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Bach Flower Remedies
Guide
Tom Vermeersch
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Table of content
The Bach Flower Remedies & their history ............................................................. 4
What are the Bach Flower Remedies? ........................................................................... 4
Who was Dr. Bach? ......................................................................................................... 5
How can Bach Flower Remedies help you? .......................................................... 7
Bach Flower Remedies based on your character ........................................................ 7
How Bach Flower Remedies work: feelings and emotions .......................................... 7
Bach Flower Remedies for children ............................................................................... 9
Bach Flower Remedies for animals .............................................................................. 10
The functioning of Bach Flower Remedies ........................................................... 12
The 38 Bach Flower Remedies ...................................................................................... 12
Anxieties .......................................................................................................................... 12
Insecurity ......................................................................................................................... 13
Insufficient interest in present circumstances ............................................................ 14
Loneliness ........................................................................................................................ 16
Over-sensitivity to Influences and Ideas ..................................................................... 17
Despondency and despair .......................................................................................... 18
Over care for the welfare of others ............................................................................. 20
Rescue Remedy ............................................................................................................ 21
Situations where Bach Flower Remedies can offer relief.................................... 22
Hyperactivity and concentration problems ................................................................ 22
Puberty ........................................................................................................................... 23
Stress related to exams ................................................................................................. 24
Difficulty establishing social contact ........................................................................... 26
Guiding children through a divorce ............................................................................ 27
Dejection in young people .......................................................................................... 29
Baby colic ...................................................................................................................... 31
Bullying or being bullied ............................................................................................... 32
Child abuse.................................................................................................................... 34
When bedwetting becomes a problem ...................................................................... 36
When stress takes a hold of you................................................................................... 38
Professional exhaustion - being overworked.............................................................. 40
Breathing problems - when you struggle for breath .................................................. 42
Divorce and the associated negative emotions ........................................................ 43
Headaches .................................................................................................................... 45
Difficulties concentrating .............................................................................................. 46
The importance of a good night’s sleep ..................................................................... 48
Fatigue: a common condition ..................................................................................... 50
Personality problems – when impulsiveness becomes bothersome ........................ 52
Hypersensitivity .............................................................................................................. 53
When your libido leaves much to be desired ............................................................. 55
Eating disorders ............................................................................................................. 57
Fears in general ............................................................................................................. 58
Fear of flying .................................................................................................................. 60
Panic Attacks ................................................................................................................. 61
Fear of failure ................................................................................................................. 63
Fear of commitment ...................................................................................................... 65
Fear of abandonment ................................................................................................... 67
Dejection ........................................................................................................................ 68
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Mood swings .................................................................................................................. 70
The death of a loved one ............................................................................................. 72
Baby blues ..................................................................................................................... 74
Winter blues ................................................................................................................... 75
Losing weight - Slimming down.................................................................................... 77
Struggling through menopause ................................................................................... 79
Menstruation .................................................................................................................. 81
Getting pregnant: wonderful when things go according to plan ............................. 82
Emotions during pregnancy ......................................................................................... 84
Giving up smoking ........................................................................................................ 85
Changing drinking habits ............................................................................................. 87
Problematic behaviour in animals ............................................................................... 89
Bach Flower Remedies for dogs ................................................................................... 90
Bach Flower Remedies for cats .................................................................................... 92
Bach Flower Remedies for horses ................................................................................ 93
How are Bach Flower Remedies used? ................................................................ 95
Bach Flower Therapy ..................................................................................................... 95
How should you use Bach Flower Remedies? ............................................................ 96
Professional Advice ................................................................................................ 98
The man behind this book ............................................................................................ 98
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The Bach Flower Remedies & their history
What are the Bach Flower Remedies?
The use of Bach Flower Remedies is not some new kind of therapeutic trend.
This therapy has been around for almost a hundred years. These remedies
have continually proven their worth during this period, by providing results.
When discussing the Bach Flower Remedies, we are essentially dealing with a
safe and natural product. The remedies are mainly derived liquid extracts of
plants. These are relied on for their healing powers. They act to balance
negative emotions or emotional states.
The Bach Flower Remedies restore the body’s natural equilibrium by
converting negative emotions into their positive counterparts. This illustrates
one of the key differences between traditional Western medicine and the
Bach Flower Remedies. Traditional medicine focuses on suppressing negative
emotions instead of converting them into their positive aspects.
Another notable difference is that the Bach Flower Remedies are completely
safe and free from any kind of side effects. Here, we make a simple
comparison between traditional medicine and the Bach Flower Remedies.
Although, one shouldn’t consider Bach Flower Remedies as some kind
medication. The Bach Flower Remedies are more commonly classified as
holding the middle ground between traditional medicine and homeopathic
solutions.
Considering that Bach Flower Remedies are completely safe, they can freely
be used by anyone. This includes newborns or elderly people. The inherent
safety of the all natural Bach Flower Remedies and their complete lack of any
kind of side effects, mark one of their most key benefits. Although, some
medical sceptics base arguments against the use of Bach Flower Remedies
on the complete absence of side effects.
These individuals claim that no side effects imply that the Bach flower
Remedies lack any effective healing properties. This leads critics to conclude
that the reason people using the Bach Flower Essences don’t exhibit any side
effects, is due to the remedies not working at all. They also claim that the
beneficial effects of the Bach Flower Remedies result from the fact that
people “imagine” they’ll get better. This is known as the “placebo” effect.
This claim can easily be refuted, simply because the Bach Flower Remedies
are also very efficient on animals. And it is easy to understand that placebo
effects don’t exist with animals. Animals can’t “imagine” feeling better by
simply taking a remedy. Extremely positive results have been achieved with
dogs, cats and even horses. These creatures have responded very well to
using the Bach Flower Remedies.
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When talking about the negative mental states addressed by the Bach Flower
Remedies, we not only consider emotions like: fear, dejection, insecurity,
sadness and guilt. But also: sleep deprivation, concentration disorders and
stress. There are many more situations which can be effectively addressed by
taking Bach Flower Remedies.
Who was Dr. Bach?
The ideas and philosophy behind the
Bach Flower Remedies are attributed to
the English doctor Edward Bach. Doctor
Edward Bach was born in 1886 near
Birmingham. Edward Bach studied classic
medicine first. Afterwards, he specialized
in: bacteriology, immunology and
surgery.
During his studies, it was already
becoming apparent that Bach was more
interested in his patients than the illnesses
they were suffering. This soon led him to
realize that a patient’s personality was
more important than the symptoms of
disease.
Even though he was an outstanding student, Edward Bach had a weak
constitution. He was often ill, but this only heightened his interest in curing
others. Through his suffering, his determination to find cures in nature was
strengthened. During the moments in his life when Edward wasn’t ill, he was
an avid nature lover.
Doctor Bach had embarked on his career at the London Academic Hospital
where he took a passionate approach to his work. However, classic medicine
didn’t fully satisfy Dr. Bach. He felt like too much of his time was occupied
dealing with treating symptoms instead of his patients’ personalities.
He was discontent at being instructed to focus on symptoms rather than the
actual people suffering the illness. Because of this, Dr. Bach delved deeper
and deeper into homeopathy. This interest offered Edward Bach more solace
than classic medicine (which he found too restrictive). Bach found the
medical perspective to be too complex. He felt that medicine had to stay
simple to be effective.
In 1917, Dr. Bach fell seriously ill. He was diagnosed with cancer and was told
he only had a few more months left to live. Disregarding his colleagues’
advice, he refused to get ample rest. He spent all his days researching
bacteriology. Oddly enough, he returned to full health and was even
declared cured just a couple of months later. From this personal experience
Edward Bach concluded that a person’s health is very closely linked to their
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mental state. People can only be physically healthy when they are mentally
healthy. By observing people, Bach concluded that all individuals could be
divided into seven different categories. The categories were decided
according to the way each person reacts to illness.
Through his many walks in nature, Dr. Bach established that dew drops from
certain flowers possess therapeutic powers. It should be noted that every dew
drop (heated by the sun) had to be infused with the plant’s medicinal
properties. This inspired Bach to develop his unique method for preparing the
Bach Flower Remedies. He made his astonishing discoveries by touching the
dew drops from certain blossoms with the tip of his tongue. Initially, Edward
Bach only used two plants: Mimulus (monkey-flower) and impatiens (touch-
me-not).
After this, he experimented with many different blossoms. Over the course of
many years, he was able to create a set of 38 different Flower Remedies.
Each of these Remedies affects a specific negative emotion or mood state.
Later on, Edward Bach devised an alternative to the solar method. Thanks to
this boiling method of infusion, he was able to produce the Bach Flower
Remedies. He was even able to do this in the dark winter months, when little
sunlight was available.
On the 27th of November 1936, Edward Bach passed away. He was only 50
years old. Despite his short life, the legacy of his Flower Remedies lives on. To
this day, the Bach Flower Remedies are used throughout the world.
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How can Bach Flower Remedies help you?
Bach Flower Remedies based on your character
Dr. Edward Bach developed 38 Bach Flower Remedies. Each ensures that a
negative emotion is converted into its positive opposite. Very often, several
negative emotions are suffered together. These factors are responsible for a
person’s negative well-being. Fortunately, multiple Bach Flower Remedies can
be mixed. This way, a Remedy can be tailor-made to target multiple
emotional problems simultaneously.
A Bach Flower therapist can help you to select an optimal mix of Bach Flower
Remedies. To do this, he/she will need detailed information about your
character and experiences. The Remedy’s composition isn’t merely based on
the symptoms you exhibit. Character is an important factor to be taken into
account. It’s definitely not an easy task to accurately describe your own
character. We often possess certain character traits which don’t stand out to
us. But these can be very clear to others.
Should you opt for a tailor-made Bach Flower Remedy, an accurate
description of your character will be necessary. Therefore, it’s advisable to
enlist the help of someone who knows you well and whose opinion you value.
In this way, an accurate depiction of your character can take place. Based
on the character description (and targeting your own specific troubles) a mix
will be composed.
Contrary to popular belief, Bach Flower Remedies won’t alter the character
of a person or animal. It is clear that a character can change once a person
changes his or her state of mind. Take for example an aggressive dog, whose
belligerence is caused by certain anxieties. In this situation, Bach Flower
Remedies will influence the dog’s aggressive tendencies. A less anxious dog
will therefore act less aggressively.
How Bach Flower Remedies work: feelings and emotions
In the early 1900’s, when Dr. Edward Bach was composing the Bach Flower
Remedies, he intended these to work by to converting negative feelings or
emotions into their positive counterparts.
Dr. Bach was a firm believer in the philosophy: “A sound mind in a healthy
body”. As such, a person can only be physically fit when he’s mentally
healthy. You may well: stick to a healthy and diverse diet, stay active, and
watch your health. But, if you’re not emotionally well, you will never truly feel
completely fit.
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According to Dr. Bach, traditional medicine focuses too much on the
patient’s clinical state. For example, many People who suffer from stomach
aches can easily be helped with medication to alleviate these symptoms. The
stomach aches will pass, but if the underlying cause of the aches is a
negative emotion (e.g. stress, sadness or anxiety) the symptoms are likely to
return. This is exactly what Bach Flower Remedies aim to address. The Bach
Flower Remedies will convert negative feelings or emotions into their positive
aspects.
The Remedies affect people in such a way that anxious people begin to feel
more courageous. Bach Flower Remedies help individuals with low self-
esteem to become more confident. A child facing a fear of failure will feel
more self-assured when given the appropriate Bach Flower Remedy. Other
(negative) emotions and/or feelings people can experience are: stress,
dejection, mood swings, sadness, uncertainty, apathy and loneliness. Bach
Flower Remedies don’t repress these feelings. Instead, they convert them.
Therefore, the effect of Bach Flower Remedies is lasting.
Negative emotions and feelings are often associated with certain disorders.
For example, concentration disorders and feelings of dejection are often
experienced simultaneously. Bach Flower Remedies can treat the dejection,
which will positively affect the concentration disorder. Likewise, menopausal
women can take the appropriate Bach Flower Remedies to treat the typical
negative feelings (like e.g. mood swings, irritability or anxiety) which arise due
to menopause.
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Bach Flower Remedies for children
People often wonder whether or not Bach Flower Remedies are suited for use
by children. Critics will often make judgments against using this treatment to
help child patients. But when a doctor prescribes medication to children (like
Ritalin) his judgment is seldom questioned. People rarely make enquiries to
their GP about whether or not it’s advisable to administer certain medications
to children. Yet, certain people are still quick to frown upon a completely
natural product like Bach Flower Remedies, which are completely free of any
kind of side-effects.
Objection has been raised about how appropriate it is to administer Bach
Flower Remedies to children. This is because of the utilization of alcohol. Bach
Flower Remedies contain some alcohol with the sole purpose of guaranteeing
the storage life of each product. Yet, the amount of alcohol in each remedy
is so small, that there should be no concern involved in administering these
therapies to children. The fact of the matter is that babies (who suffer from
baby colic) respond very well to Bach Flower Remedies. Furthermore, it’s
hypocritical to criticise those who give Bach Flower Remedies to children,
while administering a variety of drugs to child patients irrespective of the
active substances they contain.
Currently, children can be helped a great deal with Bach Flower Remedies.
Arguably, this is truer today than in the past. In today’s society, our
expectations for our children have never been higher. Kids are often: kept
busy, offered a vast array of after school activities, put under a great deal of
pressure at school, and are overburdened with homework. Children are
frequently denied the opportunity to simply go outside and play. Through the
internet, the whole world is available at their fingertips.
In this fast paced computer age, it shouldn’t be too difficult to comprehend
that children also suffer from emotional issues.
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Our children are typically as resilient as they are vulnerable. What this means is
that they generally recover quite quickly from emotional imbalances. But,
they suffer emotional problems due to situations which wouldn’t affect adults
(in a similar situation). In contrast to children, adults are usually able to
minimize their troubles. However, experiencing difficult emotions will affect
children profoundly. As is the case with adults, Bach Flower Remedies will
convert negative emotions to their positive aspects in children. Children are
usually freed from their emotional issues swiftly through using these remedies.
Unlike traditional medicine, (which targets a child’s physical symptoms) Bach
Flower Remedies affect personality. By restoring the child’s emotional
balance, the physical complaints associated with the negative emotion will
shift.
Bach Flower Remedies for animals
Since their discovery in the early 1900’s, Bach Flower Remedies have been
very successful in treating people. As the years have passed, this success has
grown from strength to strength. It should come as no surprise that people
have sought to expand their use. This doesn’t mean they would alter the
original recipe. Because, regardless of the major success of the Bach Flower
Remedies, the great respect for the original recipes has never diminished.
People have experimented with Bach Flower Remedies to see if the benefits
could be extended to animals. The results turned out to be better than
anyone had ever hoped. Similar to humans, animals also have to cope with
negative emotions. These negative states can arise with animals due to
changes such as: the birth of a new baby in the family, the introduction of a
new pet, a death in the family and so forth. Some pets will even face
emotional problems caused by new furniture in the home.
An animal coping with emotional troubles can be recognized by changes in
its character and behaviour. The animal may become dejected and lifeless.
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Alternatively, an animal may become unclean, or even aggressive. Other
animals might resort to vandalism. If a pet is manifesting certain behavioural
problems, there is good chance Bach Flower Remedies can help this animal.
It’s advisable not to start treating an animal straight away with Bach Flower
Remedies. The first step should be a consultation with a vet. They will give the
animal a physical check-up. It is possible that the animal is exhibiting
uncharacteristic behaviour, due to some kind of physical ailment. Only when
a vet has established that the animal is in fine physical form, can emotional
imbalances be considered. In this instance, an animal can be helped with
Bach Flower Remedies. These will restore the animal’s emotional equilibrium.
Which Bach Flower Remedies are best administered, and how fast results will
start happening is dependent on many factors. These are: the severity of the
complaints, the animal’s responsiveness to Bach Flower Remedies, and the
animal’s usual character traits. These are all contributing factors to consider
when deciding which Bach Flower Remedies an animal should be given.
Due to the complex nature of this matter, it’s well advised to consult an
experienced Bach Flower Remedies therapist who will take these matters
seriously. Based on the present complaints and the animal’s character, the
therapist can decide which Bach Flower Essence (or mix of Bach Flower
Remedies) is best for your animal.
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The functioning of Bach Flower Remedies
The 38 Bach Flower Remedies
Doctor Bach composed 38 Bach Flower Remedies. Each of these remedies
acts upon a specific negative feeling, by changing it to its positive pole.
Below, you can find a list of all 38 Bach Flower Remedies. This includes
important information about when they should be used, and what their
specific purpose is.
Anxieties
The first series of Bach Flower Remedies specifically targets anxieties. Everyone
occasionally suffers from anxiety. But when a specific anxiety starts taking
over your life, something more serious is going on.
Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Rock Rose Nightmares and panic
attacks.
Courage and resolve.
Mimulus Shyness and
nervousness.
Feeling more secure.
Aspen Unexplainable fears. A sense of security.
Red Chestnut Over-concern. More trust and
calmness.
Cherry Plum Doubt and fear of losing
control.
Inner calm.
Rock Rose
Rock Rose is very helpful if you‘re having regular nightmares following a
situation of acute crisis or trauma.
Mimulus
Mimulus is often recommended when people are dealing with everyday
fears. Common situations include: a fear of flying, anxiety over a dental
appointment, or a fear of open spaces.
Cherry Plum
Cherry plum is commonly administered to people who indicate that they are
sometimes scared of themselves. These individuals experience serious panic
attacks which have the potential to harm others.
Aspen
Aspen is often used when someone is afraid of things which cannot be
explained. People who suffer from panic attacks in busy situations (like for
example on a crowded bus) could start treating this unknown fear with Aspen
Bach Flower Remedy.
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Red Chestnut
Red Chestnut can be considered the perfect Bach Flower Remedy for
mothers. When people are over concerned (with their children, for example)
this Bach Flower Remedy will offer them solace.
Insecurity
The second main category of Bach Flower Remedies acts upon insecurities.
It’s completely normal to occasionally experience some doubts in life. As long
as you don’t fall victim to indecisiveness, there’s no reason for concern.
Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Cerato When people keep
searching for advice
and confirmation.
Becoming more
confident in one’s own
abilities.
Scleranthus For those having trouble
making choices.
Growing more decisive.
Gentian For treating people who
easily lose faith after a
setback.
Being more able to deal
with setbacks.
Gorse For those who become
pessimistic after a
setback.
Becoming more resilient
by finding alternatives.
Hornbeam For treating people who
often procrastinate
about dealing with a
task.
Growing more
energetic.
Wild oat For individuals who are
reluctant to chance
their conduct.
Being more ambitious.
Cerato
Cerato is a Bach Flower Remedy suited to people who are afraid of making a
decision. These individuals keep asking other people for advice. When asked
for their stance, Cerato types wait to see what others think before offering an
opinion. People who would benefit the most from using Cerato are often
viewed by others as “trivial” or “unimportant”.
Scleranthus
Are you often in doubt about whether or not you turned off the stove? Did
you turn off the lights? Did you lock your car? When people suffer due to
obsessive thoughts and actions, Scleranthus can help. When you are full of
doubts, this can give others the impression you aren’t completely reliable.
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Gentian
Those who start something but drop it as soon as they hit a slight problem will
benefit strongly from the Gentian Bach Flower Remedy. This Remedy is also
extremely suited to people who suffer from a fear of failure.
Gorse
People suffering from chronic illnesses can often lose their spirit. Regardless of
the things they try to battle their disease; they just can’t seem to find a cure. In
cases like these, the Gorse Bach Flower Remedy is a fantastic supplement to
help support individuals in their battle against illness.
Hornbeam
Hornbeam is a Bach Flower Remedy aimed at people suffering from
professional exhaustion. When people suffer from professional exhaustion they
can’t seem to find any challenge in their work. You wake up every day with a
“Monday morning” feeling.
Wild Oat
Last but not least, Wild Oat is the Bach Flower Remedy most suited to those
who really don’t know what they want to do with their lives. These individuals
will switch jobs frequently. Each time this happens, they’re extremely
enthusiastic. But soon, their spirits drop and they start wondering whether or
not they made the right choice. The sentiment of indecisiveness also manifests
itself in their relationships with others. In this sense, the Wild Oat Remedy can
help people suffering from a fear of commitment.
Insufficient interest in present circumstances
The third category of Bach Flower Remedies helps those who suffer due to
insufficient interest in their present circumstances. This doesn’t necessarily
imply that they suffer with dejection. But without some form of treatment,
dejection may follow.
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Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Clematis Ideal for people who
are often caught
daydreaming.
Improves alertness.
Honeysuckle For those who spend too
much time living in the
past.
Learning to see the past
for what it is, instead of
staying trapped in it.
Wild Rose For individuals
experiencing: apathy,
lifelessness, and
languidness.
Growing more dynamic
and happy-go-lucky.
Olive For treating: tiredness or
exhaustion due to
mental or physical effort.
Feeling reenergized.
White Chestnut For helping those who
can’t stop wondering or
pondering.
Being able to think
straight and clear your
mind of unwanted
thoughts.
Mustard For treating people who
feel gloomy and
melancholic for no
apparent reason.
Becoming more
optimistic and cheerful.
Chestnut Bud For people who can’t
seem to learn from past
mistakes.
Growing more
observant.
Clematis
Do you have a student around the house that is having trouble
concentrating? The Clematis Bach Flower Remedy can improve alertness
while encouraging us to become rooted in the present moment.
Honeysuckle
People whose nostalgia is taking on worrying proportions can be helped with
Honeysuckle. This essence is for those who can’t seem to let go of past
grievances. The remedy is also used to treat individuals who feel that their
best days are behind them.
Wild rose
This remedy is for those who feel like they’re trapped in life. This could due to a
current relationship or a particular career choice. Sometimes, people will
enter the Wild Rose state when faced with a chronic illness they just can’t
seem to overcome. In these situations, Wild Rose can help people to become
more ready to battle their ailment.
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Olive
Do you feel exhausted? Are you a mother who has spent nights on end
tending to a crying baby? Do you feel like you’re at the end of your rope
now? Perhaps you feel worn out after an exhausting move? Are your hobbies
becoming too much to deal with? In these situations Olive can help to
reenergize you. This Bach Flower Remedy can also be taken to help recover
from professional exhaustion.
White Chestnut
Some people struggle with letting go to such an extent, that this affects their
physical health. They start unconsciously grinding their teeth, sleep badly,
suffer from headaches and may even start making involuntary movements.
White chestnut can help bring peace and tranquillity to these individuals.
Mustard
Mustard is used to help those who are at the edge of dejection, or are
already suffering from dejection. Do you often spend time sleeping because
you are not interested in anything happening around you? Do you feel pain
and hopelessness that just doesn’t seem to go away? Under these
circumstances, mustard offers a way to aid recovery.
Chestnut Bud
Some people seem to make the same mistakes over and over again. They
know in advance that something will end badly, but still they go ahead with it
anyway. A perfect example of this sort of behaviour is someone with a
craving for gambling. Chestnut Bud offers relief by enabling us to learn from
past failures before moving on.
Loneliness
The fourth group of Bach Flower Remedies deals with loneliness. In this regard,
loneliness doesn’t just mean feeling alone because no one is near. This group
of remedies deals with emotional issues which lead to individuals pushing
friends, family and acquaintances away.
Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Water Violet For those who are
distant and guarded
around others.
Improves our social
attitude and makes it
easier to connect.
Impatiens For helping people who
are impatient and
irritable.
Becoming more
tolerant.
Heather For those who can’t
seem to stop talking.
Learning to listen to
others.
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Water Violet
Some people put others off by placing themselves on a pedestal. They feel
superior to other people, and this leads to them being “overlooked” socially.
More often than not, these individuals suffer from stiffness in the neck, back
and joints. Water Violet helps to reduce the sense of superiority and brings us
back down to earth.
Impatiens
Impatiens people often feel they need to complete a job themselves, in order
for it to be done properly. Such individuals are likely to experience the
physical downsides of having this outlook on life. Irritable behaviour towards
others results in painful shoulders, jaws or an aching back. The Impatiens
Remedy is one of the first to be discovered by Dr. Bach. This will help a person
to be more patient with others.
Heather
Are you familiar with the stereotypical mother-in-law who always feels alone?
Or perhaps you know someone who will do anything to get some attention?
These individuals may cook delicious dinners as a predicator to elaborately
discussing their own problems. Or do you know a person who barges into the
conversation you are having by telling you the same thing has happened to
them recently? People like this crave attention, while all the while being
emotionally unavailable to others. Heather helps people to be more open to
the needs of others, instead of focusing too much on themselves.
Over-sensitivity to Influences and Ideas
The fifth category of Bach Flower Remedies helps those who are over-
sensitive to influences and ideas from others. This category is aimed at people
who allow other people to dictate too much about how they should live their
lives.
Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Agrimony For those who hide their
emotional pain behind
a mask of happiness.
Improves the ability to
open up about true
feelings.
Centaury To help people who find
it difficult to say ‘no’.
Learning when to draw
the line, while remaining
helpful to others.
Walnut Aimed at those who
struggle to adapt to
changing
circumstances.
Being able to adapt
more easily, while being
open to new
experiences.
Holly For people who are
filled by hatred, envy
and jealousy.
Becoming more tolerant
towards others.
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Agrimony
Agrimony is a Bach Flower Remedy especially suited for people who say or do
things “just to keep the peace”. These individuals find arguments and quarrels
upsetting. Some Agrimony people turn to excessive smoking or drinking in
order to stay happy. These troubles can all be resolved by using Agrimony.
Centaury
Do you often struggle with bladder problems? Do you frequently feel tired,
lifeless and weak? This could be a consequence of tending to other peoples’
requests. Do you find it difficult to draw the line? Centaury will support you in
dealing with this psychological problem and the resulting physical issues such
as: stress, overwork, or fatigue.
Walnut
Are you at a transition point in life? These range from: teething or puberty, to
marriage, pregnancy and divorce. Changes like menopause, moving house
or changing jobs are some of the transitions that can be difficult for people.
Walnut will ease the tension so you can make the transition more easily.
Holly
Have you ever had the impression that other people are talking together
while secretly hatching a scheme to cross you? Do you experience deep
seated resentment towards other people that you just can’t seem to let go
of? Consider trying Holly to help you find more calmness in your life.
Despondency and despair
The sixth category of emotions Bach Flower Remedies can influence are:
feelings of despondency and despair. Both of these emotions can be
extremely hard burdens for someone to bear.
Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Larch Aids those struggling
with an inferiority
complex.
Moving forward, free
from fears.
Pine For individuals who
always claim full
responsibility, even when
the fault lies elsewhere.
Becoming more able to
bear the burden and
stop blaming oneself.
Elm Helps people who feel
overwhelmed by
responsibility.
Growing more self-
assured.
Sweet Chestnut For those in complete
despair. People who
feel like they’ve
reached their limits.
Gaining renewed hope
and belief in self.
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Star of Bethlehem To treat individuals who
are experiencing grief,
or who are struggling to
recover from another
traumatic experience.
Feeling comforted in
coping with the sadness
and dealing with
trauma.
Willow Helps people who feel
bitter and resentful.
Becoming able to deal
with responsibilities with
a more positive point of
view.
Oak For those who never
allow themselves to take
a rest.
Learning to handle
precious inner strength
more delicately.
Crab Apple Treats individuals who
resent themselves or
who feel dirty.
Feeling cleansed and
more at peace.
Larch
Do you feel like everyone else is experiencing success except you? Do you
not bother with making changes in your life, because you think these will just
end badly? Such pessimistic thoughts indicate a strong sense of inferiority.
Larch helps people living with the fear of failure.
Pine
Do you often apologize, while being well aware you did nothing wrong? Do
you claim responsibility for the mistakes of others just to save them from grief?
This can lead to serious psychological and physical strain. Pine will enable you
to let the real culprit assume responsibility for their actions, instead of taking
the blame yourself.
Elm
If you feel like you are strained to breaking point, the Elm remedy may be just
the thing for you. Elm will support you when you are temporarily
overburdened and you feel like you can no longer cope with your
responsibilities.
Sweet Chestnut
When you feel completely desperate and you can’t or won’t talk to anyone
about it, Sweet Chestnut could be just the remedy for you. This Bach Flower
Remedy will enable you to confide your problems in others, which in turn will
bring you great relief.
Star of Bethlehem
Star of Bethlehem is suitable for people dealing with a great deal of grief. Did
you recently go through something terrible like losing a loved one? Perhaps
you have been through an operation or had an accident? Are you
experiencing deep, enduring sorrow? Physical symptoms may be that you
lose your ability to speak. Or, perhaps you no longer have the strength to
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perform any kind of physical or mental exertion? Breathing problems is also
considered a condition that can be treated with Star of Bethlehem. The
remedy brings comfort to those who feel inconsolable.
Willow
If certain things have happened to you in life that made you bitter, you
should consider using Willow to soften this embitterment. People who benefit
from Willow often feel victim of everything happening around them. It’s no
small wonder that a Willow’s favourite expression is “It had to happen to me!”
Oak
When your body feels tense, it may be because your environment demands
too much of you. If you are the shoulder everyone leans on and you never
really get a chance to catch your breath, Oak essence can help. If you are
the sort of person who doesn’t like it when responsibilities are taken out of your
hands, Bach Flower Essence Oak will be of benefit.
Crab Apple
People who have a tendency towards obsessive cleaning will benefit greatly
from taking Crab Apple essence. It aids individuals in taking a more relaxed
attitude to life and themselves. Crab Apples suffer from feeling that there is
something unclean, poisonous or contagious about them.
Over care for the welfare of others
The last category of emotions targeted by Bach Flower Remedies is over care
for the welfare of others. It’s only normal to care about the well-being of the
people closest to you. Yet it may become problematic when that concern is
suffocating those around you.
Bach Flower Remedies When to use? Positive effect
Chicory For those who are
patronizing towards
others.
Being able to love
unconditionally.
Vervain Helps individuals who
stubbornly stick to their
own convictions.
Becoming more flexible.
Vine Treats those who seek to
dominate others.
Growing more lenient.
Beech For those who narrow-
mindedly judge people
who have a different
outlook.
Showing more
understanding towards
other people.
Rock Water To help people who are
very hard on
themselves.
Learning to enjoy life by
becoming gentler.
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Chicory
When taking care of others becomes so involved that you start to take over
their lives by dominating them, you should consider using the Chicory Bach
Flower Essence.
Vervain
Vervain is for people who: struggle to get to sleep, suffer from muscle pain
and have headaches. These individuals never seem to be able to relax. This
Remedy is especially suited when restlessness is coupled with the pursuit of a
certain conviction.
Vine
When someone strives for power and will seemingly stop at nothing to get
what they want, Vine essence can help. Vine individuals will sweet-talk those
in positions of power, but will treat subordinates very harshly. This behaviour
will often be accompanied by physical pain, especially in the joints. People
suffering from mood swings can be effectively treated with vine.
Beech
When people focus on the failings of others, while simultaneously being
unable to see their own mistakes this often impacts on health. These
individuals may suffer from feeling frustrated and experience digestive
discomfort. The Bach Flower Essence Beech helps us to be more open to the
lives and experiences of other people.
Rock Water
Rock Water is for those who strive for perfection. These individuals can get so
focused on something that they develop physical complaints. Certain tics are
typical examples of such physical symptoms. Rock Water types are people
who continuously push themselves (and others) to the maximum. In this
situation, a person can be tempered with Rock Water.
Rescue Remedy
Besides the 38 Bach Flower Remedies, there’s also the Famous Rescue
Remedy. As the name implies, this Remedy is aimed at emergency situations.
When you suddenly find yourself in a crisis situation, the Rescue Remedy will
help you recover your lost emotional balance. The rescue Remedy is
composed of 5 Bach Flower essences: Rock Rose, Impatiens, Clematis, Star of
Bethlehem and Cherry Plum. This remedy is aimed at treating acute problems.
Examples include: being involved in an accident or experiencing a crisis
involving many other people. When people have experienced surgery and
are adjusting to this new situation, Rescue Remedy brings relief.
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Situations where Bach Flower Remedies can offer
relief
Hyperactivity and concentration problems
Concentration problems are often mentioned in the same breath as
hyperactivity issues. There are some very good reasons for this.
Both children and adults can struggle with poor concentration. Take for
example: moments of fatigue, when it’s a really hot day, or if there’s a lot of
noise outside. These are all perfectly good reasons for someone to have
difficulty concentrating. It’s also pretty clear that concentration will improve
as soon as these disturbing elements in the environment are gone.
Yet for some people, difficulties with concentration make each day a
struggle. Such difficulties are especially noticeable in primary school. When a
child is struggling to stick to a difficult task for an extended period of time, this
can be an indication of a concentration disorder.
However, a concentration disorder should only be considered if:
o The assignment was imposed (the child didn’t get to pick the task).
o The child fails to spend a similar amount of time working on the
assignment as other children of the same age.
It can be hard to swallow when a parent is told their child has been
diagnosed with a concentration disorder. Because at the same time, your
child can spend hours at home just playing with his/her toys. How can it be
possible for the child to have such difficulties staying attentive in school? The
reason for this is actually really simple: at home the child can do any activity
they please, while at school they are assigned activities.
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In many cases with children, concentration problems are linked to a
hyperactivity disorder. These children are unable to stay put for any length of
time. They are constantly busy (even doing things they shouldn’t be doing).
Many hyperactive children are considered to be nuisances by those around
them. This is due to their extreme liveliness. It should also be noted that
hyperactive children tend to react in a very impulsive manner. They often just
blurt something out, without thinking it through.
Bach Flower Remedies can help people to:
o Be calmer.
o Become less distracted.
o Show more self-control.
o React less impulsively.
o Improve their personal performance at school or at work.
o Show more patience and feel less frustrated.
Puberty
One of the most difficult periods in life is puberty. As difficulties are
encountered by people going through puberty, these issues tend to impact
on those closest to the person. Life can become a living hell. During puberty,
there are many hormonal changes taking place. These affect an individual’s
state of mind.
Puberty is a period where adolescents often doubt themselves and are very
insecure (although they won’t necessarily choose to show this insecurity).
Nevertheless, adolescence is the life stage during which young people are
afraid they won’t blend in. Therefore, there are a lot of teenagers struggling
with issues such as: self-doubt and insecurity.
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A sense of inferiority is also very closely linked to feelings of doubt and
insecurity. Adolescents will start to behave differently. Some will start doing
things which are completely out of character. This happens due to feeling
under pressure and stressed. The pressure and stress experienced during
puberty is related to individuals needing acceptance from their peers. During
adolescence, young people constantly compare themselves to others. For
girls, the comparison is often based on physique. While for boys,
achievements are compared.
Another typical phenomenon which happens during puberty is that young
people always look up to those who seemingly do better than them. These
negative thoughts contribute to an individual feeling worse. Furthermore,
moods tend to fluctuate extremely quickly during this life stage. One moment
an individual is happy and cheerful, while the next they are revolting against
every possible form of authority.
All these factors combined contribute to teenagers relishing their newly
adopted rebel role. Adolescents often prefer to resist the points of view of
their parents or teachers. This behaviour is thought to originate from a need to
make their own stamp on the society they inhabit.
Puberty goes hand in hand with a whole host of negative emotions. It
shouldn’t come as a surprise that Bach Flower Remedies are excellently suited
for helping someone get through the challenges faced during puberty.
Bach Flower Remedies can help to:
o Smooth the transitional life stage called puberty.
o Encourage you to find own path in life.
o Create a sense of self-worth.
o Bring emotional stability.
o Restore a peaceful and calm state of mind.
Stress related to exams
The examination period is often associated
with stress. And this doesn’t just apply to
the person who is sitting the exams. All the
people close to the person will be feeling
the tension. Moving through the house
becomes more like sneaking like a thief.
You try to magically open and close doors
without making a single sound. Most of all,
trying your very best not to have any fun
around the house while someone is
swatting for finals, seems to be the
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message for families dealing with exam stress.
Typical issues for people preparing to sit exams are the many concerns about
whether or not they adequately possess the material.
Did I sufficiently study this chapter? What is the meaning of that definition
again? In what year did this or that happen? These various concerns can
keep you awake at night. As direct consequence of worrying all night long,
you can end up feeling somewhat drowsy on the day of the exam. Then you
are too overtired by morning to give the exam your best shot.
The examination period should be a time of calm and quietude. But more
often than not the exact opposite happens on the day. The very least can
put you off, negatively affecting your concentration. A psychological
phenomenon which often arises during exams is the fear of failure. Even
though you know you studied enough, you still feel that the exam will turn into
one big disaster. This is an attitude which is not favourable for successfully
taking a test.
It’s perfectly human to feel a lot more irritable than usual during something as
stressful as an examination. When people are tired and they are under a
great deal of pressure, performance often suffers. It’s no small wonder that
many young people become completely stressed out by exams. This means
that they are best treated with the utmost care.
No matter how well prepared you are, there is always the chance an exam
won’t go as you hoped. This can have serious consequences for morale.
There is the very real danger for people to lose faith at this point and consider
giving up. This enormous amount of stress and related negative emotions can
be dealt with by using Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help people to:
o Remain calm and collected during exams.
o Have a positive attitude when facing a difficult exam.
o Remain self-assured.
o Refrain from constantly worrying and focus on what will happen on the
day.
o Feel less agitated during an examination.
o Get a good night’s sleep, so you can do your best.
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Difficulty establishing social contact
Whereas one person would happily share his feelings with a complete
stranger, others struggle to say “hello” to an acquaintance. Unfortunately,
being an easygoing and sociable person isn’t for everyone. Difficulty
establishing social contact is described in medical terms as a “pervasive
development disorder” (often called PDD). A typical characteristic of people
who experience difficulties forming social relationships is that they try to avoid
eye contact as much as possible.
Also common to people struggling with social encounters, is the fact that they
struggle greatly when faced with sudden, unexpected changes. These
individuals prefer to stick to a strict, pre-established routine. They are horrified
by last minute changes to their schedule. These changes invariably cause
these individuals a great deal of stress. This stress can be so severe that it
could lead to a breakdown. Difficulties connecting to others and the stress
that arises from social interactions (and avoiding them) can lead physical
collapse. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that such people are at risk from
developing dejection.
It should also be noted that many of us are often faced with very specific
negative emotions. Difficulties dealing with social situations, handling stress,
and dejection are all issues which benefit from the application of Bach Flower
Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help individuals to:
o Establish social contacts.
o Have fewer struggles when dealing with changes to their routine.
o Say goodbye to instant panic when faced with novelties.
o Learn to deal with situations involving stress.
o Reduce the risk of becoming dejected.
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Guiding children through a divorce
A divorce is always a tough period. Not just for the partners who are
separated, but also for the children involved. This period will go together with
a whole range of feelings. These feelings are generally negative. No matter
whether the child is assigned to a single parent after the divorce or there is
joint custody, there are a lot of changes taking place in the child’s life. As a
parent, you shouldn’t tread too lightly on this subject. Be sure to grant the
child sufficient time to get accustomed to these changes. Because, even
when you decide to stay friends following a mutual consent divorce, the child
still goes through a chain of unwanted events. This experience can provoke a
lot of unpleasant feelings. These include:
o A feeling of guilt. Kids very often wrongly get the impression they are
the reason behind their parents’ divorce. Especially younger children
will struggle deeply with negative feelings. Even though you have never
said or done anything to give the child that impression, these feelings
still surface very frequently.
o A divorce is often coupled with a whole string of anxieties. Most
commonly these are linked to fears about uncertainty for the future.
What will happen to them? How will things go when a new partner
moves in? Will the child continue to receive sufficient attention?
Basically, a child struggles with many questions and fears.
o A child exhibiting anger during a divorce is completely normal. This
anger can be directed at one of the parents or towards them both.
However, anger is usually directed towards the parent who will leave
the house. In cases where a new partner is involved, it is to be
expected that the child will exhibit great anger which may even turn
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into hatred. Keep in mind that this is temporary and be mindful not to
force the child to leave their anger behind. It’s much more advisable to
try and help the child to deal with anger in a positive way. This is
achieved through talking therapies and by using Bach Flower Remedies
to help the child to open up towards others.
o Although in many modern families divorce has become a common
occurrence, you can be sure a child will still experience some form of
shame. Older children can often feel ashamed about their parents’
divorce. More often than not, this shame has a lot to do with certain
things (mostly of financial nature) suddenly becoming a lot less obvious.
o Though a divorce is always paired with a whole lot of emotions, many
children are still reluctant to show how they feel. They either crawl into
their shells or they act as if they don’t care at all. Try not to fall for this as
a parent, because the truth is quite the opposite. Their self-imposed
isolation is only a masquerade. Bach Flower Remedies are especially
suited for young people as they are relied on to help get them out of
isolation.
o Naturally, a divorce is coupled with great sadness. When the divorce is
the eventual conclusion of deeper problems lasting for years on end,
then the separation won’t be as sudden or unexpected. If the parents
have successfully kept these issues hidden from the child, the divorce
might become a traumatic experience.
To deal with all of these negative emotions which are experienced due to a
divorce a mix of Bach Flower Essences can help.
Bach Flower Remedies can help a child to:
o Get over a traumatizing divorce.
o Ease their sadness.
o Adapt more easily to changes.
o Do away with feelings of guilt.
o Diminish the anger directed at parents.
o Reduce fears.
o Banish feelings of shame.
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Dejection in young people
Typically, during puberty young people experience periods of dejection. Very
many adolescents experience moments of deep dejection. Everyone has
experienced dejection at least once. In fact, it would be unusual for a
teenager be happy, joyous and cheerful all the time. What is difficult for most
people is being able to correctly assess when the feelings of dejection are
starting to get out of hand.
There are a variety of factors which can reveal if dejection is edging towards
dejection. It is wise to talk these feelings over with a counsellor or family
doctor. One warning sign to look out for (which may indicate dejection) is
when a person starts becoming indifferent. When you start losing interest in
everything and you have the impression that everyone around you is talking
rubbish, this indicates the onset of dejection.
Often the feeling of indifference coincides with being somewhat listless. When
young people lifelessly lie on the sofa or just hang around, this is a sign of
listlessness. Indifference automatically turns into moodiness. Young people
who are at risk of developing feelings of dejection can lash out at the most
unexpected moments. Tantrums are aimed parents, siblings and teachers.
Everyone feels the strain.
When eventually presented with the opportunity to have a conversation with
the teenager, it will soon become apparent that this person is feeling
dejected. They are likely to feel unhappy about their abilities or be confused
about their identity. A lot of young people suffering from dejection also suffer
from some kind of anxiety.
Adolescents may get into the habit of assuming that others are more
talented, more successful or better looking than they will ever be. This
indicates a low self-image which is tied to performance/social anxiety. Male
and female adolescents are often unhappy about their appearance. These
30
anxieties in adolescent girls (and more rarely in boys) can lead some
individuals to develop an eating disorder. When this happens, psychological
advice needs to be sought.
Dissatisfaction, together with a low-mood and a negative state of mind,
makes people more vulnerable to influences which will make them feel
better. Typical examples include the use of narcotics and alcohol.
Adolescents who seem to have lost hope often ingest addictive substances
such as alcohol, tobacco and designer drugs. During this life-stage it is
important for young people to get to know someone they can rely on and
trust.
Adolescence is a time when an individual does not know their limits. This
makes each person vulnerable to social or chemical influences.
Experimentation allows each person to learn about life through experiences.
But this is a process of trial and error. So many teenagers experiment by
making a range of different friendships which may or may not be successful.
Sometimes they fall in with the wrong crowd.
There are going to be disappointments in life. However, because people are
particularly vulnerable to becoming unbalanced emotionally during
adolescence, young people need to have guidance and support during this
difficult time. A great number of dejected teenagers attempt to commit
suicide. Frequently, young people attempt to kill themselves when someone
close to them has passed away. Feelings of dejection don’t necessarily turn
into dejection; however, it is common for those with tendencies of dejection
to experience the illness during this life-stage.
Dejected illness is usually treated with antidepressants from the doctor. But
there are other therapies such as counselling and natural remedies for
treating feelings of dejection before they turn into depression. Medication is
still not effective in treating every case of dejection, so it’s good to know
there are other options available. Bach Flower Remedies are very effective in
helping young people who are struggling with dejection or who are at risk of
developing feelings of dejection.
Bach Flower Remedies can help adolescents to:
o Find their place in life.
o Control feelings of gloominess and dejection.
o Remain calm and control their anger.
o Develop a positive attitude.
o Cast out negative thoughts.
o Maintain their social interactions to prevent them from isolating
themselves.
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Baby colic
Where one baby is barely noticeable; another just can’t seem to stop crying.
This can be so exhausting as to drive many poor parents into despair. Every
baby cries now and again. But when your baby cries a lot and this is wearing
you down, there could be more going on than you realize.
When an infant suffers from baby colic, the crying baby itself can become
caught up in a vicious circle. For some reason, the baby is struggling to go to
sleep and this causes the infant to experience extreme fatigue. Eventually,
the baby finds it harder and harder to fall asleep. But how can it be that while
one baby sleeps soundly, another baby just can’t seem to get to sleep? This is
due to the fact that one infant engages in worrying more than another. An
obvious question arises over how it is possible for a child to already have such
concerns. They rely on the caregiver completely for their every need and
need do nothing for themselves, so how can this be?
It might seem strange, but birth is a stressful and traumatic event for a baby.
All of a sudden, the baby must vacate the safe and trusted environment
(which has been home for many months) for much colder, strange
surroundings. Within just a few hours the baby’s perspective of its mother
changes dramatically. Even though no one can recall this experience, it still
seems to make quite an impression. The stress and trauma associated with
birth can be one of the reasons why a particular baby struggles to go to sleep
and cries more often than another.
Adults have the ability to assess new situations and adapt to the challenges
these present accordingly. Babies do not possess this faculty. All of a sudden
they end up in strange, new surroundings they’ve never encountered before.
They are fed in a totally new way, and they begin to perceive things they’ve
never seen or heard. They may appear startled or begin to cry. Who
wouldn’t?
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All these stress factors can be the cause of the anxieties facing your baby. In
addition, babies have no other way of voicing any frightened feelings they
may have other than by crying. It all comes down to staying as calm as
possible, while ensuring your baby isn’t faced with any additional fears.
Obviously, this is easier said than done. For caregivers faced with a crying,
screaming baby for nights on end, staying calm is no easy feat.
Fear is the primary emotion in the case of a baby crying continually. Bach
Flower Remedies can offer a lot of help in the form of a natural remedy.
Bach Flower Remedies can help to:
o Calm the baby down.
o Enable infants to get over the trauma associated with birth.
o Allow the baby to get a better night’s sleep.
o Reduce their hypersensitivity.
Bullying or being bullied
More than ever, young people these days are complaining about being
bullied. Although the word “bullying” is often wrongly used, adults would do
well to pay ample attention to children when this word is mentioned.
Frequently, children will call their experiences with other children “bullying”
when they are occasionally excluded by others or when another child has
been teasing them. Bullying behaviour is often more extreme, although it can
include repetitive teasing or social exclusion. When we are bullied, it is not
something which happens today and is forgotten by tomorrow. Rather,
Bullying is associated with doing things in such a way as to make the victim
feel inferior and socially excluded.
A couple of years ago, bullying was suddenly put into the spotlight when a
new computer game was launched. The objective of the game was to
(virtually) be as big a bully as possible. Pushing the heads of your fellow
students into a toilet bowl was the method of bullying used to advertise the
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game. Being the victim of bullying has dramatic consequences for a person.
The actual effects are so devastating that someone who is being bullied loses
all sense of self-worth and will feel completely inferior.
Those who fall victim to bullying will often voice this through talking about their
physical complaints. These are either bruises or wounds caused by physical
abuse, or a physical manifestation of psychological distress.
For example, when a child complains of bellyaches without any known
cause, it may be that the bellyaches are caused by fear. The bullied child
may feel too afraid of going back to school. They are likely to fear being
confronted by their tormentor(s). Fortunately, there are Bach Flower Remedies
that can help us to deal with every possible kind of fear.
As a consequence of the fears experienced by a bullied child, teenager, or
adult people can find themselves socially excluded. An individual may
choose to isolate themselves, feeling they will never make any true friends. It is
not uncommon for the victims of bullying to become withdrawn and
dejected. They may feel scared and suspicious when making contact with
other people. This can reach worrying proportions when a person starts to
disqualify every well-meant attempt by others to make friends. Suicidal
thoughts can start to appear in a depressive phase, triggered by bullying.
In addition, it should be noted that victims of bullying are ashamed of their
negative thoughts. When people are bullied, there is a tendency for the
person to blame themselves for the bullying. But this is often what a bully
wants a victim to believe. For this reason, victims of bullying (at work or school)
are going to need access to someone to talk these feelings over with. This
way, the sufferer will be told that the bully’s actions are completely unjustified.
It’s important the victim knows that the bullying is not their fault. Then the
much needed healing can begin.
Victims of bullying will need some form of psychological support. A further
intervention to help victims is to make them more resilient. Bach Flower
Remedies can help victims of bullying to develop a more positive self-image.
This is important for finding the courage to act appropriately in situations
where they find themselves vulnerable to bullying.
Bach Flower Remedies help victims of bullying to:
o Increase their sense of self-worth.
o Stop feeling ashamed.
o Stay in touch with friends.
o Conquer the fear of going to school.
o Keep a positive mental attitude.
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Child abuse
Nothing touches people so profoundly as cases of child abuse. When a
helpless, defenceless child is mistreated or abused, this evokes powerful
feelings towards the perpetrator. Nevertheless, child abuse is unfortunately a
lot more common than expected. In all walks of life, it can be established that
children fall victim to abuse of some kind. It speaks for itself that a child who is
being abused can be left with serious trauma as a result.
Abuse so drastically affects a human being that it’s not uncommon for a child
to struggle with the consequences for the rest of his / her life. The fears faced
by an abused child are very difficult to deal with. These will cause abused
children develop a sense of distrust towards people in general.
A child being abused can sometimes be identified by their injuries. But
psychological types of abuse don’t always coincide with physical violence. In
cases of psychological mistreatment, there are no noticeable physical injuries.
It has been established that abused children are dejected. They will often
seclude themselves from others. Through doing this, they lead a very lonely
existence. Abused children will feel ashamed of the fact that they are being
abused. Many child abuse victims lose the will to live, or start engaging in self-
mutilation.
An abused child generally has low self-esteem. It’s not uncommon for the
aggressor to convince the child that the child has brought it all on
themselves. Because of this, these children grow into discontented
adolescents. They won’t start studying or build a career because they’ve
been made to believe so strongly that they are worthless.
Eventually, victims of child abuse may also revert to aggression later in life. This
is not just because they can’t deal with their own frustration and sadness, but
also because it’s the only way they know.
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When it is established that a child is being abused (psychologically or
physically) it’s vital to help that child. This assistance is vital, as the process of
recovery is a long and arduous journey. Professional psychological help is
usually necessary. Psychological interventions can be supported with Bach
Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help abuse victims to:
o Recover from traumatic experiences.
o Regain lost self-confidence and self-belief.
o Improve their self-image.
o Reduce their anxieties.
o Regain lost interest in life.
o Have peace of mind.
o Find the courage to make contact with others.
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When bedwetting becomes a problem
When a child still wets the bed later in life, this can be due to a number of
causes. Obviously, there can be urological problems. However, it’s not
uncommon for psychological factors to be at the root of the bedwetting.
Therefore, it’s advisable to have the child undergo a physical with a medical
examiner. Only when no urological problems have been established, is it
necessary to shift your view towards the child’s mental state. What could be
the psychological cause of the bedwetting?
o Anxieties. When children have been through a traumatic experience,
this can haunt them to such extent that it can cause them to wet the
bed. It has also been observed that some children, who are already
able to stay dry, will revert back to wetting the bed following a
traumatic event.
o The child’s sensitivity. Is the child rather timid? Do they struggle to let go
of the things they have been through? It’s possible that the child may
be hypersensitive. If this is the case, the child also experiences sound,
light and pain a lot more intensely than other children. When a child is
hypersensitive, the strong emotions are released at night through the
bedwetting.
o Children, much like adults can be overwrought. Whether our intention
or not, there is always the possibility we’ve been demanding too much
of a child. Some children will even place the bar too high for
themselves. This is the case when a child wants to get admission to
ballet school, no matter what it takes. But without realizing the
demands, the child takes on too much and becomes overwrought as a
37
result. During sleep the child can relax. But the bladder will also relax,
resulting in bedwetting.
o When children wet the bed, they are generally ashamed of this. It’s
precisely this shame that can be at the root of repeated bedwetting.
The pressure of keeping their bedwetting hidden mounts up. This is
exactly what creates a cycle of bedwetting the child can’t break out
off.
o Very often bedwetting is linked to new events. When a change takes
place in the family (like a new baby, moving house, divorce etc) this
may affect the child’s life to such an extent that they will wet their bed.
o Though not a cause but an effect of bedwetting is that children
develop a low self-image. Because of the bedwetting an older child of
7 or 8 years will feel childish. This in turn causes extra tension to mount
on the child which results in more bedwetting.
In cases where bedwetting is caused by a psychological issue, the child can
be helped with Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help the child to:
o Stop the bedwetting.
o Reduce their anxieties.
o Find inner peace.
o Get over trauma.
o Regain self-confidence.
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When stress takes a hold of you
Stress problems have become incredibly common in our modern societies.
But it can be hard to know when we are becoming too stressed. Still, stress
related problems shouldn’t be underestimated. Everyone everywhere will
experience feeling stressed-out at some point. But stress needs to be released
(one way or another) before it has the chance to cause serious health
problems. Stress is often experienced in the workplace, but it may also be
related to something in your private life.
Stress issues are commonly encountered by young and old, and by individuals
in all walks of life. In this sense, no one is immune to this experience. Even
children face issues relating to school, homework and extracurricular
activities. The opportunities for engaging in social activities have never
presented children with more choices than today. This surplus of offerings can
stress them out. Clearly, this is never the intention of those who have the
responsibility of organizing these events.
Stress is most commonly linked to employment. Very often, a lot of stress can
be found in poorly organized workplaces. In this type of situation, the
demands on employees are enormous and the stress starts to show. The
phrase “time is money” is never so relevant than in this time of economic
dejection. Organizations operating on skeleton staffing schedules (due to the
economic crisis) present a perfect example of this kind of situation. It shouldn’t
come as too much of a surprise that most absenteeism in these companies is
typically related to stress.
Even our home environments can be full of stressful influences. This doesn’t
imply that there are issues with loved ones. Rather, more and more people
are taking work home from the office. In this technological age it has never
been easier to take work home. This, coupled by a busy family schedule,
becomes the perfect recipe for stress.
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Stressed out individuals are usually very short tempered. By constantly being
edgy, you’ll soon find quarrel with the people around you. Have you noticed
just how impatient stressed out individuals are? Everything has to move
forward at pace, and if they notice they’ll have to wait even a little bit, things
quickly start to boil over. The impatience and nervousness can be so intense
for some people, that it may even cause breathing problems.
When under a great deal of stress, it may happen that people experience
panic attacks. Usually, panic attacks happen when someone realizes that
certain things are not going according to plan. For example, you may start to
become afraid that you will not make a certain deadline. This causes anxiety.
The immediate consequence is that you become unable to function normally
for a period of time. This only increases the angst, as the possibility of meeting
the deadline dwindles away.
People under excessive stress will often struggle to concentrate. They are
dealing with so many things at once that they can’t seem to keep their focus
on one specific thing. This generally only increases stress levels, as it is too
difficult to make any progress with the task at hand. Following many days,
weeks or months functioning under too much stress, it is inevitable that the
constant pressure will eventually become detrimental to health. At a certain
point, the pressure will mount so high that the dam will burst.
At this point, a person will become dejected and lose the will to tackle
important tasks. Periods of dejection can influence normal functioning for an
extended period of time. Bach Flower Remedies can be an excellent aid in
helping to diffuse some of the negative emotions related to everyday stress.
Bach Flower Remedies can help people under stress to:
o Become calmer.
o Grow less irritable.
o Reduce their anxieties.
o Improve their concentration.
o Guard against becoming dejected.
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Professional exhaustion - being overworked
As an employer, you definitely wouldn’t want to employ people who are
overwrought. A typical phenomenon of the global economic downturn is that
more and more people are becoming overworked. The reason behind this is
pretty easy to work out. People are afraid of losing their jobs. This causes a
great deal of pressure throughout modern workplaces and at home.
Nonetheless, continuing to work on when you are exhausted will cause great
strain on your body. Eventually, you won’t be able to continue. At worst you’ll
be forced to go home. This will be either due to health reasons, or because
your tiredness is threatening the safety of other workers.
Being overworked to the limit is otherwise known as being “burnt-out”. If you
reluctantly leave for work in the morning, you have lost interest in your work
and you find it difficult to concentrate, you may have professional exhaustion.
People suffering from professional exhaustion try hard to get the job done. But
in spite of this, they find it harder and harder to make any progress. The job
they once enjoyed becomes impossible to do.
Burnt-out individuals will get up in the morning with negative feelings about
the working day. Many people experiencing burn-out will feel they have no
idea how they will make it through another day at work. Just the thought of
having to go to work wears them down.
When we are burnt-out, we don’t feel like having breakfast. At times, just
thinking about getting started on our work can lead to queasiness. Other
individuals suffering from professional exhaustion will have palpitations when
thinking about going to work.
People who are overworked and burnt-out will consider themselves unable to
function well in their role. What was once a selection of relatively easy tasks,
suddenly feels like an enormous struggle. When we have professional
exhaustion, we may start to wonder how we will get through the day. These
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feelings can lead to a person developing low self-esteem. When this
happens, individuals will longer go all the way to tackle a challenge because
they feel others are far more suited to it than they are. A direct consequence
of this is that overworked, burnt-out people prefer to keep a low profile at
work. These individuals certainly don’t feel the need to undertake big
endeavours. Instead, they prefer to hide from the limelight.
Being burnt-out will affect an employee’s performance at work. These
individuals may appear listless and not feel like working. This in turn makes
each day seem to last forever, causing reluctance and weariness in others.
Due to this reluctance and weariness, the burnt-out person will revert into
dejection. The longer these feelings persist, the less likely a person is to recover
and perform well at work. Negative emotions spill out at work and home. As
being burnt-out is coupled with a numerous negative emotions, recovery can
be encouraged with Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help those suffering from burn-out to:
o Overcome the associated negative state of mind.
o Restore vitality and the joy of living.
o Begin each day refreshed and full of life.
o Preserve self-worth and self-image.
o Improve concentration and engagement.
o Tackle work with better focus.
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Breathing problems - when
you struggle for breath
There are many different factors
which can be responsible for
impaired breathing, but stress is often
the primary cause. Sometimes you
find yourself in a situation of such
stress that breathing calmly and
normally no longer seems possible.
Situations of stress and tension can
originate both at home and work
causing breathing problems.
Even moments of intense sadness
can contribute to someone
experiencing difficulty breathing.
When a person is suddenly informed
of unexpected bad news, it’s not uncommon for people to gasp for breath in
those first few moments which follow. A similar phenomenon happens
following a sudden, intense, outburst of anger. You can feel so enraged that
you can’t breathe normally for a few moments. Fear is another factor which
can contribute to having difficulty breathing. It may seem like your breath is
cut off momentarily in a frightening situation. Sometimes your breathing can
be so disrupted that this in itself causes fear.
Underlying negative emotions (which have not yet been fully processed by
our conscious minds) can also cause respiratory distress. For example, we may
be faced with the loss of a loved one. These deep emotions take time to
process. The sadness associated with the grieving process doesn’t just fade
away overnight. In this situation, grief can take on such epic proportions that
this can cause difficulty breathing. This is also the case with unprocessed
frustrations, guilt, or other negative emotions which can leave you gasping for
air.
Difficulty breathing can also be a caused by stress. This is especially the case
when stress is caused by extended periods of being overburdened with
responsibility. When people are professionally and privately overwrought for
extended periods of time, the body will start to display physical symptoms.
These may include, breathing problems. When we can’t breathe freely, and
this it is not due to a physical impairment, the cause can often be found in a
negative emotion. Bach Flower Remedies can offer a solution for those
needing to regain the ability to breathe freely again.
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Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Relieve tension.
o Deal with unresolved emotions.
o Stabilize our energy levels.
o Conquer our fears.
o Become calmer and manage anger.
o Ease enduring sadness and pain.
Divorce and the associated negative emotions
A divorce always comes with a torrent of negative emotions for the family
involved. Processing these difficult feelings is not going to happen overnight.
For both partners (and any children involved) there may be moments where
hope is lost. It is extremely likely there will be unanswered questions. At times,
sadness and anger will rise to the surface.
The grief that is so often associated with breaking off a relationship can be
very painful. After all, there’s a reason why we call this experience “heart-
breaking”. When there is a reluctance to separate, it can feel like your heart is
being ripped to shreds.
Coupled with all this sadness, the same question always begs an answer:
what did I do wrong to cause things to take such a bad turn? And no matter
how hard the people around us try to convince us that divorce is simply a
matter between two people, many of us still automatically reflect on the guilt.
By assuming the responsibility for the divorce in this way, we come in contact
with so many negative emotions that this can lead to us becoming dejected.
On top of all these negative emotions, there are all the practical changes
that need to be made in life. These are likely to include: moving, rearranging
the daily schedule, acquiring replacement furniture, and doing all the chores
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which were once taken care of by your partner. And these changes can
invoke a myriad of difficult emotions.
On the one hand, experiencing change is a clear indication that your life is
taking a new turn. But on the other hand, such dramatic change can weigh
heavily upon you, causing feelings of desperation. Hand in hand with major
life changes, doubts will often start to emerge about the future. Questions
start to form in the mind such as: Will I be able to keep my head above the
water financially? Am I capable of tackling alone all the things I was
accustomed to doing with someone else?
Children of parents going through a divorce can also have their doubts and
questions. It’s not always a good idea to keep your own doubts hidden from
children. Aim to be open to any questions they may have and discuss your
feelings with them. Many children will of course be saddened by their parents’
divorce. This can easily increase the guilt felt by both parents. Children are
often used as pawns or “bargaining tools” in a divorce. This leads to further
emotional turmoil and confusion. Even when great efforts are made to avoid
using the children in this way, there will still be doubts and questions about the
future.
You could even go as far as to say that it’s only normal for people
experiencing a divorce to feel as though they just can’t cope any longer at
times. But, struggling with many difficult emotions for a long period of time
can lead to dejection. The best advice is to let go of the past and move
forward in life. However, this is far more easily said than done. Many people
find that quite the contrary is true. They find themselves reminiscing about the
past. In truth, we are only able to leave the past behind once we are able to
turn the page and move on.
A divorce will take its toll emotionally on everyone involved, regardless of the
reason behind the breakup. Knowing beforehand that all these things are
coming your way is one way to prepare. Bach Flower Essences help people
who are experiencing the difficult emotions associated with divorce.
Bach Flower Remedies can help individuals to:
o Get over the trauma of divorce.
o Deal with sadness.
o Lose feelings of guilt.
o Lessen feelings of anger.
o Reduce fears for the future.
o Enable feelings of shame to fade away.
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Headaches
It’s quite remarkable how incapacitating some headaches can be. One
striking observation is that a lot more women seem to suffer from headaches
than men. Yet, there are a great many different types of tension headaches.
The most common cause of tension headaches is stress. Because of the many
demands being made on people both professionally and privately, the stress
triggers a migraine attack. It is fair to say that in stressful circumstances,
people experience migraine more frequently.
When we are worried about something, it goes without saying that it will
affect our health in one way or another. The more we worry, the worse our
symptoms tend to become. Worrying continually is therefore likely to increase
the likelihood of a migraine attack.
Migraines are also often connected to feelings of dejection. It speaks for it
itself that one will become dejected from the pain associated with migraine.
However, it is still not certain if dejection is the cause or a consequence of
headaches. The only thing we can say with certainty is: both dejection and
headache attacks often occur simultaneously.
When people worry about problems or feel dejected, it’s not hard to
understand that this will cause them to sleep badly. When we don’t get
enough sleep, we can suffer from fatigue. Fatigue can be responsible for
triggering a headache attack. Being constantly fatigued can lead to a
vicious circle of exhaustion and headaches.
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A number of people can develop headaches because of their hypersensitive
nature. These individuals are oversensitive to external stimuli. They can hear
sounds much more fiercely and sharply. When one person thinks it’s chilly
outside, a hypersensitive individual experiences the weather as freezing. Bright
lights tend to dazzle hypersensitive people. It is not difficult to understand why
hypersensitive individuals develop headaches.
Trying to cure headaches related to overstimulation with painkillers is not
enough. When no progress has been made in dealing with the causes of the
headache, it is likely to return. As negative emotions can often be a cause for
headaches, Bach Flower Remedies can offer a solution.
Bach Flower Remedies can help to:
o Make us more resilient to stress.
o Encourage us to worry less.
o Enable a state of inner calm.
o Encourage better sleep.
o Banish feelings of dejection.
o Make us less sensitive to stimuli.
Difficulties concentrating
Many people following educational courses of all kinds are suffering with
concentration problems. It appears that more people than ever before are
experiencing difficulties concentrating for any length of time.
Today, we know more about
concentration disorders than we
knew in the past. This could be the
reason why so many individuals are
now able to talk openly about these
issues.
In recent years, much research has
focused on concentration disorders.
Therefore, we can’t be sure whether
or not there are more problems
today than there were years ago.
What is certain is that concentration
disorders are correctly identified
much more easily with the
knowledge available to us today.
This means these issues are less likely
to be overlooked.
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If your child is experiencing difficulties concentrating, it is likely you will find this
out when the child attends primary school. This is the life-stage when a child
has to start completing imposed assignments. Up until this point, every child
has had the freedom to explore the world through play. When an assignment
is imposed, a child faces a situation where they are expected to behave in a
certain way. Only then can it be determined (with some degree of accuracy)
if a concentration disorder is present.
Everyone experiences difficulties concentrating every now and then. This
could be due to fatigue, extreme heat, or emotional events. It is perfectly
normal to occasionally struggle to concentrate. When a person is constantly
distracted by external influences, they are suffering from hypersensitivity to
stimuli. This issue is commonly referred to as a concentration disorder.
Kids or adults who have difficulties concentrating will often have a hard time
following a conversation. They can hear what is being said, but it appears as
though the content of the conversation doesn’t get through to them. With
children, this is generally the phenomenon which contributes to them
experiencing problems at school. Kids with concentration disorders can hear
the teacher explaining something to the class. But, when the teacher asks a
question, the child will have no idea what the question was about.
Another typical phenomenon caused by concentration disorders is
forgetfulness. People with concentration disorders find they constantly lose
things. Adults struggling with these issues are often found looking for their
glasses or their keys. They will also frequently forget important appointments.
In children, these issues are manifested through forgetting to do their
homework, or misplacing their textbooks and toys. Through apparent absent-
mindedness, people with concentration disorders find that they easily make
many careless mistakes. This is because they were unable to fully focus their
attention on the task.
People struggling with concentration issues find it difficult to complete
assignments. As soon as something else catches their attention, the
assignment they were working on is neglected. To return to the assignment
while distracted is almost impossible. This is the reason why students suffering
from concentration disorders are often advised to keep a clean desk, with as
few distractions as possible.
Children and adults with concentration disorders benefit considerably from a
keeping a schedule. Drafting a schedule often proves difficult for people with
concentration problems. In fact, planning anything at all is quite a chore for
someone with a concentration disorder. That’s why it’s advisable to lend
helping a hand. Help is going to be needed to enable the person to
complete the schedule and to ensure that the plan is followed. There is
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nothing in the world someone with concentration issues would rather be
doing than diverting their attention from the schedule.
A useful aid for those experiencing difficulty concentrating are Bach Flower
Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Be less easily distracted.
o Improved our ability to concentrate.
o Become less forgetful.
o Work more efficiently.
The importance of a good night’s sleep
A good night’s rest can be seen as the basis for good health. When we can’t
seem to get a decent rest, this can have a number of negative
consequences on the body. It can even be argued that getting enough
good sleep is just as important as a balanced diet. Still, there are numerous
reasons why people struggle to get to sleep. Unfortunately, many physical
complaints can be identified which originate from not getting a good night’s
sleep.
Staying awake at night contemplating, not being able to switch off, and
running internal dialogues inside the head, are the ingredients for sleep
problems. When someone is faced with a major problem which prevents
them from getting to sleep, this can cause serious health issues. On the one
hand, it is natural that you can’t really get a good night’s sleep when faced
with problems to solve. On the other hand, you have to be well aware of the
fact that these issues are unlikely to be solved simply by staying awake all
night worrying about them. Firstly, we need to make sure we can get sufficient
sleep before trying to solve the problems which are occupying the mind.
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Some people will have days where they have had to take care of the entire
family. Others have extremely busy schedules at work. A young woman may
have the responsibility of caring for her elders. When we have had a hectic
day, two things can happen: either we go to sleep like a baby, or we keep
replaying the past day in our heads. When we play events over and over
inside the mind, it is difficult to go to sleep.
In the same breath as: worrying, pressure, and stress, we can also mention
fear. If you are worried about something, this means that there is some form of
fear which is keeping you awake. Fear and over-concern are closely related.
This will be very recognizable for a parent who can’t sleep at night because
their son or daughter is going out at the weekend. They are worried about the
possibility that something might happen to their child. This fear is enough to
cause the parent anxiety and restlessness. Needless to say, you won’t get any
sleep by lying awake and worrying constantly.
Getting insufficient sleep can cause some sort of snowball effect. Imagine not
getting enough sleep as a result of your worries. This can induce such fatigue
that you will struggle to get to sleep. It may seem odd, but overstrained
people often struggle a great deal to go to sleep. Because of this fatigue,
they are confronted with further difficulties. A direct consequence of fatigue is
that eventually, getting sleep becomes practically impossible.
It goes without saying that a good night’s rest is important for good health.
Therefore, one should keep the following tips in mind when struggling to get to
sleep:
o Avoid watching TV shortly before going to bed.
o Avoid using the computer, sending emails or talking to friends before
going to sleep.
o Sleep in a well ventilated room.
o Get a quality bed.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Spend less time worrying and go to sleep more quickly.
o Become calmer and be less tense.
o Be less anxious.
o Grow mindful of your limits (to reduce the likelihood of becoming
fatigued in future).
o Be more confident and less concerned about others.
o Go to sleep and stay asleep until morning.
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Fatigue: a common condition
You should try yawning when in company, while immediately mentioning
feeling tired. You will be amazed by how many people mention feeling the
same way. It’s truly remarkable how many of us actually feel fatigued from
time to time. People suffering from fatigue struggle to make it through the
day. Eventually, they feel completely worn out. Why is it that so many people
struggle with fatigue? Is fatigue something seasonal? Or is it something which
occurs throughout the year? Perhaps fatigue a typical symptom of our busy
and demanding societies?
A major reason why people will feel fatigued is because so much is expected
of them. For example, not only a person’s work is demanding. There are other
factors which contribute to feeling fatigued. For example, after a day in the
office many people arrive home only to find that there is still little time to relax.
This may be because the children need to be taken somewhere in the car,
then collected later. There is often schoolwork to be checked by the already
busy parent. And of course, there is usually a dinner which someone needs to
prepare for the family to eat. After all these duties are completed, there is still
the chance the parents, grandparents, or parents-in-law need to be helped
with something. Continual stress (from being too busy) will often lead to
someone experiencing some form of fatigue.
Too much work together with lots of worrying about other people in your life
can mean you struggle to fall asleep. Stress is a major factor in keeping
people awake. And this is how a person becomes trapped in a vicious circle.
When someone is fatigued, they will often spend time mulling over certain
matters instead of sleeping. This only leads to more sleep deprivation, which in
turn only adds to the fatigue.
Mothers will often suffer from fatigue through excessive worrying about their
children. Worrying is obviously a cause of stress and tension. These worries
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usually only arise while our children are growing up. Common motherly
concerns include worrying: whether or not your child studies sufficiently,
whether they are taking the right subjects in school, and concerning yourself
with all the dangers of traffic. This type of excessive worrying is likely to keep
you awake at night and lead you to develop fatigue.
Becoming fatigued has a number of serious consequences. Due to feeling
fatigued, your ability to focus will be reduced. This is something which could
have serious consequences. Fatigue in the workplace may be the cause for
grave errors. In traffic, someone suffering from fatigue isn’t the safest driver.
When making important decisions, there is a very real possibility that mistakes
can be made due to fatigue. Fatigue may also have serious physical
consequences for the heart and arteries.
It is difficult to treat fatigue without taking away the activities which cause it.
With Bach Flower Remedies you can start moving in the right direction.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Become more energetic.
o Grow more resilient.
o Be better equipped to handle stress.
o Spend less time worrying.
o Sleep well.
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Personality problems – when impulsiveness becomes
bothersome
Certain impulsive behaviours can have a certain charm. For example, you
may spontaneously decide to buy your girlfriend some flowers, or book a last
minute trip somewhere exotic. This in many ways is the essence of romance.
But for many people an impulsive reaction is something they’ll regret later.
People, suffering from personality problems often make decisions in a very
impulsive manner. These snap decisions often have far-reaching
consequences. They may impulsively quit their job and suffer as a result. In
their everyday life, people with personality problems are tormented by their
impulsiveness. During these impulsive moments they may spend an
unjustifiably large amount of money, or surrender to drug use in the spur of the
moment.
When you have personality problems, you can suddenly become angry
without a real cause. This anger can manifest itself through aggression
(although when this is the case, most individuals will regret this afterwards).
Unfortunately, by this point, the damage has already been done. Many
patients with personality problems experience such unhappiness that suicide
seems like the only way out. This unhappiness, coupled with impulsiveness,
leads many to undertake suicide attempts.
Because of their impulsiveness and unstable nature, these individuals
generally have low self-esteem. They constantly doubt their own abilities and
find it difficult to realize their ambitions. People who suffer from personality
problems experience mood swings.
Mood swings impact on their low self-esteem. In an impulsive way you can
feel supreme one moment, but shortly thereafter you will begin to doubt it.
Joy crumbles into sadness, and security turns into fear. Enthusiasm is suddenly
transformed into feelings if dejection. Mood swings aren’t an easy thing to
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deal with personally. People close to the person with personality problems
become caught up in the emotional chaos.
Also specific to patients with personality problems is the fear of being walked
out on. This leads to being very possessive of family and friends. In this case,
possessiveness is caused by separation anxiety. In order to avoid the anxiety,
an individual will become possessive of friends and family. Separation anxiety
can cause a person to become oppressive towards others. Very often, this will
result in the oppressed individuals leaving their oppressor. People who have
personality problems will often seek psychological help for dealing with these
issues. As living with personality problems causes negative emotions, these
can be eased with Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Moderate our behaviour(s).
o Remain calm and become less volatile.
o Stay in control of anger.
o Augment our self-confidence.
o Have more well-balanced moods.
o Avoid destructive thinking.
o Reduce the intensity of separation anxiety.
Hypersensitivity
A highly sensitive person (HSP) is someone who is extremely sensitive. Although
HSP relates to sensory sensitivity, it is notable that HSPs are also very sensitive
emotionally. Hypersensitivity is a fairly recently discovered psychological
phenomenon which was documented for the first time in 1996.
An HSP will often have a long history of anxiety. Many things happening
around an HSP may cause fear. This means that HSPs experience additional
stress in life. Anxieties are partly due to the fact that the HSP is extremely
54
sensitive to external stimuli. A passing jet fighter can produce a very loud and
annoying noise for most people. To an HSP this is truly an auditory torture.
Further instruments of pain include: sirens, loud music or noisy children.
When you are highly sensitive to stimuli, it’s not only the hearing sense which is
much more intense. Other senses such as taste and smell are heightened.
Bright lights will also have a stronger sensory impact. Due to anxieties and the
world being experienced with such intensity, HSPs automatically have more
stress to cope with throughout life. This can lead to constantly feeling under
tension. An HSP can rarely completely relax and unwind. This is because there
is always something which confronts them, due to their hypersensitive nature.
On an emotional level, an HSP will also be affected differently to other
people. Both positive and negative emotions can be much more
overwhelming. Someone who is highly sensitive will tend to start crying (faster
than others in the same situation) when someone makes a remark. This means
that an HSP finds it a lot more difficult to handle the comments of others.
HSPs are often also a lot more concerned about the fate of other people. This
may cause great difficulties when an individual is unable turn others down.
HSPs are often afraid that others will feel let down if they say ‘no’. This leads
the individual to do what others ask; even when they are aware they’ll barely
be able to cope with the request. When a person finds it difficult to say ‘no’
Bach Flower Essences are extremely beneficial.
Bach Flower Remedies can help hypersensitive people to:
o Feel less afraid.
o Reduce their emotional sensitivity.
o Become more resilient to external stimuli.
o Leave anxiety, stress, and tension behind.
o Have the strength to say ‘no’.
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When your libido leaves much to be desired
Even in this technologically advanced computer age, some individuals still
become embarrassed over problems with libido. However, human libido is not
the same throughout life. Libido is naturally subject to fluctuations. Certain
factors like being under stress can affect our usual sexual functioning. A great
many people experience problems with their libidos during the course of a
lifetime. Both men and women can be faced with libido problems. When this
issue is embarrassing to talk about (or even unmentionable) this prevents us
from finding an effective solution.
But with whom should we speak about libido problems? What can we do to
get back to normal again? There is one thing everyone should consider doing
in this situation. Never give up! Once physical and emotional equilibrium is
restored, libido is likely to return. There are solutions for solving libido issues, and
in most cases these are going to be effective. The main thing is to find the
cause of the problem.
People who are feeling low don’t tend to feel comfortable in their own skin. It
does not necessarily follow that dejected people automatically have a low
libido. However, when you are feeling low, how can you expect to feel at
your best? Gloomy thoughts, being under pressure, and experiencing
setbacks in life can cause us to lose our usual interest in sex. When we have a
lot of issues to address at once, these can knock us off balance and cause
the libido to temporarily diminish.
Once someone establishes that their sexual performance has deteriorated,
there is the tendency to feel bad about this. We can feel guilty because we
have no desire to make love and we are afraid that this is going to be viewed
as disappointing. This can make someone feel performance anxiety when
they try to please a partner. Performance anxiety can develop into a full-
blown fear of failure. Once trapped in a negative cycle of thinking about
having sex, the pressure mounts further. By thinking beforehand that you will
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not be able to satisfy your partner, things are guaranteed to go wrong.
People with libido problems are often inclined to avoid sexual activities
altogether, because they feel that things no longer go the way they expect
they should.
This cycle of negative thoughts and emotions can create a cocktail which
contains more than enough ingredients to put anyone off trying any sexual
activities again. By worrying about sexual performance and becoming
nervous about it, the libido tends to crash and burn. It is therefore important to
be able to place a "failure" and not be worried about it.
Not many things in life will go according to plan. What’s important is to be
able to move on from the failure to the next experience. It is relatively
common for people with low libido carry some form of guilt. These individuals
are well aware that their partners would like to have more sex. Guilt is
shouldered because the person experiencing libido issues feels they can’t
meet the wishes of their partner. This is a negative attitude which leads to
further libido decline. A contributing factor in cases of reduced libido in
adulthood, are sexual experiences during childhood. Victims of child sexual
abuse will often experience libido problems in adulthood. Psychological help
is needed to get over this trauma, along with a strong personality.
If you are unhappy about your libido, you are likely to find it useful talking
things over with a counsellor or someone you can trust. The best thing to do is
to talk about your feelings with your partner. But sometimes, for the reasons
mentioned above we find this difficult. Bach Flower Remedies encourage us
to open up emotionally, so we can discuss painful issues more easily.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Increase your libido to the level which is normal for you.
o Regain faith in yourself.
o Become calmer and more relaxed.
o Conquer fears and feelings of dejection.
o Talk about your problems freely with someone you trust.
o Reduce your stress levels.
o Recover from past trauma.
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Eating disorders
Eating disorders are relatively common
in our modern societies. It’s especially
typical for adolescent girls to become
the victim of these disorders. Although,
boys are not immune to developing an
eating disorder, statistics show that girls
are especially vulnerable. We don’t
even have to look too far to find some
of the reasons for this. More than ever,
we are faced with “mandatory
attractiveness”. Those who do not meet
model requirements, often have
difficulties dealing with this.
Young people tend to place great
importance on their appearance.
Everywhere you look there are super
slim models. These “perfect” images of
beauty appear in advertising, on
television, and in the magazines we
read. For some young girls (and boys) the urge to look perfect is so great that
they will start to starve themselves in an attempt to meet this ideal.
Those who have to cope with an eating disorder will consider themselves to
be unattractive. These individuals have really low self-esteem. Even though
they are not overweight, they believe they would be more attractive carrying
less weight. In the advanced stages of a loss of appetite, a patient will be
dangerously underweight while feeling they must still keep shedding the
pounds. Even when the doctor tells the individual that they are already too
skinny, and he shows them BMI chart, the anorexic individual continues to
refuse to eat.
A low sense of self-worth automatically leads to some form of inferiority
complex. When this happens, we always consider other people to be more
attractive or better than us in some way. By drastically slimming down, the
person with the eating disorder hopes others will show them more
appreciation.
Generally, someone with an eating disorder is aware of the fact that they
aren’t doing very well. Usually, the individual will notice that they are hurting
those around them by their extreme dieting. Nevertheless, the struggle to
pursue a super slim physique takes the upper hand. Because of this, people
living with an eating disorder struggle with feelings of guilt and shame. They
are ashamed of the effect the disorder has on their own health. Guilt is felt as
a result knowing the extent of the emotional pain caused to family and
friends.
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Those who suffer an eating disorder tend to weigh themselves frequently.
Some people fixate so strongly on their scales that this causes night terrors.
They are terrified of gaining even a single gram of weight. This fear fuels the
obsession. In order to be freed from the grasp of an eating disorder, people
will usually need psychological help. This assistance can be supported with
Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Develop a more positive self-image.
o Resist social expectations and social pressure.
o Take away feelings of guilt and shame.
o Conquer fears.
o Become less obsessive.
o Boost your sense of self-worth.
o Learn to accept yourself for who you are.
Fears in general
Fears are strange psychological phenomena experienced by many. On the
one hand, as humans we will avoid being frightened much as possible. But on
the other hand, fear is a natural response which we need to survive. Without
feeling fear, we would pose a danger to ourselves and others. Therefore, fear
an essential part of life. Fear is responsible for activating the fight and flight
system in our bodies. This is what we rely on to enable us to get out of
dangerous situations.
Everyday fears are relatively common as they affect many people. These
include for example: being afraid of thunderstorms, arachnophobia, and a
fear of heights. Everyday fears can also include the fear of losing something
immaterial. This can include: the fear of losing your partner or your job.
Everyone has something that they are afraid of. In some cases, a specific fear
may prove to be such a nuisance that it is necessary to take action.
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The situation becomes more serious when fear turns into panic. With common
fears, we can identify when something is about to occur which will cause
fear. Panic attacks usually happen a lot more unexpectedly. Sudden,
unexpected panic causes individuals such fright that they can no longer think
or function normally.
It sometimes happens that people are afraid of something but they are not
able to name what it is. Some people are overwhelmed by a feeling of
insecurity from time to time. Others feel so insecure that they no longer dare
to go out in the street at night. This is not triggered by an actual event or bad
experience. Instead, the individual is afraid that something might happen,
even though they themselves do not know what this could be.
A form of fear that can prove especially bothersome for students is: the fear
of failure. One fears beforehand that something will not work out well. During
exams, such fears can be very annoying and distracting. Just by thinking that
you won’t be able to perform well, things usually start to go wrong, Even
though you are perfectly prepared for your exam; these negative thoughts
get in the way of you doing your best.
People suffering from a fear of failure, usually have low self-esteem. Closely
related to fear of failure is the fear of facing new challenges. This is when a
person fears in advance that if they face a new challenge, they will
disappoint someone. These negative thoughts often lead to inaction. Anxiety
over tackling new challenges is closely related to a distrust of new things.
Another issue which is closely linked to fear is over-concern. A good example
of over-concern is when a parent can’t sleep at night because their
son/daughter is going out for the first time at the weekend. In itself, this is not
too unusual. However, when this situation leads to someone becoming
overprotective of the other person this leads to problems. Over protectiveness
seldom serves to actually protect the other person. Instead, it only tempers
fear.
Anxieties can be extremely annoying. Often, we consider our own anxieties to
be so silly, that we’d rather not talk about them. Nonetheless, continuing to
live with fears can prove to be incredibly stressful. Those living with everyday
fears are likely to find talking to a therapist extremely useful.
Bach Flower Essences help individuals to deal with common fears.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Conquer your fears.
o Avoid panic attacks.
o Find the courage to tackle new challenges.
o Leave over-protectiveness behind.
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Fear of flying
Fears come in many shapes and forms. One specific kind of fear is fear of
flying. This causes people fear by simply stepping into an aeroplane. Everyone
experiences a strange sensation when stepping into an aeroplane. This is
because we are about to undertake something we feel is unnatural.
Yet, feeling that an experience is a result of technology instead of nature
should not be enough to make a person feel scared to death. Some people
just cannot go on holiday due to their fear of flying being greater than the
desire to go to a faraway country. However, everyone can be helped to get
rid of a fear of flying. With Bach Flower Essences, the negative emotions
associated with the fear of flying can be transformed into their positive
aspects.
People with a fear of flying become extremely nervous at the thought of this
activity. When faced with boarding an aeroplane they may get chills. For
some people, their nervousness can begin to appear several days before the
flight. Those who do make it through the flight can’t even enjoy their holiday,
because they are constantly nervous at the thought of the flight home.
Nervousness due to a fear of flying often reaches a peak on arrival at the
airport. It’s not uncommon for someone to become so panicky that they’re
no longer able to hold themselves together. While in the aeroplane, the panic
may become so overwhelming it can cause severe nausea.
Individuals who have a fear of flying suffer due to finding themselves in a
situation that is completely beyond their control. If you combine this with the
knowledge that passengers on aircraft have little chance of survival if
something goes wrong in the air, it’s not hard to understand that this thinking
can lead to a real panic situation. Therefore, it’s important to learn to have
confidence in the expertise of everyone involved in flying the aeroplane. This
attitude helps to balance the negative thoughts which tell you what would
happen in the worst case scenario.
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To help to develop a more positive attitude, Bach Flower Essences are relied
on by people in all walks of life. With continued use, and by learning to face
the fear of flying, you can conquer these negative thoughts and feelings.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Keep your nervousness in check.
o Remain cool and calm in the airplane.
o Avoid panic during take-off and landing.
o Develop confidence in the events taking place even though they
aren’t within your control.
o Stay in control of your thoughts and actions.
Panic Attacks
When panic attacks happen, someone will suddenly become very anxious.
Although a panic attack is usually a short-lived experience, the duration of
most attacks will vary. On average, a panic attack will last between a few
minutes to half an hour tops. During a panic attack a person may display the
following symptoms. These are: trembling, perspiration, palpitations and chest
tightness. They may also experience: dizziness, nausea and tingling.
Panic attacks are usually caused when an individual is faced with a
dangerous situation. But, difficult emotional situations can also cause panic
attacks. Furthermore, illicit drug use can be the reason some individuals
experience panic attacks. In some cases, panic attacks may be linked to a
specific disorder or phobia.
An essential step in preventing panic attacks is to conquer the fear which
forms the basis for the panic. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the cause.
This way, we can learn to anticipate which situations are going to trigger an
attack. Preventing a panic attack is definitely not simple and it requires a lot
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of self-knowledge. Many panic attack sufferers, learn to deal with panic
attacks through psychological interventions. But it takes time to work on
keeping calm in situations which cause panic.
People who have a tendency to panic are usually strongly attached to
certain set rituals. New situations can cause problems for these individuals. To
avoid the fear and panic in new situations, those who suffer from panic
attacks tend to rigidly stick to a specific behaviour pattern.
Many of the people who experience regular panic attacks are tempted to
isolate themselves. To avoid panic situations, some individuals will crawl into
their shell. People who frequently suffer from panic attacks may choose to
shut themselves in their own house. However, this behaviour is a way of
ignoring the underlying the problem. Ignoring the problem it is unlikely to cure
the anxiety. It is essential for a person to continue to maintain social contacts
in order to remain psychologically and physically healthy.
Stressful situations are closely linked to panic attacks, so it is necessary to
identify the trigger. If someone regularly faces a panic situation, it’s advisable
to try and avoid this situation in future. This may include reducing the stress
you are exposed to by changing your behaviour.
All these things may sound simple, but for someone who has regular panic
attacks it’s not easy start changing things for the better. When you have
spoken to a qualified counsellor or psychologist about the issue, consider
strengthening your approach with Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Conquer your fears.
o Avoid panic attacks.
o Find the courage to attempt new things.
o Find the strength to leave your house.
o Reduce stress
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Fear of failure
Fear of failure is quite often faced by children attending school. Outside the
school environment, someone with a fear of failure will also suffer from
emotional discomfort. This is often linked to what is happening at school. A
fear of failure is usually detected while a person is in school. Performance
anxiety (in all its forms) is linked to the fear that we will fail. This means that a
person has the fear that they will not be able to do certain things, or will not
be able meet certain expectations.
Fear of failure falls into three distinct categories. These are: Cognitive, Social
and Motor. Cognitive fear of failure relates to school affairs, but also the fear
of taking a driving test, or an admission test. Social fear of failure is manifested
when a person is afraid to address a crowd, or to engage in a job interview.
Motor fear of failure is mainly noticeable when someone is afraid of not being
able to successfully complete a sporting performance.
Regardless of the type of fear of failure, certain feelings and emotions will
always surface. To this extent, someone suffering fear of failure tends to have
low self-esteem. This is because they assume that others do everything better
than they do. Coupled with low self-esteem is lack of self-confidence. Even
though you can do certain things very well, your fear of failure causes you to
constantly doubt whether or not your efforts are good enough.
At a certain moment, fear of failure can turn into panic. You become
petrified as the fear that something will not work plays out at that moment.
When this happens, you are trapped in some sort of snowball effect. You are
scared you won’t be able to handle something, but get into such a panic
that you indeed are unable to handle the task.
When the opportunity presents itself again in future, the danger is that the
same cycle of negative thoughts and behaviour start once more. People
living with a fear of failure usually set the bar very high. They place high
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demands on themselves and then struggle to be happy with smaller
achievements.
Another typical phenomenon for someone suffering from the fear of failure is
that some individuals constantly seek confirmation from others. Typical
questions include: What do you think I should do? What is your opinion?
Would you do in my situation? Would you have done things differently?
Due to a fear of failure it’s logical to suppose that someone would rather not
face new situations. New situations and new experiences pose new threats.
These perceived threats lead people to become convinced that they will not
be able to deal with the new situation well.
There are no medicines available to instantly rid you of fear of failure. Getting
rid of fear of failure requires a long period of professional, psychological
guidance. Psychological counselling is perfectly supported with Bach Flower
Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Develop more self-confidence.
o Leave fear of failure in the past.
o Become less panicky.
o Believe more in ourselves.
o Stay calm and more relaxed.
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Fear of commitment
Fear of commitment is the anxiety experienced by someone who is afraid to
give up their freedom. This fear implies that someone has great difficulty
sustaining meaningful relationships with others. Such a person may be
completely unable to engage in any relationship, without the fear of losing
their freedom. Although, many people who face commitment issues do want
to have a relationship. But as soon as their partner gets too close, or some
degree of intimacy occurs, the individual completely loses control
emotionally. They may break the relationship off because the fear of losing
their personal freedom is simply too great.
This automatically creates a form of social fear of failure. When this happens,
people would rather not engage in a relationship at all. At this point, the
person is convinced that any attempt at having a relationship with someone
is doomed to fail.
Both for the person with faced with this social anxiety and their potential
partner, dealing with fear of commitment isn’t easy. If one decides to stick
with the relationship, it’s going to need time and patience to make a success
of things. This is because the characteristics of fear of commitment are not
conducive to having a successful relationship.
Someone suffering with a fear of commitment has an extreme need for
freedom. Because freedom doesn’t always fit within the context of a close
partnership, it is often the case that people with commitment issues tend to
have short-lived relationships. As soon as their partner starts discussing
spending more time together, the person with a fear of commitment loses
interest in the relationship. This of course, has disastrous consequences.
Even though you might consider a person with fear of commitment to be
tough and rigorous in choosing freedom, they are vulnerable to doubt.
Although they certainly do not give the impression of any lingering
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vulnerability, you can rest assured that these people are constantly struggling
to choose between their friends and their partner. This doubt is clearly present
when the person with a fear of commitment is alone with a partner. When the
same person is together with friends, you won’t find a trace of doubt.
What a partner of a person with fear of commitment should get used to not
doing, is making plans. A beautiful house and wedding bells, along with a
happy ever after are all very well. But if you have just started dating someone
who has a fear of commitment then you’re not in the right place for realizing
these ideals. People with commitment issues hate making future plans. This is
because future plans are the ideal way to form a stronger bond with another
person.
People living with the fear of commitment may also avoid intimacy with their
partner. There is a good reason for this. Through experiencing intimacy with
someone you can clearly indicate your true feelings. The other person may
deduce that you want to continue the relationship by taking things further. To
avoid those sentiments, people with a fear of commitment will often
postpone being intimate with a partner for as long as possible.
What can happen is that someone with commitment issues soon finds their
current relationship boring. As a partner, this can make you want to pull your
hair out. On the one hand, your partner doesn’t want to make plans, doubts
everything, and avoids intimacy. On the other hand, they indicate that the
relationship isn’t exiting enough. This can often be the straw that breaks the
camel’s back, because you want to get more out of your relationship but you
can feel your partner’s reluctance. This is often experienced as dissatisfying
and irritating. One needs to be aware that this excuse is often used by
someone with a fear of commitment to hide their own failings.
Feeling like you’re on top of the world clearly isn’t right around the corner
when you have a relationship with someone suffering with commitment issues.
Without a great deal of patience, such a relationship will not work out. If you
still want to go ahead with the relationship, it will be hard work. This isn’t a job
that will be completed straight away. Rather, this type of situation is more like
a project which you are both going to have to invest in emotionally. A lot of
patience, honesty and help form a relationship counsellor will be required.
In the meantime, Bach Flower Remedies can offer relief by quashing negative
thoughts and feelings.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Be more open to commit yourself.
o Feel freedom.
o Have more faith in others.
o Become more intimate with your partner.
o Lose the fear of being trapped by someone you love.
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Fear of abandonment
When we talk about fear of
abandonment, someone could easily
jump to the conclusion that this is
mostly a problem faced by children.
Small infants can often be seen crying
their hearts out when their parents
leave the room. Perhaps you have
had a similar experience with your
own child on the first day of school:
At the school gate, your child’s crying
drowns out the sound of the bell.
Or perhaps all the children wake up at
the crèche when you’re about to
drop your child off (simply because
the child doesn’t want you to leave
and lets you know this by howling wildly).
These example situations highlight forms of fear of abandonment. In most
cases these forms of abandonment issues are considered completely normal.
However, adults can also suffer greatly from separation anxiety. This is
noticeable in adult relationships. Sometimes, one partner has so much fear
that this drives the other partner away. This indicates a clear case of
separation anxiety.
Having separation anxiety can therefore backfire. By fearing that a partner is
going to leave, the other person may begin to feel trapped. When people
feel trapped, they may respond by packing their things and leaving.
People with abandonment issues need to learn to be less dependent on
others. Someone with a fear of abandonment will often need another person
around just to feel safe. However, this form of dependence is actually
negative.
Everyone has some kind of fear about losing a loved one. The whole thing
however, quickly turns into a sickly form of distrust when someone lets that
fear take over. This occurs for example, when one partner begins checking up
on the other as soon as they leave the house. It goes without saying that this is
very constrictive and unpleasant for a partner.
If this situation is allowed to escalate, one may notice how the fear
degenerates into panic. The individual starts imagining all kinds of negative
things as soon as their loved one leaves their side. These imaginary scenes are
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often real doomsday scenarios leading to actual panic. This panic sometimes
causes breathing problems.
It is therefore important to teach someone with separation anxiety that being
alone for a few hours isn’t an immediate reason to start having fears or
doubts. With separation anxiety in children, this can only be taught gradually.
For instance, one example of gradual conditioning is to let the child play in
another room other than the one where you are working. By occasionally
talking to the child in the new environment, the infant will learn that you're still
there, even though they can’t see you.
With an adult, this entire process will be a lot more difficult. It’s not uncommon
for someone to only completely rid themselves of their separation anxiety
through professional psychological aid. Bach Flower Remedies can offer
excellent support during this process.
Bach Flower Remedies can help people to:
o Be less dependent on others.
o Conquer the fear of being left behind.
o Become calmer and avoid panicking.
o Rediscover the joy of being alone.
Dejection
Everyone occasionally has a bad day. This can make you feel gloomy,
lethargic or even hopeless. This is no reason to fall into despair. Often, there
are demonstrable reasons why someone is in such a bad mood. Either one is
for example very tired, or something has happened which ensures that one
feels gloomy.
Weather conditions can also be a reason why someone starts to feel down.
However, these feelings usually go away pretty quickly. Having a good rest,
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the sun coming out, or having a good conversation can ensure that you have
completely lost that sense of dejection. It’s only in such a case that those
feelings persist without a clear reason that you should start to be concerned.
However, having too many concerns in itself can become a reason to feel
even more dejected.
What are some of the typical feelings that coincide with dejection?
o One feels gloomy. Nothing is pleasant anymore and one starts to hate
just about anything. Your job is getting you down, your friends begin to
seem like annoying people, and even your hobbies can’t bring you joy
any longer.
o As a result, one has very little creativity. You do things because you
have to do them, but certainly not with any passion. You feel apathetic
and reluctant when approaching tasks you’ve never had any problem
with before.
o Typical of people who are dejected, is the fact that they become
forgetful. That is because they are having a difficult time concentrating.
Because of this concentration problem, dejected people also have
difficulties absorbing available information. This is also valid for things
which need to be planned such as appointments.
o Even though it may seem like a dejected person is doing nothing at all,
in fact they are doing a lot. It’s just that the things they do are often not
ideal for getting rid of dejection. People who feel dejected spend a lot
of time cogitating and thinking. Typically, these individuals spend time
thinking about things which keep them feeling low. Dejected people
worry about how to solve their financial troubles, how to move things
forward with their partner and so on. Basically, they spend too much
time thinking, but only about things which bring them down.
o When dejection becomes very severe, suicidal thoughts can start to
emerge. Some people who are dejected indicate how they sometimes
have to fight these thoughts in an attempt not to give into them. These
black thoughts are more common in the winter on cold, dark days.
o Someone who is dejected usually has low self-esteem. Someone will
feel that they are good for nothing. They are convinced that they can’t
do anything right anymore. On top of this, they believe that this
negative situation will last forever. Of course it is wrong to make peace
with these thoughts. With the right help one can rid one’s self of those
feelings of dejection, and can return to functioning normally. It goes
without saying that it can be difficult to convince someone with low
self-esteem of this fact.
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People who are dejected for extended periods of time and without reason
would do well to get psychological and/or medical help. In the meantime,
you can start to move forward with Bach Flower Remedies. Given that Bach
Flower Essences have the property of turning negative emotions into their
positive counterparts, they can be employed to counter the negative
emotions experienced by sufferers of dejection.
Bach Flower Remedies can you help to:
o Say goodbye to the dark clouds hanging over your life.
o Rediscover the joy in living.
o Become more attentive.
o Be less worried and become calmer.
o Find courage and energy.
o Regain faith in yourself.
o Improve your sense of self-worth.
Mood swings
Have you ever wondered what is actually meant with mood swings? Mood
swings are when someone feels extremely happy one moment. But in the
next, they immediately revert to dejection. Someone struggling with mood
swings is always on an emotional roller coaster. One moment you are
struggling to get up the hill. In the next moment, you simply sink to the bottom.
When feeling high and energized, people with frequent mood swings are
often impulsive. This impulsiveness can show itself in many different ways. It’s
possible for one to say or do things they’ll later regret. Another type of
behaviour experienced by bipolar people is a difficulty managing financial
affairs. For example, you may order or buy things which you later realize you
actually can’t afford.
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Those suffering from mood swings can often make others feel suffocated.
Other people feel as though they have been claimed. When people do not
settle in the role attributed to them by the person with mood swings, the
situation can escalate into violence. In some extreme cases, people suffering
from the high phase of mood swings can even present a threat to society at
large. It’s also the case that during these episodes where bipolar people feel
supreme, they are completely full of themselves. They are so confident of their
own convictions that nothing and nobody can change their minds. When
high, a person feels like they’re on top of the world (although this mood state
can shift dramatically to its opposite pole at any time).
When emotions shift to the opposite pole, individuals feel dejected.
Everything they experience feels bad. You don’t feel interested in doing
anything and you shrink from your ideals in life as though they were the tallest
mountains. This can lead to complete inaction and despair. You no longer
have any interest in your environment; your work, or even your hobbies.
Periods of dejection are coupled with feelings of guilt. Regardless of just how
confident and self-assured they were, when bipolar individuals are dejected,
they blame themselves for everything which goes wrong. You seem to
shoulder at all the sins of the world, which will only cause your sense of
dejection to increase.
Those who suffer from mood swings would be well advised to get psychiatric
help. A mix of Bach Flower Remedies can be used for the following beneficial
effects.
Bach Flower Remedies can help individuals to:
o React less impulsively, by thinking before acting.
o Become calmer and exhibit less aggression.
o Regain a sense of reality.
o Reduce feelings of dejection.
o Regain interest in life.
o Banish feelings of guilt.
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The death of a loved one
When we unexpectedly lose a loved one, we are faced with a long and
arduous process of grieving. Whether this death happens suddenly or
following a long and troublesome period of ill health, it’s always difficult to say
goodbye to somebody we hold dear. Experiencing the death of a loved one
is paired with many negative emotions.
When someone close to us dies, it’s always a shocking event. If you believe in
an afterlife, the physical transition from here to the other side happens in a
matter of a few seconds. Yet, this event is shocking to witness. If you are
present when a person dies, this can be a difficult moment to bear
emotionally. It is likely that the memory of such an event will stay with you for
the rest of your life. When a loved one dies suddenly and unexpectedly, this
can be so shocking that the news can leave you gasping for air.
The natural consequence of losing a loved one is the grief experienced. This is
the deepest sadness anyone will endure. At first feel like you will never be able
to deal with this grief. For some people this sentiment can linger for several
months on end. The grief can often be so great that it causes physical pain.
The following component to the grieving process is anger. Although, it should
be noted that everyone grieves differently. This means that patterns of
grieving do not necessarily follow the same order of emotions for everyone.
While experiencing anger, a bereaved person will face issues relating to
unanswered questions associated with the bereavement. While feeling anger,
a person is faced with questions such as: Why did this person so dear to me
get ripped out of my life?
This phase can be very clearly identified with people who lose a child in an
accident. Initially, they aren’t angry at the person who caused the accident.
They try to resign themselves to the fact that the person responsible for the
accident didn’t want the accident to happen either. Gradually, hatred and
anger towards the person who caused the accident grows. Eventually (when
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the anger reaches a peak) a bereaved individual may call the person
responsible a murderer.
Losing somebody close to us leaves us with an emotional void in our lives.
Grief can cause people to fall into an emotional black hole, where they feel
like everything in life is pointless. Symptoms like the following are not
uncommon during the grieving process. These are: exhausting periods of
crying, not taking good care of your health, and preferring isolation. What is
necessary however is not to become too accustomed to these feelings in the
long-term. You have to learn to go on with your life without that cherished
person. Getting started on this new way of life is far from obvious, since it
requires you to let go of the person you held so dear.
To make it easier to cope with the feelings associated with the grieving
process, you can make use of Bach Flower Essences.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Process the shock associated with the loss.
o Ease the grieving process.
o Diminish feelings of anger and aggression.
o Resist becoming dejected.
o Place the passing away and let go.
o Carry on with our lives.
o Resist possible hallucinations and fears.
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Baby blues
After the birth of a baby, most of you will expect to become the happiest
woman in the world. Everyone expects you to shine as a mother with your little
newly-born baby. However, the truth is often quite different. Many women
struggle with baby blues after they give birth.
New mothers often do not expect too much support from the people in their
home environment. It can happen that if everyone knows how much you
wanted the baby, so they assume that you should be happy after giving birth.
Following the birth of a child it can be perfectly normal to lose hope and
have negative thoughts. Some new mothers don’t feel like doing anything.
They find they can’t seem to take an interest in life, and they struggle just to
get through the day.
It often happens with new moms that they start having panic attacks
following the birth of a baby. One minute they’re quietly hugging their
newborn. Then, just a fraction of a second later they become immensely
panicky. These episodes always happen unexpectedly. It can also be noted
that some new mothers experience mood swings. You can be happy one
moment and start crying the next.
There are usually only a few people you can turn to for support as a new
mother. Considering what everyone expects of you, you can feel really guilty
when in reality you are feeling so unhappy. When this leads to avoiding telling
people how you feel, problems start piling up. You may even consider yourself
to have failed in your task as a mother. Because of this, you can feel even
more unhappy and frightened. A typical phenomenon with new mothers is
that they suddenly become afraid of many things. In this case, individuals
suffer from anxious nervousness. This means that things which never frightened
them before now induce panic.
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It is often hell for women going through life with such mixed feelings, following
the birth of a baby. Letting this situation go untreated can have far-reaching
consequences. As a woman, you need to try making the people in your
environment understand your situation. After this, you have to learn to deal
with the negative feelings associated with baby blues.
Bach Flower Remedies can help new mothers to:
o See a light at the end of the tunnel.
o Prevent panic attacks.
o Lose feelings of guilt.
o Maintain emotional stability.
o Conquer fears
Winter blues
Extremely often, you will hear people complain that winter lasts miserably
long. Some people are very prone to dejection during the winter months.
Winter blues (SAD) starts to be experienced when the days get darker, the
rain starts pouring from the sky and fallen leaves are swirling around in the
autumn breeze. At this time of the year, a lot of people start worrying about
and even dreading the winter period.
With nostalgia for summer, one feels oneself slide into dejection. As you
struggle to lift your mood with each rare ray of sunshine, the sunny feelings
disappear immediately. At such times, one feels gloomy and lethargic, and is
no longer interested in doing anything. The feeling of cosiness from sitting in a
warm living room quickly disappears to make room for shuddering due to the
gloomy weather. One generally speaks in this context of the winter blues.
It’s also characteristic of people experiencing winter blues to be a lot more
irritable in winter than during summer months. Anything other people do can
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invoke irritable outbursts. You can endure nothing and laughter disappears. In
this case, individuals who suffer with winter blues are literally, like snow in the
sun. A common phenomenon on hot summer days is road rage. This is also a
frequent occurrence during the winter months.
When it’s cold and dark, there is a tendency for people with winter blues to
want to dive into bed. Most people who are feeling dejected at this time of
the year would like to hibernate. But it has been observed that people tend
to suffer more with fatigue during the winter months than in summer. Even
though you sleep lots more and do less physical labour, still you feel worn out.
This fatigue is partly caused by a lack of sunlight.
People often try to sell the winter months as cosy under the guise of
cocooning. However, this cocooning can be just as deceptive as it is positive.
Cocooning implies that you cosily retreat in your own living room enjoy the
cosiness of being close together. However, for many people living alone, this
means that they are indeed going to withdraw from social activities. Very
often, there is not much cosiness to speak of. This is how one loses a lot of
social contacts, which makes one feel isolated.
Clearly, winter a difficult time emotionally for those experiencing winter blues.
To get through the winter while being less dejected, you can use Bach Flower
Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Get through the winter in good spirits.
o Counteract dejection.
o Become more tolerant.
o Grow more energetic.
o Avoid withdrawing into your shell, while remaining active.
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Losing weight - Slimming down
To avoid any possible misunderstandings beforehand: Bach Flower Essences
alone will not make you lose any weight. To lose weight you will have to eat a
healthy, calorie controlled diet and exercise regularly. Bach Flower Remedies
will offer you support in changing bad dietary habits.
Nobody likes changing the eating habits they’ve had for years. Still, this can
prove long overdue and drastically necessary when you want your diet to
produce healthy results. Many people start off in good spirits when dieting.
Mostly, individuals will notice good results after the first week or two. This
motivates dieters to carry on the good work. However, after a while, losing
those extra pounds goes a lot less smoothly. When it starts to take longer to
shed the weight the temptation increases to turn your back on the diet.
But even if you stick to your diet undeterred, there will always be moments
when you are tempted to indulge. Parties (where one has to be extra careful
of the goodies on offer) are a wonderful example of a situation which can
become tricky. Real go-getters will not be persuaded to sin even once at
such occasions. This is because; eating sugary and fatty foods is exactly
where the danger to dieting lies.
Similar to a smoker who gives up smoking and does well in never touching a
cigarette again, in order to avoid a relapse, it’s best not to break your diet.
The chance of reacquiring the taste for fatty or sugary foods is too great.
When this happens, lapsing into your old dietary habits is easy. People who
break their diet will also have to cope with feeling guilty following day. And
it’s exactly those feelings of guilt which will bring moodiness.
Following a diet is often accompanied by feelings of irritability. Shaking off a
habit (for example smoking, drinking, and also eating habits) always causes
one to be less tolerant of others. This can lead to stress, experienced the
person trying to lose weight and others in their immediate environment.
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Lastly, it should also be noted that following a healthy diet is not something
which can help you to lose weight in a matter of days. Regardless of how
swiftly a product promises great weight loss, this is always empty promise.
Losing weight in a responsible matter requires time, dedication and
commitment. It’s therefore absolutely normal to occasionally become
impatient and disappointed when your desired progress manifests itself slowly
on the scale.
Losing weight is not a favourable activity for many of us. Nevertheless, it can
often be necessary, and not simply for aesthetic reasons. It’s plainly very
beneficial to health when overweight people shed the excess pounds. To
make the whole process of losing weight more bearable, you can turn to
Bach Flower Remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies can help individuals to:
o Change their dietary habits.
o Continue to persevere.
o Have self-discipline during a difficult time.
o Keep the faith when things don’t go as smoothly as hoped.
o Become less irritable.
o Have sufficient patience when the desired result doesn’t show straight
away.
o Take away any guilt associated with relapse.
o Reduce stress levels.
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Struggling through menopause
One of the periods in life many women are reluctant to go through, is
undoubtedly menopause. Yet every woman must live through this life stage.
For some women this is a hellish time, while others are less affected. The
number of women without any symptoms associated with menopause can
be counted on one hand.
Menopause is the time of life when a woman becomes infertile. Every girl is
born with a finite supply of egg cells. Each month, one of these cells is
released to be fertilized. If the egg is fertilized, it will become implanted in the
uterus. If it isn’t fertilized, then it will be emitted during menstruation. Typically,
doctors will tell a woman that she has entered menopause when she hasn’t
menstruated for a full year. The run-up to this moment is often called “the
change”. On average, a woman enters menopause at 52 years of age.
It is mainly the period preceding the actual menopause that is associated
with most of the complaints. One of these menopausal symptoms is
uncontrollable sweating. These are known as “hot flushes”. They can occur
both night and day. If this happens at night, you are guaranteed to wake up.
The result is often a disturbed night’s sleep. This is due to the intense sweating.
It is difficult to go back to sleep right away, and you’ll often be forced to
change the bed linens and/or your sleepwear.
This disrupted sleep will in turn be responsible for other typical menopause
related complaints. Menopausal women will often feel lethargic and tired
during the day. Many are reluctant to take action and start the working day.
Because of the fatigue, one is easily aggravated and emotionally unstable.
One minute you’re smiling happily and in the next you feel dejected. It is
increasingly difficult to put up with other people. And no matter what
happens it’s easy to jump to the worst case scenario in your mind.
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The libido can also be drastically affected during menopause. During this
period, a woman will experience a reduced sex drive. This is partly caused by
physical factors such as the skin and mucous membranes drying up. When
this happens, having sex may become painful.
Another problem experienced during menopause is that a lot of women gain
weight. It can seem like anything you eat instantly get converted into extra
bodyweight. Having a slim figure is really important to a lot of women. So this
increase in weight truly is a thorn in their sides.
As a result of these physical and emotional complains, a lot of women start to
feel old and worthless. This experience is known as developing an “inferiority
complex”. An inferiority complex is often accompanied by anxiety.
Menopausal women will start to notice how they’re starting to forget more
and more things. Hormonal imbalances make it a lot harder to concentrate.
All these interrelated issues would cause anyone to become frustrated from
time to time.
Due to a person suffering all these different complaints, it can difficult for
others to convince menopausal women that the autumn of life will also offer
wonderful colours. Typically we find it easier to feel the cold rain showers of
life’s autumn season. In order to deal with the symptoms of menopause, you
can appeal to Bach Flower Essences.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Sleep well.
o Become more stable emotionally.
o Be more energized
o Grow more tolerant.
o Feel more cheerful.
o Stimulate your libido.
o Keep your weight gain under control.
o Be less anxious and avoid panic attacks.
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Menstruation
There’s a reason why menstruation is
often referred to as a difficult
experience by many women. A
monthly period bestows numerous
women with a sensation they’d much
rather be without. A host of
unpleasant feelings and emotions can
surface during this time.
Some women become extremely
irritable during menstruation. The least
thing said is likely be misinterpreted
and greeted with an unfriendly retort.
No woman wants to be easily irritated
during their period. Many
menstruating women would like to go
and sit somewhere quiet by
themselves, without being disturbed. But since this is virtually impossible in
reality, certain individuals will go about their business in a very agitated
manner. This attitude impacts on others in their immediate environment.
Even though feeling stressed and irritable is typical during menstruation, there
are also times when a woman will feel well-balanced emotionally. However,
those in the environment of the woman should be mindful that this feeling
can be very temporary. From one moment to the next, any shred of
happiness can be transformed into a fit of weeping or anger.
When you feel emotionally unbalanced, it’s a good idea not make important
decisions. Good judgement can become impaired when you feel: anxious,
suspicious, angry or apprehensive. Being unbalanced emotionally can cause
a person to express their doubts to others in their immediate environment.
Menstruating women often encounter difficult feelings. These can seem to rise
up out of nowhere without any demonstrable reason. Negative feelings may
become so overwhelming that one becomes dejected. There is seemingly no
way out of feeling this way. This is why some women choose to isolate
themselves during their period. Periods of weeping are not uncommon. Totally
unexpectedly (and seemingly without any demonstrable reason) a
menstruating woman may burst into tears. If one asks her later for the reason
behind the crying, typically no reason is given.
Fortunately, this time full of negative emotions is transient in nature. However,
this can be more difficult for some women than others. There are usually some
issues both for a woman and anyone in their immediate environment. The
menstrual period can be a time during which loved ones and colleagues feel
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like they must walk on eggshells. One can make use of Bach Flower Essences
to better cope with the negative emotions and difficult traits associated with
menstruation.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Become bless irritable.
o Reduce any mood swings.
o Feel less anxious.
o Avoid experiencing negative feelings.
o Control crying fits.
Getting pregnant: wonderful when things go according to
plan
Getting pregnant should be the most wonderful experience in life. But if the
pregnancy is long overdue, its mysterious beauty is often the last thing on your
mind. If a couple wants a baby, it’s logical they want it to happen as soon as
possible. But it’s not unusual for things to go wrong in this regard. The fact that
a couple want a pregnancy as soon as possible can be the reason why it
takes quite a while to achieve. The impatience builds with the waiting. This
creates extra stress. And stress is something you can really do without when
you’re trying for a baby.
When a couple is trying to get pregnant and things don’t immediately go
according to plan, the waiting can become hard to endure. This often
creates tensions between them. While stressed, one can be irritated by every
little thing that happens. Every month you both have to wait anxiously to see
whether or not the menstruation period will happen. When menstruation
begins, it clearly indicates that there’s no pregnancy. After a several hopeful
months have passed with no success, the disappointment starts to take its toll
emotionally. When faced with such disappointment, it’s important to take into
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account that the average couple will have to wait a year (on average)
before they are successful.
After several monthly disappointments, some people will seriously start
doubting themselves. In addition, you learn from your doctor that there will be
no medical intervention in the process until after a year has passed. After this
time, there’s a very real chance you will start your own investigation into the
reasons why there has been no pregnancy. This adds to the pressure and
stress. You will perhaps start reading all kinds of articles that often contain
inaccuracies. As a result of this, your doubt will only increase. Some individuals
may resort to experimenting with medication they aren’t familiar with. This
may be full of risks and is best avoided.
And if all this isn’t already enough for you as a couple, there are all the
people around you both. Those traditional New Year’s wishes of a healthy
baby can suddenly feel very uncomfortable in the presence of others.
Parents and grandparents who want to know about your situation is
something you can obviously do without. And if on top of that, when friends
or family are successful in getting pregnant, all hell breaks loose. Feelings of
envy can grow as a result of this situation.
These negative feelings can pose yet another obstacle in the path of getting
pregnant. It’s not uncommon for envy to turn into some form of resentment
and anger. When this happens, you don’t want to see other people who
have a newborn. Congratulating acquaintances with the birth of their child
becomes next to impossible when you yourself just can’t seem to get
pregnant.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to become pregnant more quickly. It’s
not that the Bach Flower in itself will make sure that you get pregnant. Rather,
you will remain patient for longer and you’ll be less bitter towards other’s
success.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Remain patient and keep your cool.
o Keep your spirits up.
o Refrain from becoming envious of others.
o Ensure you don’t lose courage.
o Prevent bitterness.
o Retain a positive outlook.
o Banish agitation.
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Emotions during pregnancy
Usually a pregnancy is a period where as a couple (and especially as a
woman) you feel like you can walk on air. You’ve been looking forward to
being pregnant for so long and finally it has arrived. And yet some negative
feelings can get the upper hand during this period. Even though one is
overjoyed, occasionally there will be moments where things don’t go so well.
What are striking, are the associated mood swings pregnant women can
experience. One minute everything seems fine, while in the next you’re
suddenly causing trouble everywhere. You may even feel dejected at times.
This is due to the hormonal changes happening in your body. Pregnancy
therefore, is a new situation for the woman with child, as well as for those in
the immediate environment. Sometimes you and others may feel like you’re
at the mercy of your emotions.
You may find there are times during your pregnancy when you can tolerate
so very little. When someone makes a comment about your reactions, you
feel like this is one more thing you can do without. These comments make you
feel even more irritable. Some women even suffer from feelings of dejection
during the entire pregnancy.
This means that they cannot enjoy the fact that they are pregnant. It must
also be noted that many women suffer from panic attacks while pregnant.
These can be so severe that one can actually start panicking over mere
trivialities. Even the calmest of women may fly off the handle and snap at
those who are near.
Pregnancy is going to be physically taxing your body. Therefore it’s hardly
surprising that women are often a lot more tired during pregnancy than usual.
This creates a kind of lethargy. They see no point in taking the bull by the
horns. It’s not unusual for this lethargy to turn into feelings of dejection.
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Especially during their first pregnancy, women often start to worry. You start to
wonder whether you’ll be able to adequately take care of your baby. It’s
likely you've been looking forward to having a baby for so long, but now
when there’s a baby on the way. At this point, you may start to get scared
that you won’t be able to cope when the infant arrives. These concerns
automatically lead to some form of anxiety.
Pregnancy is therefore often combined with a quite a few negative emotions.
Bach Flower Remedies are perfect at bending these negative emotions into
their positive sides.
Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Create a more balanced mood.
o Remain calm and quiet.
o Be more energetic.
o Grow more confident and less worried.
o Stay mentally healthy and steer away from dejection.
o Become less irritable.
Giving up smoking
Everyone knows only too well just how unhealthy smoking is. Not getting
started in the first place is therefore the healthiest message. But just as well as
we know this fact, everyone who smokes knows how difficult it is to stop. It’s
not the smoking in itself that causes the difficulty. Giving up smoking is difficult
because of the nicotine contained in the tobacco you smoke. Nicotine is an
addictive substance, and this is why smoking cessation is often associated
with withdrawal symptoms. Typical withdrawal symptoms when giving up
smoking are: anxiety and nervousness. Both these negative emotions can very
effectively be counteracted with Bach Flower Remedies. But what makes
giving up smoking so difficult?
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Since nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, it creates a
psychological dependence. Psychological dependence is the factor which
makes it so difficult to banish the cigarettes from your life. Smoking has
become a way of life after so many years to many people. Breaking the habit
requires a great deal of strength and perseverance.
By smoking day in day out, the cigarette becomes automatically linked to a
whole series of other activities. Some of these include: If one is in a hurry, while
on the phone, at the end of a meal and if you’re drinking alcohol. These are
all moments which are often associated with smoking a cigarette. Having to
live through these moments without the necessary dose of nicotine is a habit
that‘s not easy to break. The question always arises as to whether you should
stop smoking immediately, or whether you gradually reduce the activity over
time. Actually, this is a decision which is different for each person concerned.
One person is helped most by stopping cold turkey, while another prefers to
take things one step at a time.
A primary reason for people to decide not to give up smoking is the fear of
gaining weight when they do stop. Smoking cessation alone does not
necessarily lead to weight gain. It’s typical for people who stop smoking to
adopt different habits in place of their smoking. Since smoking is done
through the mouth, people start looking for other things like sweets and junk
food as substitutes. Incidentally, by stopping smoking the sense of taste will
become better. This means that those going through smoking cessation will
spend more time enjoying their food. And this is what leads to eating more.
When you give up smoking, an improved palate could be the reason why
you tend to pile on the pounds.
A typical situation when a smoker is tempted to light up is during times of
stress. When you give up smoking, you now must get through those moments
without a cigarette. Therefore it’s logical that at such times, the craving will
weigh heavily upon you. People undergoing smoking cessation are prone to
relapse when under tension. Tension caused by withdrawal is due to the fact
that you can no longer relieve your cravings for nicotine. This tension can lead
to irritability.
Many smokers refuse to give up smoking due to the belief they won’t
succeed. These individuals have already tried to stop once before, so they
feel further attempts are bound to fail. In other words, such individuals no
longer have self belief.
Giving up smoking remains an arduous ordeal which will require a lot of
strength and perseverance. Without self-discipline it will not work. But this
should not be used as an argument not to attempt it. To cope with all those
annoying situations associated with smoking cessation, one can make use of
Bach Flower Remedies.
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Bach Flower Remedies can help you to:
o Rid yourself of your tobacco craving.
o Lessen the need for a ‘substitute’.
o Be and remain calm.
o Believe in yourself.
o Persevere in difficult moments.
o Lose the fear of gaining weight.
o Become more relaxed when giving up smoking.
Changing drinking habits
People often do not realize how quickly they can become trapped in the
clutches of alcohol abuse. Alcohol can often have a restful and recuperative
effect on the mind. But before you know it, alcohol has you in its grasp. It's
astonishing just how many people come to think of drinking as a habit. Like
nicotine, alcohol also has an addictive effect. This means that it’s not easy for
some people to change their drinking habits.
When someone has a drinking problem, a whole range of unpleasant
withdrawal symptoms may occur if one tries to stop drinking. What makes
giving up the demon drink even more difficult is the fact that in our societies,
there is often social pressure involved. The first question one asks visitors in
England is always: "what would you like to drink?" And you aren’t always met
with a great deal of understanding from your host if you don’t want to drink
alcohol.
The expression "seeing pink elephants" actually isn’t quite right when it refers
to drinking (although most of us will have seen popular cartoons where this
happens). However, the opposite can occur in reality. If one stops drinking
alcohol it may happen that one notices all kinds of strange creatures due to
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withdrawal. One starts seeing things that aren’t there. This may cause a lot of
anxiety or even panic.
It is typical for people who are trying to eliminate alcohol from their lives to be
very restless. Sitting still is practically impossible, and everything they do causes
them a lot of stress. Because of the fact that individuals feel nervous and
anxious during withdrawal, this causes concentration problems. Due to
nervousness and fear, a person cannot focus their attention.
Similar to people who are giving up nicotine, one will notice that people are
very irritable when giving up drinking. The slightest remark is enough to make
someone go through the roof. They will look bleak and not feel like laughing.
Both the alcoholic and the people in their environment can experience quite
some inconvenience. In any case, in dejected moments, it is very hard not to
slip back into the habit. Often, there are environmental pressures to start
drinking again, because people around you would rather have you in a
better mood.
Adjusting your lifestyle is something which always requires a lot of
perseverance. In this case, the adjustment means that one wants to stop
drinking. This adjustment certainly isn’t simple, and requires a lot of energy,
courage and commitment from the person who wants to stop drinking. It is
therefore not surprising that you fall into periods of dejection at times. These
lead us to encounter situations where we feel like we need a drink.
Bach Flower Remedies can help individuals to better deal with all the
negative emotions associated with breaking the drinking habit.
Bach Flower Remedies can help us to:
o Conquer fears.
o Find inner calm and emotional balance.
o Resist social pressure to drink.
o Reduce the urge for drinking alcohol.
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Problematic behaviour in
animals
Animals have emotions and feelings
just like people. This is where things
can sometimes go wrong. Problems
will manifest themselves through
changes in the animal’s behaviour.
These changes usually aren’t
positive. Animals are in some ways
similar to people emotionally.
Unresolved conflicts can influence
an animal in the same way that they
will affect a human. People may get
cranky, frustrated or extremely sad.
Animals can also exhibit different
behaviours which are triggered by
an experience they have not yet
fully processed. This can lead to problematic behaviour in animals.
As already mentioned, Bach Flower Essences were originally made for human
use. But due to their overwhelming therapeutic success, people started
experimenting with Bach Flower Essences and animals. Successful results were
achieved on that front. Moreover, Bach flowers are an ideal way to address
problematic behaviour in animals. Many veterinarians today are still
discovering the benefits of Bach Flower Essences.
It is best to have any animal subjected to a physical examination by a vet
before considering using Bach Flower Remedies. Some animals may exhibit
changes in their behaviour because of a physical problem. However, if no
physical reason is found to explain the problematic behaviour, it is advisable
to consider the use of Bach Flower Essences. Bach Flower Essences have
been used successfully for many years. The essences treat: dogs, cats and
horses. But more and more, Bach Flower Remedies are also being made for
treating: poultry, birds, rabbits and hamsters.
Bach Flower Remedies can therefore be used to treat certain problematic
behaviours in animals which are not the result of a physical problem.
Stress
It can happen that certain animals are under stress. Stress in animals can be
caused through various reasons. For example, there may be a new animal in
the family, a move, or a change of caregiver. These are difficult things for
people to experience in life. But for an animal these experiences can prove
quite tricky to deal with. It has already been shown that simply moving some
furniture around can be a stress factor for some cats.
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Anxiety
Another thing which animals may also be confronted with is fear. Things which
seem completely logical to people, can be extremely frightening to an
animal. Because of those fears the animal will automatically exhibit a different
behaviour pattern. Two examples of typical events which frighten animals
are: the popping of fireworks on bonfire night, or a thunderstorm.
Social contact
Some animals also have problems with social contact. These creatures won’t
tolerate another animal in their surroundings. All too often, such an animal is
then described as aggressive. But it might be that there’s deeper, underlying
reason behind the problem.
Dominance
Animals which have problems with social contact are sometimes depicted as
being dominant. But it’s entirely possible that fear plays the dominant role in
their intolerance towards other animals.
All these negative emotions in animals can successfully be treated with Bach
Flower Essences, as long as the negative behaviour is not the result of a
physical problem.
Bach Flower Remedies for dogs
With our most loyal four-legged friends things go wrong emotionally. Most of
us tend to expect a dog to guide itself lively and pleasantly through life. But
one must establish that any animal can become lethargic or exhibit
problematic behaviour.
Only if there’s no physical reason that explains the change in behaviour, is it
likely there is a psychological issue. A vet will examine the dog to rule out a
physical cause. Only then can you consider using Bach Flower Remedies for
dogs.
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A dog with painful hips for example, will naturally no longer come running up
to you jumping for joy. In this instance, the behaviour has nothing to do with
dejection and everything to do with painful joints. By addressing the animal’s
joint pain, the dog will become livelier again. But if there’s no physical cause
for the change in Fido, the chances are that the dog has an emotional
problem.
Sometimes it may happen that a dog is suddenly becomes unclean again
soon after a bath. This can of course be due to a urinary tract problem. Often
a dog can become unclean because he/she feels lonely. Other dogs try to
get attention by barking excessively. A barking dog is often viewed as a form
of security. But some dogs will start barking at the slightest sound or
movement. This can be extremely annoying. The chance of the dog doing
this to get your attention is not slim.
Another extremely annoying problem for a dog to have is separation anxiety.
When the owners leave for work each day (leaving the dog behind)
separation anxiety can be irritating for the owner. For example, once you're
out the door, the dog starts whining and barking.
Often one will even come home finding their furniture or personal objects
destroyed. Other dogs can be just a bit too enthusiastic. If you only dare look
at them, then they become overenthusiastic. The enthusiasm of these dogs
can be so intense that some of them even start peeing when you pet them.
It’s definitely a problem when a dog is aggressive. An aggressive dog will aim
its aggression at humans and other animals. Keeping a dog like this in check
isn’t an easy task. Here it is necessary to identify the psychological reason
behind the aggression. Dangerous situations may also arise with anxious dogs.
Some dogs are so afraid that they will bite out of fear.
These problems in dogs can often be traced back to emotional distress. Bach
Flower Remedies can act to convert these negative emotions to their positive
pole. This means that the negative behaviour is converted into positive
actions.
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Bach Flower Remedies for cats
Some cats are quite unsociable with other cats. But being solitary in itself
doesn’t mean that cats aren’t burdened by emotional troubles. Quite the
contrary in fact is true. Regardless of how wilful, nonchalant and solitary cats
can appear, still these animals can be very emotionally vulnerable.
The slightest deviation from the daily routine confuses them. They are afraid of
the newcomers in the family. And the smallest change to their usual way of
living (their food for example) can completely bewilder them. As is the case
with most animals, you will notice emotional troubles facing your cat when its
behaviour starts to change. Stress or anxiety and grief or uncertainty, are all
emotional factors that can influence the behaviour of cats.
If a cat is exhibiting certain behavioural issues it is a good idea to verify
whether or not certain changes have taken place which may have
destabilized your cat’s emotions. But it’s equally important to have the animal
undergo a check up at the vet. The fact is that certain behavioural changes
can also be the result of a physical problem. And in all fairness, Bach Flower
Remedies won’t have any effect if this is so. But when there’s no physical
problem and the cat’s behaviour has changed, then chances are that
there’s an emotional problem.
A typical example of problematic behaviour cats can display is urine
spraying. This behaviour has an emotional cause. Therefore, it happens when
a cat has an emotional problem. A similar case is when a cat scratches at the
furniture repeatedly. Cats love to scratch, but if they cause damage, this
behaviour is not tolerable. One reason for destructive behaviour can often be
that the animal feels let down and that it doesn’t receive enough attention.
There may be threats from other cats in the neighbourhood.
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Another thing every cat owner has already experienced (which can be quite
annoying) is that the mood of a cat can change in the blink of an eye. One
moment you’re petting a purring kitty. And the next moment, a hissing animal
has viciously driven its claws into your arm. Frequently, this aggressive
behaviour is coupled with pounding their back paws, while their clutching
you with their front paws.
At odds with this is cat anxious behaviour. Fear isn’t exactly the correct term.
Mistrust is better suited for a cat. If anyone comes to visit, then the cat usually
prefers to clear off. Should the cat not get the opportunity to seclude itself,
then this will usually result in aggression.
All the negative emotions cats experience can be remedied with Bach
Flower Essences.
Bach Flower Remedies for horses
Horses are animals that can be treated with Bach Flower Remedies. Horses
are very sensitive animals, more so than any other animal. It’s exactly this
reason which contributes to certain behavioural problems. These are often
caused by emotional troubles.
For people who engage in equestrian sport, Bach Flower Remedies no longer
hold any secrets. Bach Flower Remedies will not improve athletic
performance, but they will improve a horse’s general well-being. Horses
participating in competitions are often under a great deal of stress. And that’s
exactly why Bach Flower Remedies for horses are the ideal choice.
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A number of situations where Bach Flower Remedies can benefit horses are:
o Horses that have to be transported with a trailer are afraid of the trailer:
In this situation, violently pushing the animal into the trailer is unkind.
One can use Bach Flower Remedies to ensure that a horse will be less
suspicious of the trailer.
o Some horses can behave really aggressively: - This aggression can be
aimed towards people as well as other animals. In all circumstances,
Bach Flower Remedies can help calm the animal down and help it to
become more tolerant.
o Instinctively horses are flight animals: - This manifests itself through
distrustful and anxious behaviour. If a horse is overly anxious, Bach
Flower Essences can offer a solution.
o There are some horses you just can’t seem to mount: - If you want to
mount, the animal will refuse to stand still. As a rider, you have to stand
back and can’t do anything. Should you eventually get up on the
horses’ back there are horses that will start prancing. This behaviour is
usually rooted in an emotional issue.
All these behavioural problems are treatable with Bach Flower Remedies as
long as these problems aren’t caused by a physical ailment. Typical for horses
is to adopt the nerves of the horseman. During crucial competitions, a
nervous horseman can cause the horse to adopt a nervous attitude also.
Bach Flower Remedies can realise a lot here as well, both for the rider as well
as for the horse.
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How are Bach Flower Remedies used?
Bach Flower Therapy
Dr. Bach started from the vision: a sound mind in a healthy body. His
conviction was that a body can only function physically well, if it is also
mentally and emotionally balanced. According to Dr. Bach, many physical
complaints stem from negative emotions. By solely looking at the physical
complaint, one treats only the physical symptoms. Bach Flower Therapy
advances further in this area and looks for the actual emotional origin.
The purpose of Bach Flower Therapy can by no means be to suppress
negative emotions. However, this could help in the short-term. But as soon as
the treatment stops, all the complaints will resurface. The unique thing about
Bach Flower Remedies is that negative emotions aren’t being repressed.
Instead, they are being converted into their positive aspect. This way, Flower
Therapy creates a form of continual healing.
The idea behind Bach Flower Therapy implies that an extract is being made
from different plants or flowers. This infusion is a Bach Flower Remedy. As
previously mentioned, a total of 38 Bach Flower Essences were devised. On
top of these 38 Bach Flower Remedies there’s the Rescue Remedy. This is a
mixture of 5 Bach Flower Essences.
The Rescue Remedy is a mixture, but all Bach Flower Essences are perfectly
suited to being mixed together. This way, time and again a cure can be tailor-
made. The possibilities for using Bach Flower Remedies are more extensive
than just the 38 flower Remedies. As you can combine them, the number of
possible combinations is astonishing. This means you would be best advised to
seek the counsel of an experienced Bach Flower therapist. He/she will decide
which mix of flowers is best suited for you.
A Bach Flower therapy treatment has a number of advantages. Bach Flower
Remedies are completely natural products. This means that the use of Bach
Flower Remedies does not come with any kind of side effects. One can also
use Bach Flower Remedies without any problem in conjunction with
medications or any kind of diet.
Another advantage is that Bach Flower Remedies are so safe that they can
be used by everyone. Both newborns and elderly people can take the
remedies.
For very many years, opponents of Bach Flower Remedies claimed that the
therapy had no effect. When people started to feel better, this was attributed
to the placebo effect. This means that people feel better because they think
they will become well, and not because their mental state has actually
improved.
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However, these claims were proved wrong when it became apparent that
Bach Flower therapy was also beneficial to animals. Horses, dogs, cats,
rabbits, hamsters and other small animals can be treated with Bach Flower
Remedies. Animals can’t start to feel better simply from taking something and
believing in it. So in other words, there simply isn’t a possibility for the existence
of a placebo effect in animals. If animals do eventually start to feel better
after taking Bach Flower Remedies, this clearly illustrates that a Bach Flower
therapy is effective.
How should you use Bach Flower Remedies?
Bach Flower Remedies are completely safe to use. Those who use Bach
Flower Remedies certainly shouldn’t be afraid of the possibility of overdosing.
You simply cannot overdose on Bach Flower Remedies. However, it is also true
that taking too much of any Bach Flower Remedies won’t have an increased
effect. The only negative effect of a Bach Flower Remedy overdose is that
you are wasting your money.
To find out how you should take Bach Flower Remedies, you are best advised
to seek out an experienced Bach Flower Therapist. The person who made
your Bach Flower Remedies or selected your personal mix of Bach Flower
Essences is best placed to inform you about your optimal dosage. One will
however, notice that the guidelines on the use of the remedies are virtually
always the same.
The ideal solution is to take four drops of your composition of Bach Flower
Remedies, six times a day. These droplets may be dripped directly onto the
tongue. Alternatively these may be dropped in water, tea or coffee. It is not
always easy to remember having to take the drops six times a day.
Therefore, a useful trick is to dissolve the total number of drops that you should
take in one day into a bottle of water. It's definitely healthy (and actually
necessary) to drink a bottle of water a day. If the Bach Flower Remedies are
dissolved in the water and the bottle has been drunk throughout the day,
then we know the drops have been taken. This kills two birds with one stone:
the necessary amount of water has been ingested and the Bach Flower
Remedies have also been taken.
It isn’t that important when the droplets are being ingested. It’s far more
important that they aren’t all taken in go, but rather spread over an entire
day. In this regard the method involving the water bottle is ideal.
For babies and children, the drops can be mixed into food. It’s even the case
that newborns can take Bach Flower Remedies. This takes place through the
mother. She will ingest the drops intended for the child. Through the breast
milk, the baby receives the required dosage.
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For animals, the number of drops depends on the size of the animal. For
example, dogs and cats can generally be administered the same amount of
Bach Flower Remedies as humans. However, with horses it’s advisable to
administer a larger quantity.
Bach Flower Remedies work fairly quickly. Typically, one starts to see positive
results after only a relatively short time. Therefore, there is tendency to stop
using the essence as soon as you see results. However, it’s recommended to
fully maintain a three month course of Bach Flower Remedies, even if you
start noticing changes after only a few days or weeks. This is recommended in
order to maintain the good results.
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Professional Advice
The man behind this book
My name is Tom Vermeersch (°1965).
Together with my wife Ann, I have three
children: Karen (1989), Simon (1991) and
Marie (1994). Our youngest daughter,
Marie, died of a brain tumour when she
was 14 years old.
I graduated as a psychologist, but
furthermore I took training in pretty much
all forms of alternative medicine.
I’ve been working for over 25 years with
Bach Flower Remedies and since 2005
I’ve been a licensed specialist in Bach
Flower Remedies. Through my website
www.bachfloweradvice.com I provide
free personal advice about Bach Flower Remedies. Besides that I have my
own practice in Kortrijk, Belgium for those who would like a private
consultation.
