Using flower essence therapy is one way of using flower remedies for emotional healing, including anxiety. Dr. Edward Bach, an English physician rediscovered the use of the 'essence' of flowers for healing in the 1930s. Ian White, a fifth generation Australian herbalist, notes that the tradition of using flower essences extends back to the Egyptians. He developed the Australian Bush Flower Essences which have 66 remedies while the Bach Flowers Essences total 38 remedies. Here are a few of the flower remedies used in treating anxiety.
Aspen
Aspen, the leaf that by its delicate nature trembles in the slightest breeze, is, according to both the Bach Flower Centre and Ian White, to be a flower remedy especially suited to people who are experiencing anxiety from unknown origins. In children, it may help alleviate 'night terrors' or nightmares. When sudden anxiety or fear grips a person, a few drops of Aspen is likely to bring a sense of security and may bolster inner confidence.
Agrimony
Also known as Church Steeples, Agrimony is a common herb found growing in England along the hedgerows and borders of farmlands. It is the first listed of the Bach Flower Remedies and as an anxiety remedy is said by the manufacturers to be of great value for people suffering apprehension and worry. It suits people who, although anxious, are putting on a brave face and presenting to the world a carefree attitude in an effort to make light of their difficulties. Agrimony has the added quality of being useful for people who hide their anxiety by overindulging in food and alcohol.
Cherry Plum
Cherry Plum is the number one Bach flower remedy for anxious people who feel they are losing control, and who feel they are on the edge of a nervous breakdown. According to 'Bach Flower Essences for the Family,' people who need Cherry Plum are 'sensitive and highly strung' and likely to explode 'in sudden outbursts of rage' because of their anxiety. Flower essence practitioners considered it to be a good flower remedy to assist in the treatment of screaming fits in children.
Red Chestnut
Dr. Bach writes in his book, "The Twelve Healers," that Red Chestnut is for those 'who find it difficult not to be anxious for other people'. Their concern for themselves is secondary. Rather, they are alert and attentive for the well-being of their family and friends--often to the point of fearing the worst. Anxiety for others is the central theme of Red Chestnut and may help anxious people who tend to lose their own vital energy in their worry and concern for others.
Rock Rose
Rock Rose is another good remedy for addressing the terror and the anxiety that can suddenly make people panic. As an anxiety flower remedy, it may bring calmness and courage to sufferers. It is has been used for people who have recently witnessed or have been in an accident, or whenever a person feels under serious, immediate threat as in a natural disaster or as a victim of a sudden crime. The keyword for Rock Rose is terror. According the Patricia Kaminski, author of "Flowers that Heal," the Rock Rose essence 'addresses the soul's need for courage, especially in very extreme circumstances.'
Mimulus
Unlike Aspen, which is for unknown fears, Mimulus, the trumpet-like little yellow flower, is for addressing 'known' fears from 'known' causes. Children or adults who are shy and sensitive will benefit from a few drops of Mimulus, especially when faced with every day fears or anxieties that they are susceptible to, for example, a fear of strangers, meeting new people, or for anxiety/fear of the dark or dogs.
Dr. Bach's philosophy was that with harmony in the soul, health in the body would follow. Anxiety is an emotion that can greatly disturb an individual's inner balance--whether it is an anxiety experienced as a sudden shock or whether it is experienced as a more permanent state of mind. Although there is no known medical evidence supporting the theory behind flower essence therapy, the Flower Essence Society has many successful case studies.
