage them to think positively and keep working towards achieving their goal.

9. Hopelessness and Despair –Remedy:Gorse: This remedy is for persons who have suffered many failures or long illnesses, which has resulted in their feeling a sense of utter hopelessness and desperation. They feel that they should just surrender to whatever more misery life will bring them since nothing more can be done to improve their condition. Such persons may generally have a dull and sickly complexion, often with darkened skin beneath the eyes. 
Gorse will help such persons to fight off the negative thoughts and face life with renewed hope, optimism and enthusiasm.

10. Tiredness at the Thought of Doing Something – Remedy: Hornbeam: This remedy is for persons who always feel that every task is a huge burden placed on them and they don't have sufficient mental or physical strength to do even simple tasks. They feel mentally and physically fagged out and keep postponing work. They are likely to regularly suffer from ‘Monday morning blues’ i.e. looking for excuses to avoid going to their place of work or study at the beginning of a week, after a holiday etc. 
Hornbeam will help such persons to bring back their interest and mental and physical strength and to start each task with renewed zeal.

11. Uncertainty Over One's Direction in Life –Remedy: Wild Oat:This remedy is for persons who seem to be directionless and do not seem to be able to decide on their aim or goal in life, which in turn makes them feel dissatisfied, unfulfilled, frustrated, despondent and worthless. 
Wild Oat will help such persons to take a clear and positive view of their life and decide on their life’s aim and goal.

REMEDIES FOR: INSUFFICIENT INTEREST IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES 

12. Dreaming of the Future Without Working in the Present – 
Remedy: Clematis: This remedy is for persons who are unhappy with their present situation in life and are usually quiet and friendly but inattentive, dreamy and drowsy without much interest in the present. They may have very creative or grandiose ideas which they fantasize about and hope will bring them great happiness in the future. But such persons do not put in any proper effort towards fulfilling their dreams. 
Clematis helps them to ‘wake up’, start living in the present and work towards fulfilling their dreams.

13. Living in the Past – Remedy:Honeysuckle:This remedy is for persons who cling to happy or sad past memories and experiences. They are not able to detach themselves from such memories and live in the present e.g. those living away from home are always homesick and are not able to fully enjoy even happy occasions since they compare them with past occasions which they feel were better than what they are experiencing in the present. They are generally unhappy and keep thinking about past loves, regrets, successes or failures. 
Honeysuckle helps such persons to detach themselves from negative past memories and remember the happy times or utilize the past failures to correct themselves, which will ultimately bring happiness in the present moment.

14. Drifting, Resignation, Apathy –Remedy: Wild Rose: This remedy is for persons who are ‘drifters’, ambitionless and demotivated and prepared to accept whatever they think fate has in store for them. They make no effort to improve their condition and are a negative influence on their family and friends. 
Wild Rose will help such persons to take responsibility for their own life, revive their interest in work and the world in general.

15. Exhaustion Following Mental or Physical Effort –Remedy: Olive: This remedy is for persons who are mentally and/or physically tired, exhausted and completely drained of any strength as a result of over work, over exertion or long illness. Usually, their facial expressions, bodily mannerisms and physical appearance too say much about their state of exhaustion. 
Olive will restore mental, physical and emotional balance in such persons and help them to regain energy, vitality and interest in work.

16. Unwanted Thoughts and Mental Arguments –Remedy: White Chestnut:This remedy is for persons who are constantly tortured by unwanted repetitive negative thoughts, arguments, ideas, inner dialog etc. which keep crowding their mind and do not allow them to enjoy the normal pleasures of daily life. Such persons may have symptoms such as tiredness, insomnia, confusion, depression, guilt feelings, habit of repeating a particular topic in conversation, lack of calmness, nervous worry which often causes headaches. 
White Chestnut helps such persons to mentally unwind and regain peace of mind.

17. Deep Gloom For No Reason - Remedy:Mustard:This remedy is for persons who suddenly become depressed, ‘low’, sad and gloomy without any reason and feel as if a cold dark cloud has covered them – destroying their normal happiness and cheerfulness. These feelings disappear as suddenly as they had appeared, again without any reason. 
Mustard will help such persons to come out of such sudden bouts of depression.

18. Failure To Learn From Mistakes -Remedy: Chestnut Bud: This remedy is for persons who suffer because they keep repeating the same mistakes instead of learning from previous experiences and avoiding them. 
Chestnut Bud will help such people to recollect the consequences of their previous actions and take steps in the right direction.

REMEDIES FOR: FEELINGS OF LONELINESS

19. Pride and Aloofness - Remedy: Water Violet: This remedy is for persons who are usually clever,  talented, reliable and dependable - qualities which attract people to them. Though they would like to be friendly, their calm & gentle nature and reluctance to depend on others even during times of difficulty, makes them to be by themselves and work alone, which gives an impression of their being proud and reserved and ‘acting superior’. 
Water Violet helps such persons to become more social and develop warmer relationships with other people.

20. Impatience - Remedy: Impatiens: This remedy is for persons who think and act quickly, and do not have the patience for what they consider as the slowness of others. They are usually talented and creative and often prefer to work alone since they tend to get irritated over little mistakes or delays of others. They can go to the extent of displaying their impatience and irritability even when they are unwell and being attended to by doctors, nurses, relatives etc., because of which they are usually left well alone. This often leads to restlessness and stress and a feeling of loneliness. 
Impatiens helps such persons to slow down to a comfortable pace, regain momentum of their lives and develop empathy, understanding and patience towards others, thus lowering stress on themselves and others.

21. Self-Centredness and Self-Concern -Remedy: Heather: This remedy is for persons who are obsessed with themselves and constantly seek the company of others so that they can discuss their own troubles and experiences. They are usually talkative bores and poor listeners and so are generally avoided by others.
Heather will help such persons to accept and deal with their own troubles and learn to feel comfortable even when they are alone.

REMEDIES FOR: OVER-SENSITIVITY TO INFLUENCES AND IDEAS

22. Mental Torture Behind a Cheerful Face - Remedy: Agrimony: This remedy is for persons who are actually worried, anxious and restless but hide these feelings behind a ready smile, humour, over-friendliness, loud behaviour etc. They make friends easily since they are helpful to everybody and easily ‘surrender’ even when they are right – just to avoid getting into arguments or quarrels. They are also quite likely to have vices like excessive smoking, drinking or drugs - in an attempt to suppress their worries. 
Agrimony will help such persons to relax,put their real feelings and worries into perspective, discuss them with those they trust and restore mental peace.

23. The Inability To Say 'No' -Remedy:Centaury: This remedy is for persons who are ‘too nice for their own good’ and have a weak will power when dealing with others. They find it difficult to say 'no' even to unreasonable expectations and demands, neglecting their own interests in life in order to gain appreciation and affection from others. They can therefore be easily taken advantage of. 
Centaury will help such persons to be strong enough to do what is right and also good for themselves and not always give in to unreasonable demands and expectations.

24. Protection From Change and Unwanted Influences - Remedy: Walnut:This remedy is for persons who are oversensitive to change and are easily disturbed at times of major changes in lifee.g. puberty, menopause, divorce, new school/college/job/home etc. They have definite ambitions and plans but are often easily influenced to change them because of the strong opinions of others. 
Walnut will help such persons to move forward by accepting changes which are inevitable and to seek happiness by protecting themselves from negative outside influences.

25. Hatred, Envy and Jealousy -Remedy:Holly: This remedy is for persons who often suffer from negative and destructive feelings like jealousy, envy, suspicion, hatred, revenge etc. They often feel bitter, restless, irritated and not in control of their anger. 
Holly will help such persons to accept others as they are and to overcome any of the above negative feelings for them.

REMEDIES FOR: FEELINGS OF DESPONDENCY OR DESPAIR

26. Lack of Confidence - Remedy: Larch:This remedy is for persons who lack confidence and do not consider themselves to be as good or as capable as others. They expect and fear failure and therefore avoid even make an attempt to do any task or give it up at the first sign of difficulty, despite having the abilities to accomplish the task. 
Larch will help such persons to regain self-esteem and confidence in themselves and give them the will to succeed.

27. Guilt & Self Blame -Remedy: Pine: This remedy is for persons who feel guilty and blame themselves for other people's mistakes or generally for anything that goes wrong. They are never satisfied with their own efforts and results. Even when they are successful, they avoid taking credit or accepting praise and are tormented by the feeling that they could have done much better. The constant attempts to improve themselves may lead to mental tiredness and depression.
Pine will help such persons to put everything in the right perspective and remove unnecessary feelings of guilt.

28. Overwhelmed By Responsibilities -Remedy: Elm: This remedy is for persons who are willing to take responsibilities and are very capable of fulfilling them. But sometimes this may lead to their being overloaded with responsibilities leaving them feeling inadequate, worn out, exhausted, depressed and low on self-esteem. 
Elm will help such persons to become calm and review the situations clearly, rationally and methodically and then move towards fulfilling their responsibilities themselves or by seeking the help of others.

29. Extreme Mental Anguish, When Everything Has Been Tried and There is a Feeling of Hopelessness -Remedy: Sweet Chestnut: This remedy is for persons whose sense of hopelessness takes them to the deepest stage of despair. The anguish makes their mind or body feel as if it had reached the limits of its endurance and now there is nothing but destruction and annihilation left to face.
Sweet Chestnut will help such persons by restoring faith in themselves and making them look to the future with renewed hope.

30. Shock -Remedy: Star of Bethlehem:This remedy is for persons who experience emotional shock and trauma due to sudden distressing happenings like getting bad news, witnessing or being involved in an accident, a fright, a narrow escape, death of a dear one, sudden request to give a speech etc. In some cases a person may experience the shock and trauma much after the distressing event.
Star of Bethlehem will help such persons to stabilize the mind and body, acknowledge the reality and face the situation calmly.

31. Self-Pity and Resentment -Remedy:Willow: This remedy is for persons who have suffered an adversity or misfortune which they find difficult to accept. They tend to blame others for their misfortune and feel sorry for themselves since they feel that life has not been fair to them. This makes them angry and resentful of the success or happiness of others and they may keep grumbling and sulking about it. In some cases they may try to find solace by actually enjoying the feeling of ‘martyrdom’.  
Willow will help such persons to enjoy the success and happiness of others and feel motivated to work towards achieving the same for themselves.

32. Working Past the Point of Exhaustion -Remedy: Oak: This remedy is for persons who can normally take great burdens of work or responsibility since they are strong, reliable and patient. They are over-achievers and will overwork ignoring tiredness, setbacks or illness because of a sense of responsibility. This can lead to their inner strength getting exhausted and can even result in severe nervous breakdowns. 
Oak will help such persons to 'wind down' and regain their mental and physical strength and to learn to work without putting undue strain on their mind or body.

33. The Cleansing Remedy. Also for Self-Hatred - Remedy: Crab Apple: This remedy is for persons who have feelings of self-disgust since they feel that they are unclean or impure physically or mentally. Some persons with such thoughts may find things ‘dirty/unclean’ without any reason and feel the need to either wash them or wash their own hands or bathe often. They may even imagine that they are ugly or full of impure thoughts although others do not think so. 
Crab Apple is called the ‘cleansing remedy’ since it helps such persons to accept and see things clearly and in their true proportion and not feel unclean in thought or deed.

REMEDIES FOR: FEELING OF EXCESSIVE INVOLVEMENT

34. Selfish, Possessive, Manipulative -Remedy: Chicory: This remedy is for persons who are basically selfish, possessive and manipulative and are excessively concerned with the lives of not only their own children, relatives, friends etc. but all those they come in contact with. They are critical, opinionated and argumentative and always find something about others that they feel needs to be corrected. They are kind and loving but expect obedience, kindness, love, attention and respect in return and get easily offended and hurt if they don’t. 
Chicory will help such persons to ‘let go’ and to love or advise without expecting or demanding the same in return.

35. Over-Enthusiasm - Remedy: Vervain:This remedy is for persons who hold strong views and tend to do things their way without considering the others’ point of view. They are over-enthusiastic about everything they undertake and put unnecessary effort into it. Their mind races ahead of events and they are likely to suffer from lack of sleep due to an overactive mind. 
Vervain helps such persons to ease off, wind down and work with the right intensity.

36. Dominance and Inflexibility -Remedy:Vine: This remedy is for persons who are aware of their capabilities and so are confident of their own abilities and chances of success. Though they are considered to be good leaders because they can ‘get the work done’, they are dominating, inflexible, ambitious, tyrannical, or autocratic and arrogant and tend to compel others to blindly follow their instructions. 
Vine will help such persons to respect other people's views and ideas, become less harsh or severe and more understanding of other people, especially those who are weaker or junior.

37. Intolerance -Remedy: Beech:This remedy is for persons who are intolerant, critical and annoyed even by the small habits, mannerisms, gestures and minor mistakes of others. They are unable to appreciate the good attributes of anybody but are quick to criticize and find fault. They are sour, arrogant, cynical and unsympathetic. 
Beech will help such persons to develop a more tolerant and understanding attitude and be more sympathetic and appreciative of others.

38. Self-Denial, Rigidity and Self-Repression - Remedy: Rock Water: This remedy is for persons who expect too much from themselves. They are workaholics who are very strict with themselves and their simple lifestyles, often denying themselves the joys and pleasures of life because they think it might dilute the quality of their work. They expect perfection in everything they do. They are idealistic and think their hard work and ‘sacrifices’ will help to make not just their place of work but the world in general a better place. 
Rock Water will help them to be less fanatically focused, more flexible and find the right balance between their work and the normal pleasures of life without feeling guilty for doing so.

'RESCUE REMEDY' ('FIRST AID' REMEDY)

This is a combination of 5 Bach Flower Remedies (Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose & Clematis) and is especially beneficial when you find yourself in traumatic situations, such as:

sudden work or study stressemergenciesfear/panic before or during flying/travellingshock/panic after getting bad newsfear/panic before or during an exam or job interviewstage frightshock/panic when involved in or witnessing an accidentall other kinds of situations where one suddenly loses mental and emotional balance

The 'Rescue Remedy' will help to quickly calm you down and allow you to deal with the traumatic situation.

Usage of 'Rescue Remedy':
All methods mentioned below can be used with this special remedy. In case of emergency, the best way to achieve quick relief is to use the remedy directly from the bottle - either by dropping 4 drops onto the tongue or rubbing it behind the ears or on the temples and wrists. Here you can use the remedy every few minutes until signs of recovery are felt.

DOSAGE & DIRECTIONS FOR USE OF 
'BACH FLOWER REMEDIES' 

Each of the above Bach Flower Remedies is directed at a particular characteristic or emotional state of the patient. To select the remedies, the practitioner or user would have to take into consideration both (a) the General Character Traits of the patient, and (b) his Mental State at that particular time.

Important Note: Since they are available in liquid form, mixtures of the various remedies can easily be prepared to suit a person's emotional condition at a particular time.

For Short Term Problems and Immediate Stressful Situations:
Put 5-8 drops of each chosen Bach Flower Remedy in 1/4 glass of mineral or filtered water and sip at short intervals of 1 to 2 hours until there is relief. 

The Bach Flower Remedies can also be dropped directly onto the tongue or rubbed behind the ears or on the temples and wrists.

Personal formula for multiple use:
Add about 12 drops of each chosen remedy to a 30 ml bottle and top it up with mineral or filtered water. Take 5-8 drops of the mixture, 4-6 times a day.

Adding to bath water:
The Bach Flower Remedies may also be added to bath water (16 drops per use). 

Adding to lotions, oils, creams etc.:
Mix few drops of each chosen remedy in the lotion, oil, cream etc. 

Combining Bach Flower Remedies and other medications:
The Bach Flower Remedies are safe and natural. They have no side effects and will not interfere with any other form of treatment including nutritional, homeopathic, herbal and prescription medications.

Combining Bach Flower Remedies:
Yes, you may combine Bach Flower Remedies in your mixture. 

How often can Bach Flower Remedies be used?
Bach Flower Remedies can be used as often as desired. In a crisis, you may need only one dose but for a continuing emotional problem you can take them for as long as needed. Benefit comes from small quantity and regular use.
Your special mixture may be taken until the emotions are stabilized.

Adverse Reactions / Side Effects:
Bach Flower Remedies work on subtle levels. They are supposed to gently help release old blocked energies held within our body, mind and emotions. We can achieve harmony and balance to all aspects of our being through these remedies.
Don't worry about side effects or that a wrongly selected remedy might have an adverse reaction. You also need not worry about over-dosage or wrong selection of remedy/ies. 
However, it has been observed that in very rare cases, they may allow suppressed symptoms to surface. These could include an awareness of emotions which have been denied expression. These are only temporary and are an important part of the healing process.