Bach Flower Remedies

In the 1930's, Dr. Edward Bach used his knowledge of homeopathy to devise a plant-based remedy to treat a particular set of negative feelings. The Bach Flower Remedies are thought to work by stimulating the body’s capacity to self-heal and by balancing negative feelings. Remedies are selected which most closely correspond to a person's basic personality type or the particular emotional stress that is being experienced. The Bach Remedies are generally considered to be non-toxic, non-addictive, and safe to use with other medications. Bach flower essences are widely available from suppliers who carry homeopathic or naturopathic remedies.

Flower - Indication

Agrimony - repressed worries, for one who has a cheery outward appearance that conceals internal fears and concerns

Aspen - apprehension, fear of the unknown, anxiety, foreboding

Beech - intolerance, being critical of others, narrow-mindedness, feeling annoyed by others

Centaury - inability to say 'no', trying to please others, easily exploited

Cerato - lack of trust in own decisions, always turning to others for decisions

Cherry Plum - for some compulsions and obsessions, fear of impulsively doing something known to be wrong, impulsiveness

Chestnut Bud - failure to learn from mistakes, destructive patterns of behavior

Chicory - possessive love, needing to be involved in the lives of others, meddling

Clematis - daydreaming, withdrawing into a fantasy world

Crab Apple - feelings of self-hatred, poor self image, shame of physical appearance

Elm - feeling overwhelmed by responsibility, feeling unequal to a task

Gentian - discouraged by a setback, making 'mountains of molehills'

Gorse - hopelessness, despair, feeling nothing can be done

Heather - self-centered, needs to talk about one's self, unhappy when alone

Holly - hatred, jealousy, envy

Honeysuckle - dwelling on the past, expecting to never be happy again

Hornbeam - procrastination, fatigue due to boredom

Impatiens - impatience, irritability with slowness in others

Larch - lack of confidence, expectation of failure

Mimulus - fear of known things or things encountered in everyday life, such as fear of the dark, fear of growing old, etc.

Mustard - gloominess, feeling overshadowed by a cloud

Oak - for one who continues past the point of exhaustion, workaholic, one who continues to fight a battle that cannot be won

Olive - exhaustion following mental or physical effort, lacking vitality

Pine - guilt, perfectionist, dissatisfaction with the efforts of others

Red Chestnut - too much concern for the welfare of loved ones, always anticipating the worst

Rock Rose - fright, terror, extreme fear in the face of an emergency or accident

Rock Water - self-denial, repression, being too hard on oneself

Scleranthus - indecision, mood swings, unable to achieve balance

Star of Bethlehem - shock, refusing to be consoled, for trauma following receipt of bad news or loss

Sweet Chestnut - extreme mental anguish, when it seems no hope remains, when you have reached the limits of your endurance

Vervain - overly enthusiastic, feeling the need to convert others over to your way of thinking

Vine - inflexibility, dominance, domineering, seeming to have too much self-assurance

Walnut - protection from change and unwanted influences, for periods of transition and adjustment to new beginnings, protection from peer pressure and negativity from others

Water Violet - pride, arrogance, for loners who appear aloof, for those who seem unapproachable or distant

White Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments, for when the mind replays the same 'broken record' to distraction

Wild Oat - uncertainty over one's direction in life, for feeling lost

Wild Rose - apathy, resignation, accepting what life has in store without an effort to influence it

Willow - self-pity, resentment, for unjust suffering and the feelings that tend to accompany it, for feeling unfortunate

Rescue Remedy - Mix of cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rock rose and star of Bethlehem, used to help deal with any emergency or stressful event