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Flower RemediesAlthough many physicians would agree that emotional stress can contribute to illness, the effect of flower remedies on emotions has never undergone formal clinical trials, and there is no scientific proof that the remedies have any therapeutic value. The extracts used in this form of therapy are extremely diluted solutions produced from 38 different blooms. The so-called "mother tinctures" are made by either floating the blossoms in water for a number of hours or boiling them for half an hour. Each tincture is preserved by mixing it 50/50 with full-strength, 80 proof brandy. Drops of this mixture are diluted in additional brandy and bottled for personal use. Before ingesting, patients are advised to further dilute the remedy by putting two drops in a 30-milliliter (1-ounce) dropper bottle and filling it with mineral water. The bottle should be refrigerated. The entire set of remedies is intended as a self-help system simple enough to use without professional advice. Manufacturers provide self-administered questionnaires to aid in the selection of the proper flowers, each of which is thought to correspond to an emotional or psychological state. Users are advised to ignore any overt illness, instead asking themselves how they feel and what emotions they are experiencing, since the remedies are intended to treat psychological states, not physical disease. Remedies can be combined, but no more than six or seven should be used at once. The problems that the remedies purport to relieve range from fear of the unknown to intolerance. Here's a complete list. Agrimony....mental torture behind a cheerful face Aspen...fear of unknown things Beech...intolerance Centaury...the inability to say "no" Cerato...lack of trust in one's own decisions Cherry Plum...fear of the mind giving way Chestnut Bud...failure to learn from mistakes Chicory...selfish, possessive love Clematis...dreaming of the future without working in the present Crab Apple...the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred Elm...for those overwhelmed by responsibility Gentian...discouragement after a setback Gorse...hopelessness and despair Heather...self-centeredness and self-concern Holly...hatred, envy and jealousy Honeysuckle...living in the past Hornbeam...procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something Impatiens...impatience Larch...lack of confidence Mimulus...fear of known things Mustard...deep gloom for no reason Oak...for the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion Olive...exhaustion following mental or physical effort Pine...guilt Red Chestnut...for those overly concerned for the welfare of loved ones Rock Rose...terror and fright Rock Water...self-denial, rigidity, and self-repression Scleranthus...inability to choose between alternatives Star of Bethlehem...shock Sweet Chestnut...extreme mental anguish and hopelessness Vervain...over-enthusiasm Vine...dominance and inflexibility Walnut...protection from change and unwanted influences Water Violet...pride and aloofness White Chestnut...unwanted thoughts and mental arguments Wild Oat...uncertainty over one's direction in life Wild Rose...drifting, resignation, apathy Willow...self-pity and resentment There is also a combination remedy called Rescue Remedy. If you feel you need help with your diagnosis, you can consult a practitioner trained in selecting the remedies. He or she will question you about your emotions and attempt to intuit the emotional state underlying your condition. However, practitioners are expected to encourage patients to choose their own flower therapies once they're sufficiently knowledgeable. Treatment Frequency: Take 4 drops of each diluted remedy 4 times a day. Alternatively, put 2 drops of the solution from the manufacturer's bottle into a glass of water and sip from the glass at least 4 times daily. Flower remedies were developed in the early 1900s by Dr. Edward Bach, an English homeopathic physician, who believed that negative emotional or psychological states underlie physical illnesses. The remedies are designed to treat these emotional states rather than any specific disease. For this reason, people with similar physical conditions may need different remedies, based on their psychological needs. Dr. Bach identified the 38 wildflowers used in the remedies while searching the English countryside for blooms with healing effects. He determined which flower helped which emotional state by trying various plants on himself when he experienced a particular feeling. Although the brandy used as a preservative is taken in extremely diluted form, recovering alcoholics and those who wish to avoid alcohol for other reasons may wish to forego these preparations. Alternatively, the concentrated drops can be boiled to evaporate the alcohol without affecting the remedy's potency. Proponents of the remedies warn that they may "(stir) up repressed feelings that need to be cleansed before complete healing can be achieved." Mainstream physicians, however, seem unconcerned. Most regard the remedies as harmless unless they're substituted for needed medical care. Advocates cite no physical side effects. Indeed, they say that the remedies can be taken more frequently in moments of crisis without risk of overdose, addiction, or tolerance. The solutions do not affect other courses of treatment, and are unaffected by them. Some practitioners add that the remedies are a self-limiting form of treatment, asserting that the need for and effectiveness of the remedies decrease as the patient's emotional health improves. Practitioners using the original 38 remedies developed by Dr. Bach are certified by The Bach Foundation, and sign a Code of Practice that includes ethical standards. The code specifies that practitioners are not licensed to diagnose medical illness or otherwise practice medicine. (You can find the complete text of the code on the Foundation's web site.) About 350 practitioners are registered with the Foundation, according to a 1997 report. Floral essences are available from a number of sources. Some lines, however, may include plants excluded by Dr. Bach, or offer other herbal therapies prepared using the Bach method. When you feel that the emotional problem you've addressed has been resolved, you can discontinue therapy immediately. There's no need to taper off the remedies. According to the Bach Centre and Foundation, the remedies should be used only to relieve existing emotional problems, not as a means of preventing their development. Check with your doctor if there is any suspicion of an ailment that can be treated through standard medical means. Bach flower remedies are not a substitute for medical treatment, but can be used along with conventional care. |