Bach Flower Essences for Stress and Anxiety
- Adrienne Smith DHOM, N.D., DHP
- November 9, 2022
Stress and anxiety are states of emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. They are a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, that is typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
Stress and anxiety are 2 words that can be used to describe the state of our society in the aftermath of the past couple of years. Stress and anxiety affect many people these days. Many people are searching for more natural/holistic ways to help them deal with their stress and anxiety. The Bach Flower essences are an excellent choice. They were discovered in the 1930’s by Dr. Edward Bach, a British doctor and they are a gentle alternative to help restore balance on your emotional state. There are 38 essences in all, plus the Rescue Remedy, each one corresponds to a specific emotional state.
The Bach Flower Essences help with an emotional process: they support the movement of emotions through the organism, to prevent long term repercussions, and they ensure that the person is in the right emotional state and state of mind to allow for healing to occur. The vibrational healing pattern, released by the Bach essences, originates from the inner spark within the higher mind. This inner core of wholeness is greatly stimulated by the Bach essences.
Stress and/or anxiety can look different for each individual, which is why there is no one size fits all to the Bach Essences. Bach divided the thirty-eight mental/emotional states into seven groups that represent seven areas of consciousness or general attitudes. It is within those 7 groups that essences can be chosen to help in both chronic and acute cases. Bach’s seven groups are described below.
For despondency or despair from hardship and insurmountable conditions
One’s consciousness is weighed down and unable to rise above despairing conditions. In this state, one cannot give fully to life, since inner lightness and freedom from cares are absent.
For those who suffer self centeredness & loneliness
Inner loneliness arises from a self-centered attitude toward life. While being in this mode of consciousness, one is removed from heartfelt engagement with others for personally chosen reasons.
For those who don’t have sufficient interest in present circumstances:
Disengaged from life, withdrawn.
Excessive concern for how things should be and over care for others welfare
Attempting to shape the world and its people according to one’s own ideas.
They feel that they are at the mercy of something outside themselves.For those who are oversensitive to influences and ideas:
They feel that they are at the mercy of something outside themselves.
For those who have fear:
Unable to go forward, caught in fear.
For those who suffer uncertainty:
Lack of steadfastness of inner will and diminished decisive force.
It is from these 7 categories that we can narrow down a choice of essence that will help an individual through their suffering.
Sometimes essences from different categories are needed. This is how Bach discovered the 39th Essence; The Rescue Remedy. Bach discovered that with the unique combination of five remedies he could restore balance and calm, to a person in acute emergency situations.
Rescue Remedy can also be used as a daily remedy in chronic situations of intense nervousness and tension (stress and anxiety) when the vital force needs to recharge and recuperate. It is a go-to remedy for stressful situations when a person is feeling overwhelmed and unable to control their emotions. Here are the contributions of the five remedies that together give a unique synergistic effect in Rescue Remedy:
- Rock Rose to counteract terror and panic
- Cherry Plum to balance intense tension and the fear that events and one’s own life, including one’s mental power, is out of control.
- Clematis to reduce fainting or coma
- Impatiens to counteract inner turmoil, tension and impatience
- Star of Bethlehem to reduce shock, trauma, sadness and prevent the trauma’s possible long-lasting effects on mind/emotions and body from imprinting.
In a world where there can be so much imbalance, the flower essences are a kind and gentle way to restore emotional balance to the organism. They are safe to use on animals and children and they can be used with homeopathy and other natural therapeutics.
The Bach Flower Essences are an important therapeutic tool that is included in the MICH Diploma Program.
This course is an important part of developing holistic therapeutic coaching skills and acts as the basis of an advanced application of the essences in acute or chronic situations.
About Adrienne Smith, DHOM, N.D., DHP
As a MICH graduate, I am a certified Homeopath and Naturopath. I have experience in helping others embark on their own healing journey. My ability to listen with compassion and to create a safe space for others facilitates my clients to recognize and move through the source of their suffering.
If you are looking for a Holistic Practitioner to learn more about how the Bach Essences can help you, please visit our Find a practitioner page.