How to Use Bach Flower Remedies to Treat Various Illnesses

Bach Flower Remedies may not be as well known as some of the other complementary therapies or remedies, but its advo­cates are numerous and worldwide.

The power of the Bach Flower Remedies is in their essence. Flowers have a wonderful effect on people in their colour, scent and touch. They can influence the emotions and the mind, as anyone who has walked through a heady rose garden can tell you. It is these qualities that the Englishman Dr Edward Bach developed into a system of healing that is now used throughout the world.

Born in 1886, Dr Bach qualified as a physician in 1912 and went on to become a bacteriologist, immunologist and homoeopath. But he gradually found himself becoming more interested in the patients themselves rather than their illness. He realized that the basis of many physical ailments lay in emotional imbalances, and that every person’s emotional out­look affected their physical health. He believed that to bring back a natural equilibrium, the person as a whole should be treated, not just the ailment. And the key to equilibrium was in nature.

So in 1930 he gave up a very successful Harley Street practice and moved to Wales to concentrate on developing a natural method of healing that would treat the person rather than the disease, would be easy to use and caused no side-effects.

Over the next six years he explored the English and Welsh countryside for the right plants. He would concentrate on a particular emotion, often going through it himself, such as lack of confidence, jealousy, hopelessness or apprehension and search for a plant that would help that emotion.

Eventually he found all the flowers that were needed. He believed that dew on the flowers contained their energizing properties and it was this he collected. However, he soon found he could not collect enough dew for the demands of his patients and found that floating the flowers on spring water in sunlight achieved the same results.

He developed thirty-eight remedies, for every mood, emotion and personality. He put these under seven headings: disinterest in present circumstances, apprehension, uncertainty and indecision, loneliness, over-sensitivity to influence and ideas, despondency and despair, and over-concern for others. Taken on their own or in combination they cover every state of mind and so can help everyone, whatever their ailment.

Dr Bach claimed his set of remedies were complete, and the Bach Centre maintains this stance. But there are also now many other types of flower remedies being made around the world, such as the Australian Bush Remedies and Pacific and Hawaiian remedies.

How the Remedies work

Because the Remedies treat the cause rather than the effect, every child, whatever their ailment, can be treated. Although they can’t cure an illness such as mumps direcdy, they can help the child on the road to recovery and can be used along­side conventional treatments. Each remedy is given depend­ing on the characteristics of your child. You’ll need to think about personality and emotional states rather than the illness itself.

So for a child who is often travel sick, rather than treat­ing the sickness itself, you will treat the anxiety, worry or mental tension that might be causing the sickness. Or to help a child recover from measles, you will have to look at how they’ve dealt with the illness. For example, are they impatient to get better, or have they lost interest in the outside world. Scientific studies of the Remedies show that they contain nothing but water and alcohol, although it has been said that tests so far are just not sophisticated enough to detect the energy of the Remedies. And there are many ready to claim their benefits.

What to expect from a first visit

The therapist will need to learn as much about your child’s character as possible. They will need to know their likes and dislikes, how they react to certain situations, whether they are outgoing or shy, contented or anxious, have a happy or sad disposition and so on. Don’t be surprised if some odd questions are asked, even those seeming totally irrelevant will have a purpose in building up a picture of your child’s character.

These sort of questions are asked by most complemen­tary therapists, such as homoeopaths, acupuncturists and so on as part of their general consultation and may take up to an hour.

Finding a therapist

Practitioners who use the Bach Flower Remedies may also specialize in other fields and use the Remedies in conjunction with their own therapies. But they will always give Bach Flower Remedies alone if that is what you ask them for. Always ask the practitioner what experience they have of treating children as this is a specialist field and experience is advisable. Personal recommendation is also one of the best methods of finding a therapist.