Bach flower

Bach flowers are used in the so-called Bach flower therapy, an alternative medical procedure. They are supposed to have a regulating effect on people's psychological states, which also improves physical symptoms.

Occurrence and cultivation of the Bach flower

Bach flowers are named after their developer, the English doctor Edward Bach. Bach lived from 1886 to 1936 and founded Bach flower therapy in the 1930s. The therapy is based on the idea that the energy bound in certain flowers can have a regulating effect on psychological states. Bach examined and described a total of 38 Bach flower essences that are used in Bach flower therapy. Of these, 37 essences are made from flowers and one essence consists of rock spring water.

Bach chose the plants intuitively for certain mental states, but they are not medicinal plants in the true sense of the word. Therefore the Bach flower therapy is not counted as phytotherapy or herbal medicine. The Bach flower essences are traditionally referred to by their English names. The flowers of wild plants and trees are collected early in the morning during the flowering period, preferably still covered with dew, at natural locations. For plants from which no flowers can be obtained, such as the poplar, branches and leaves are used.

Effect & application

There are two methods for producing the Bach flower essences. With the sun method, the flowers are placed in spring water after collection and are placed in the sun for several hours. The cooking method is used especially for woody plants and plants that develop their flowers during the seasons when there is little sunshine. For this purpose, the collected flowers are heated in spring water for half an hour.

The energy of the flowers should be transferred to the water. This is then made durable with alcohol. Before use, the liquid is again heavily diluted, which shows parallels to homeopathy. Bach flowers are available as drops, ointments or candies. They can also be used on their own on the skin or added to a full bath. The drops can be put in a glass with water and drunk throughout the day or dripped directly onto the tongue.

The type of application depends on the condition of treatment, whether it is chronic or acute and on whether the Bach flowers are to be used externally or internally. One to seven flowers can be used at the same time in individually composed mixtures. Bach flower therapists advise against taking more than seven different flower essences at the same time, as this could upset the organism.

According to the founder of Bach flower therapy, physical illnesses are based on a disturbance of the mental balance. With the help of the flower essences, which are used as a positive opposite pole, negative mental states are to be harmonized. In addition, the Bach flowers should activate the self-healing powers of the body and have a holistic effect on the soul, mind and body. For this purpose, Bach divided the 38 essences into seven groups, each assigned to a specific state of mind.

These groups are depression, lack of interest in the present, fear, loneliness, oversensitivity, excessive concern for others, and insecurity. Each of the flowers reflects the negative character traits of a certain personality type. Bach flower products in the form of drops, ointments or candies can be purchased in the pharmacy. With the help of the essence in liquid form, you can also make ointments yourself.

Importance for health, treatment & prevention

Bach flowers can be used both preventively and to treat acute and chronic symptoms. They can be used in people of all ages including children and also have uses in animal treatment. First and foremost, they are intended to provide mental health care when the risk of an illness becomes apparent but has not yet occurred. In doing so, they should develop awareness, strengthen character and harmonize mental behavior patterns.

Bach flower therapy is used in two other areas of application: in the acute treatment of emotional stressful situations or in life crises and as an accompanying treatment for acute and chronic illnesses. The acute treatment of emotional stressful situations includes, for example, stress in the relationship or problems with school, upbringing or work, as well as the mid-life crisis. As an accompanying treatment for acute and chronic diseases, they can be used, for example, for sleep disorders or skin diseases such as neurodermatitis.

They can also be used for developmental disorders, preparation for childbirth or as a mental follow-up treatment after operations. Numerous symptoms are defined to which certain Bach flowers are assigned. The length of treatment depends on the type, severity, and duration of the underlying mental health problem. Bach also developed the so-called emergency drops, which are a specific combination of five Bach flowers that can be taken in acute emergency situations.

The emergency drops contain flower essences of the Star of Bethlehem (Doldiger Milky Star) against shock and anesthesia, Rock Rose (yellow sun rose) against terror and feelings of panic and Impatiens (balsam) against mental stress and tension. Cherry plum is said to help fight the fear of losing control and clematis (common clematis) to help fight the feeling of being far away or about to pass out.

Bach flowers are free of side effects. They can easily be combined with conventional medical and naturopathic therapies. There are no known interactions with other drugs. However, there is no scientific proof of the effectiveness of Bach flower therapy. In studies, apart from a placebo effect, no further effects could be demonstrated.