About the Bach flower remedies

The Bach flower remedies are ‘energy medicines’ which are used worldwide as an aid to balancing emotions and personality. A survey revealed that over 80 per cent users reported to find this therapy helpful. Though the remedies do not aim to directly cure medical conditions, they help to better the symptoms—physical and mental.

They were discovered in the 1920s and 1930s by a British doctor, Edward Bach, a pioneer of mind-body medicine and the holistic approach to healing. He  quit his orthodox practice,  as he wanted to find a natural and toxin-free system of mitigating symptoms and also attack the root cause of the disease. He believed that certain wild flowers carried vibrations corresponding to different psychological states, and could stimulate feelings of hope, courage, tolerance etc.

The concoctions are prepared by either laying petals soaked in spring water in the sun or by boiling. Later, brandy is added to the fluid which is then diluted to make the alcohol content minimal. The final liquid is stored in ‘stock bottles’ which are later sold at pharmacies and online. People, who are averse to alcohol for personal reasons, can avail of preparations that use glycerin instead.

The remedy is customised to suit the emotional temperament of the individual. They are supposed to be taken orally in a dosage of 4 drops 4 times daily. The stock bottles need to be kept in a cool and dry place and should be used in less than three weeks.

One can have this flower solution along with almost any other medication. The effect of the remedies depends upon the severity of the problem; more serious the illness, longer it takes for the remedies to work. Although they have no toxic side-effects, they do sometimes give rise to ‘healing reactions.’ The best explanation for these reactions is that they are the repressed negative emotions surfacing before being replaced by positive ones. This shows that the medication is working, however if they prolong and hurt, one can stop the dosage till the reactions subside.

Any of the 38 remedies might be suitable for an older person but here are some examples of those commonly used.

Anxiety, worry and fear

In old age people tend to be more worried about their own wellbeing as well as of those around them. They are constantly watching out for bad things that might affect them leading to sleepless nights and loss of health. Mimulus is the remedy for ‘fear of known things’, in other words for anxieties related to understandable causes such as worrying about the wellbeing of a loved one, anticipatory anxiety about a surgery, or not having enough money to pay the bills. In contrast, Aspen is more suitable when fear and apprehension arise for no obvious reason. Sometimes anxiety is being felt on behalf of another person, perhaps a close relative who is sick or in trouble, and in this case Red Chestnut is indicated. Many anxious people experience repetitive worrying thoughts, often keeping them awake at night, and White Chestnut is the remedy for this. When there is extreme anxiety or panic, consider Cherry Plum for the fear of losing control and doing something bizarre, or Rock Rose for terror and nightmares.

Depression, sadness and despair

The hormonal changes that happen in old age can cause emotions to go haywire. This often leads to a gloomy state of mind that can interfere with daily functioning. Gentian benefits those who have been discouraged and disheartened by a setback in life. If there is a longstanding problem such as a chronic illness, and the person has no hope for a better life, Gorse would be useful. For people suffering from despondency and misery, Sweet Chestnut is recommended. And for depression that arises with no cause, like a black cloud, Mustard is suggested. These deep depressive states carry serious risks, including suicide, so patients should seek professional mental health care rather than relying on Bach flower remedies alone.

Adjustment to change and loss

Old people are known to be fixed in their ways of living. So they are not very welcoming about any changes—however big or small they may be. Most of the life changes that old people experience are negative ones, not of their own choosing. The combination Rescue Remedy is suitable for short–term use during any kind of crisis. Walnut is helpful when adjusting to new circumstances, such as having to move into a new accommodation. Losses, such as death of the partner or being diagnosed with a serious illness, are common and Star of Bethlehem is the remedy for shock, bad news and grief. Honeysuckle benefits those who are primarily lost in the past happenings, especially those who are nostalgic about the happier times.

Appropriate use of the Bach flower remedies can promote the positive aspects of old age. More information about them, and about Dr Bach’s own writings, can be found on the Bach Centre website www.bachcentre.com

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The resulting fluid is preserved by the addition of brandy, and made into ‘stock bottles’, which can be purchased from health stores or online. Hold on… this does not mean that you will be prescribed medicine that has half water and half brandy. While dispensing, the fluid is diluted further so that the alcohol content is almost zero. Even better, if you wish to avoid alcohol entirely for religious or medical reasons, you can opt for a Bach flower preparation that uses glycerine instead of brandy.

You may have heard about Bach flower remedies from your homoeopath, as they are often used along with homoeopathy. Though there are many books available on Bach flower remedies and how to use them, my advice would be to consult a practitioner so that you can talk over your problems, view them with a fresh perspective, and confirm the most appropriate choice of flowers. This is because Bach flower remedies are chiefly used for treating emotional and mental conditions. The selection of remedies is guided purely by the current emotional state of the patient. So probing into past history or deeper feelings is usually avoided, unless the patient spontaneously reveals such aspects.

Up to six of the flowers can be combined in the same mixture, to be taken orally in a dosage of four drops four times a day. Treatment bottles need to be kept refrigerated, and used within three weeks, otherwise there is a risk of the contents becoming infected.

How safe are they?

Bach flower remedies are safe even for babies, and can be used alongside almost any other kind of treatment. In some acute cases they result in an almost instant improvement, but for more long-standing problems it may take a week or two for them to show effect. They have no toxic side-effects, but in a few cases they produce ‘healing reactions’.

What are healing reactions?

These can take many forms: an increase of anxiety, bad dreams, physical symptoms such as skin rashes, or loose bowel movements.

Healing reactions are best explained by suppressed negative emotions coming to the surface before being released and replaced by positive ones. These can be a good sign, showing that the remedies are working, but in the rare cases when they are really troublesome, it is wise to reduce the dosage or stop the medicine altogether for a few days and seek a practitioner’s advice.

How do these remedies work?

Because they do not contain any chemical trace of the source flowers, sceptics affirm that any benefits are purely due to placebo effect. I must also inform you that if you look up online about how these remedies work, you may find that the few placebo-controlled trials, which have been published in medical literature, have reached the same conclusion. However, the way these studies have been designed does not give a valid reflection of the way the remedies are used in real-life settings. In my own experience, and in that of my fellow practitioners, the remedies do help in over 80 per cent of cases and they are sometimes spectacularly effective. The fact that animals and small children also respond well to these remedies suggests that there is something more than just the placebo effect.

Besides, a certain ‘placebo’ element is there in any system of therapy, which is not a bad thing because it indicates that the person’s powers of self-healing are being stimulated by a system that encourages a positive outlook, insight and self-responsibility.

The best-known Bach flower preparation is the Rescue Remedy, which contains five of the 38 individual remedies in the series. Rescue Remedy is designed for occasional use at times of acute stress. In other situations, it is best to make up an individual combination according to the needs of the client, as I do in the following scenarios:

>>  For students who are anxious and sleepless at the prospect of taking their exams and for those anxious about applying for jobs:

Mimulus [for understandable fears]

White chestnut [for worrying thoughts]

Walnut [for coping with change]

Larch [for a long-standing lack of confidence in ones abilities]

>>  For people frustrated from slow recovery of injuries

Star of Bethlehem [for shock and trauma]

Impatiens [for impatient nature]

Holly [for feelings of resentment towards those who may have caused injury]

Some of the remedies are indicated mainly for transient moods, others are more relevant for long-term personality traits. They do not treat specific diseases directly, and should only be used complementary to medical treatment, not as an alternative to it.

This was first published in the November 2013 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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