Empath Series – Bach Flower Remedies – Why I like them, or is this the Mary Sue of Remedies?

English: Woman looking at Bach Flower remedies...

I talk about the Bach Flower Remedies a lot. You might call it an obsession, and perhaps you’d be right.

But there is a good reason for that. They do work, and, choosing the right ones can perform what seems like miracles.

Going into details about the remedies, and the knowledge I’ve gained, is something I will be doing over the course of time.

There are thirty eight of them (not including the more famous Rescue Remedy ® and Rescue Cream. ®

I will look at all of them over time, but let’s just quickly discuss they I love them so much.

They are non-toxic.

They are non-addictive.

You cannot overdose or take the wrong ones. You simply will feel no effects if you do not need them.

They heal the cause of the problems, not the symptoms.

They are cruelty free.

Because they are vibrational in nature, they do not interfere with other medications or other forms of treatment. And by vibrational, I mean they heal on a level that is emotional / spiritual… and yes, I know that sounds newagey, airy fairy, castle in the sky stuff, but take me from me, it’s a fact.

They are easy to take.

They are cheap. One bottle can cost around 8 dollars if bought online, and can last for literally years. The use-by date generally is 10 years, though they can last indefinitely if the alcohol preserving them is good quality.

They work either ingested orally or rubbed on pressure points, such as your wrists. (wonderful if you can’t tolerate alcohol.)

The healing they provide is of a permanent nature. Once you are healed, you stay healed, until life and its events distresses you again.

While they are designed to be easy to self-diagnose, the skill lies on knowing what the cause of the problem is. That is not always obvious. Experience and knowing oneself is the key here.

They work on plants, animals and children.

They are a complete healing system.

They can work within moments. The more you take them, the more attuned you become, and the quicker the results.

The only downside is that you cannot mix too many of them together at once. Conventional wisdom says that you should not mix more than seven at a time.

I say that four is optimum, and they should be remedies that complement each other.

The good news is that I discovered that you can break the seven remedy limit if you take them one at a time instead of mixing them. There is no limit to how many you can use them.

Not only can you cure depression, but you can cure other conditions. For instance, I have used them to stop asthma.

The theory is that by treating the cause, you heal the problem.

Dr. Bach said: Treat the patient, not the dis-ease.

Personally, I don’t think I would be able to function without them in my life. They have pulled me from the brink way too often, and I’m sure it would have taken years of intense therapy to otherwise recover.

As I said, I will cover them all, but in the meantime, if anyone has questions, please ask and I will answer them.

Healing Depression Series: Bach Flower Remedies (BFR) – Are they a placebo? part 1, or wait, this is just alcohol!

Are they a placebo? Part 1.

What I want to do with this entry is discuss if the Bach Flower Remedies are a placebo or not.

It is reasonable for people to be sceptical about the BFR’s and so they should be. I certainly was. When I first saw them around 1992, the claims they made about healing emotional conditions seemed a little too good to be true.

To my logical mind back then, I just couldn’t see how that was possible.

It is true that many claims are made about products that are false and misleading. There are a lot of scams out there. There are many unscrupulous people who use spiritual mumbo jumbo to sell their goods with the promise of healing on a miraculous level.

They are blatantly misleading and how they are allowed to advertise their products and get away with it is just beyond belief.

They hurt the products that are legitimate. It’s like looking for a diamond in a mountain of glass facsimiles. At first glance, it looks promising until you realize it’s just another fake.

I’ve come across my fair share of such scams, and I’m sure many others have, too.

The Bach Flowers seemed to fall under the same category, so it wasn’t until 1994 when I finally tried them.

A lady, who I was getting therapeutic massages from, explained that they did work. At the time, I was quite drawn to her, and hung  on her every word (in fact, this turned out to be a soul call, which is a call for help on a spiritual level) but I didn’t know that back then.

So, I bought a few, tried them, and found that worked so well that it was remarked that I was on happy pills.

What really sold me was that, around that time, I received some really bad news about a business investment I had made. As it involved a partner, it made it worse. I had made this decision right before I started trusting my intuition. (Which advised me against it, but I didn’t know enough at the time to listen.)

Normally, I would have not been able to sleep due to mulling over it and worrying about what I had to do, the reactions, and so on, but I decided to take Star of Bethlehem, which is the remedy for shock and trauma.

I immediately felt a peace settle over me, and the problem didn’t bother me again and it did eventually resolve itself, like most things do.

I started trying them on other people and found that the remedies would have a calming effect, especially on my mother, who could be highly strung.

I found that by putting same Rescue Remedy on her wrist, she calmed right now. My mind told me this shouldn’t be possible, but the results were certainly real.

Next: Are they a placebo – Part 2

Healing Depression Series: Bach Flower Remedies or Flower Power.

Bach Flower Remedies – Introduction   

I hated being depressed. I hated it so much that I relentlessly pursued and tried everything that I could get my hands on. I tried herbs, psychic healers, meditation, therapies like Reiki and Kinesiology, crystals, aura-light, aura-soma, anti-depressants and just about anything else I could get access to. Each one I approached with optimism, and each one failed to produce the desired results.

There were times when I did have significant breakthroughs, and my depression lifted, and I had a new lease on life, but it returned a year or so later. Those breakthroughs, I should also hasten to mention were not connected with any therapies I was trying out at the time.

I had suffered from depression since I was around 13 years of age. Each year was a struggle, especially during Fall.

It wasn’t till I was 30 that I started using the Bach Flower Remedies. They are a simple, safe, non-addictive, non-toxic way to heal yourself on an emotional level.  For instance, if you have a fear of spiders, that is classed as a known fear and taking Mimulus will help or even stop the fear,  as that is the remedy for known fears.

I had ignored the remedies for a few years, thinking ‘yeah right!’ when I saw them at the health food shop. Then, one day, during a soul call, in which I was helping someone with a natural therapy business, I saw them being sold in their shop. I asked about them, and she explained what they did and how they worked.

I had a very strong pull to try, study and understand them. Over the course of several months, I bought books, all 38 remedies and committed to memory what all of them did, and what their names were.

Now, normally, my attention spam for trying something new ranges from two weeks to two years, and I will then just completely forget about whatever it is I’m trying.

The Bach Flower Remedies (BFR) were different through. Each time I used them, I felt a shift in my emotions. Learning about each remedy was exciting to me, and the positive results kept me going. Every time I suffered from depression, I would find the remedy I needed, and the depression would lift.

As the years went on, I started to understand them at a much deeper level, and realized that emotions are a tricky thing to identify. For instance, what might feel like fear and worry might actually be guilt.

Identifying what we are really feeling is vital to using the BFR’s with any degree of success.

I can state that I no longer suffer depression on the scale I once did. I still get feelings of anxiety, due to my empathy, but I am aware that’s not me, and I also know what I need to do to block it.

I do claim to know as much about the Bach Flowers as anyone in this world, and I also have made discoveries about them that had not been published before.

Hence, the majority of my discussion on healing depression will be BFR related and I will cover all aspects.

Depression can be healed. I truly believe and have experienced that.  Not just covered up, not just glossed over, but healed.

The next series of blogs will look at and discuss the BFR’s objectively.

 

Next: Are they a Placebo? 

Depression Series: – Apathy or I couldn’t be bothered writing this.

Apathy


Check List:

  • Do you feel heaviness in your limbs?
  • Do you have trouble getting started on an activity you wish to do but you just don’t have the energy?
  • Every movement is an effort, even though you are well rested.

Apathy is when you don’t really care too much about things. It’s a kind of depression where your body might feel very heavy and your energy is lacking.

While it is generally a lack of interest or feeling indifferent to things, I feel it also is connected to depression and generally may go hand in hand with guilt or fear about the future.

I know that at times, I feel a heaviness in my limbs, and I find it hard to do anything, even if it’s something I enjoy doing.

In fact, it feels as though your soul is weighed down by some heaviness which you can’t define.  Sleeping doesn’t really seem to help, or if it does, you tend to find it’s very short term, and before you know it, after a short while, you feel the heaviness again.

Many years ago, I was holidaying up in Queensland, when I visited Seaworld. In spite of being happy to be there, I my limbs felt heavy and everything I did took extreme effort.

I found this stopped when I had a cup of coffee. I felt immediately better afterwards. I am not sure of the connection here, but I thought I’d mention it.

I have pondered if one of the causes of apathy is anaemia.

It might also be poor oxygen circulation by not enough fluids.

I’m not exactly sure, at the time of writing, what causes Apathy. I suspect it’s due to energy blockages. It’s as though the energy isn’t flowing through your meridians.

I think on an emotional level, it’s when you experience doubt of any kind. You feel, what is the point, when something doesn’t seem to be going the way you feel it should.

You can have 1000 successes, but it only takes one setback, real or imagined, to bring you down.

What I have found is that the Bach Flower Remedy, Wild Rose is amazing for it. I know that when I take it, the heaviness I feel lifts right away.

Bach Flower Remedy: 

Wild Rose

Depression series – Empaths and concern for others or Why didn’t you call?

Over-concern for others.

Check-list

  • You worry about others
  • You feel bad about when others try and fail.
  • We feel anxiety when others don’t come home when expected. 

Empaths often get depressed in regards to other people. 

It might be for the person who has gone to buy a special present for someone, only to have gotten it very wrong, due to lack of knowledge. You may feel bad for them because you feel all the effort they put into it has gone to waste.  You wish things had worked out for them with all that work, and it makes you feel, sad, bad and terribly depressed.

Perhaps you might be worried about a friend or a loved one in regards to how life is going for them, or if they are doing well or not.

If we fear something is wrong with them, we, ourselves, may feel anxious, and will not be able to rest until we are reassured that all is well. We tend to experience that awful sinking feeling of anxiety in the pit of our stomach until we hear some news that reassures us.

This is especially true for empaths with children who are out late or their partner has not returned at the normal time. We immediately imagine the worst and fear that something terrible has happened.

It’s hard to disassociate ourselves from the fear to check on your feelings, as we are too attached to the outcome, and that colours what we are feeling.

Intuition works well, but if it’s tainted by our fears, it can make us feel things which aren’t true. It’s hard to step back and be objective in these kind of situations as we tend to have too much of our own selves invested in our relationships.

For some empaths, they often don’t feel good unless others are feeling good. If they are having a rough time, we will put our own happiness on hold until they are doing better.

This is not healthy as it not only hurt you, but actually makes things worse for those you are concerned about. Not only do they have to deal with their own problems, but they also have to take you into account, putting pressure on them.

I know, from personal experience, that I can’t have a bad day without everyone around me going into melt down over it. It drives me crazy. Sometimes I just want to work through things, and not have to go into damage control because of it. Sometimes I just want to have a bad day and work through my feelings.

People have bad days. People need bad days. They need those times to let out their frustration. Or maybe they just aren’t feeling well. It doesn’t really matter what the reason is, it’s important to give them space to be, and show that they are supported, without making it into something it isn’t.

Of course, being empaths, we can’t help but care.

I would suggest that the key to dealing with this is to understand that the other person does know exactly what they are doing on a soul level. Everything is as it should be; even those really crappy events that seem to crop up in one’s life. If you can know and accept this, and know it in your heart, then you can let go of the fear, and understand that they are living their life as needed.

Bach Flower Remedy: 

Red Chestnut.

Depression series – Empaths and the dark night of the soul or My world is falling apart and nobody even seems to notice.

The dark night of the soul.

Check list

  • You feel there is no hope. You’ve tried everything and nothing has worked.
  • There is no yesterday no tomorrow, just a desperate and empty now of desolation and anguish. 
  • The emotional pain is overwhelming.
  • You feel pushed way beyond your limits of endurance to the point of breaking. 
  • You feel all that you believe in is coming apart. 

The dark night of the soul, as it is called, is a very traumatic and severe type of depression.  It feels like your entire world is coming apart. Whatever hope you once held has been lost and all you can do it hang on for dear life, and try and survive.

No matter what you do, you are overwhelmed by waves of negativity, even when you are trying to be positive.

This is a terrible state of depression.  There are no obvious solutions and chances are those around you will not understand what you are feeling, because you can’t explain it to them. Some may even choose to take offence and make it about themselves.

I remember when I hit this stage. I found the people around me had varying reactions to me.

Many were oblivious that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A couple asked me what was wrong and tried to help, but I truly felt there was no hope left, so they stopped trying after a couple of days. One took offense and made it a reason to have a vendetta against me, even long after the event passed.One chose to use this information against me when I confided in him.One first denied I was having any issues, and then used it was an opportunity to talk about themselves.

I had a mixed response to my dark night, but regardless, while I was in it, I didn’t feel anyone could help.

The dark night of the soul is something you can’t understand, not really, unless you’ve been through it.
But what is really going on? Why do we arrive at such a point?

What is happening is that this is our last, desperate attempt to hang onto a belief system that no longer serves us. One that has ceased to work for us for a while now, but we refuse to acknowledge it.

We hang on with all our might to what we believe should be, but really, we need to let go, and embrace a new line reality.
There are many old belief systems that might no longer be valid for us.

This could be in regards to a relationship that needs to end.

Maybe it’s time to change your lifestyle or belief system. In my particular case, I believed that I would never be loved, have a partner or find someone and I was destined to always be alone.

Today, such thoughts seem inane to me, but at the time it seemed like a very real concern. I felt I had tried everything, and everything had failed on all levels.
I was stuck in a set of beliefs that no longer were relevant to the direction I had to go. Until I was prepared to accept something greater, I would be unable to move on. However, I was so convinced I had worked it all out that I was no longer allowing growth to continue.

The dark night of the soul is actually a blessing in disguise. It heralds the start of new spiritual growth. Some say it is the doorway to true spiritual growth.
A new way. A new start. It means that it’s time to let the past go, and accept that there are things you do not know, and let new ideas come into your life.

It’s a purging. It’s a breaking of energies. And that’s what makes it so painful.

This was just before I was introduced to the Bach Flower Remedies, and so I had to get through this alone. When I finally emerged, I found that I had new hope, and things were shifting and my life was never going to be the same.

Remember, at its most extreme, Yin will become Yang (and visa versa). They say it is darkest before the dawn, and this is true.

If you are experiencing your own dark night, know that things will get better and it may herald a much greater and amazing journey.

Bach Flower Remedy:

Sweet Chestnut is the remedy for this state. It allows you to embrace a new belief system, and let go of the old one, without breaking you.

It works well with Walnut, which is the remedy for change.