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Frequently
Asked Questions
Q:
Are the Bach Flower Remedies anything more than placebo?
A:
The few published clinical trials of Bach Flower treatment are
not adequate to answer this question. There is certainly a placebo
element involved, as with any other form of treatment, but this
is a good thing because it represents the activation of the natural
internal healing forces. I believe the flowers have a specific
therapeutic effect as well. There are three main reasons for this:
Animals and children, who would not be susceptible to placebo
effects, often respond well. Some clients report 'healing reactions'
which they have not been led to expect. And the improvements seen
in practice are often too striking to be attributed to suggestion
alone.
Q:
I've finished the treatment bottle you gave me three weeks ago
and I haven't noticed much difference, is there any point in getting
another one?
A:
There is tremendous variation in the pattern of response to the
remedies. While the 'average' client reports improvement within
a week or less, some very sensitive people feel different after
the very first dose. Others notice little or no change for some
time. Reasons for lack of response include: the selection of remedies
was not right, the client has not taken enough doses (4 drops
4 times a day is the minimum), or the problem being treated is
very chronic and deeply ingrained so will take longer to improve.
It is certainly worth continuing for a few months in such cases.
As with any type of therapy, some people do not respond, but this
is unusual with Bach Flowers.
Q:
Can I combine other treatments with my Bach Flowers?
A:
It is perfectly safe to do this, unless you are taking prescribed
medication of a kind which must not be mixed with alcohol. This
is because the remedies contain a little brandy as a preservative.
Otherwise, whether or not combining treatments is a good idea
depends on many factors. For mild emotional stress or imbalance,
Bach Flowers are often enough on their own. But if any serious
physical or mental disease is present or suspected, you will almost
certainly need other approaches too. Bach Flowers can play a valuable
supporting role in helping with the emotional aspects of any illness,
but do not substitute for medical care. It can be reasoned that
because different therapies work at different 'levels' of the
body-mind-spirit complex, using several types together gives the
best chance of success. The downside is that there is then no
way of separating out their effects. And consulting several different
practitioners at the same time can prove confusing - as well as
expensive.
Q:
How do the remedies work?
A:
In short, this is not known, though the remedies do work in the
majority of cases. The benefit is partly due to general factors
which encourage self-healing. The system enables people to take
responsibility by examining their situation from a new and more
positive perspective, and play an active part in choosing the
flowers they need. There is indirect evidence that individual
remedies have specific effects too. These are believed to result
from an 'energetic' or 'vibrational' action - not a chemical one.
Animals and children often respond well, which suggests something
more than placebo. Some clients do not respond to one mixture
but then improve with another. Others experience 'healing reactions'
in the first week of treatment. Each remedy has a different profile
on Kirlian photography, and reacts differently in electro-acupuncture
circuits.
Q:
Why did you only give me one flower, when my friend had six?
A:
A Bach Flower mixture may contain between one and seven remedies
- though if more than seven are given together, the effects tend
to become blurred. The number chosen is determined by the emotional
state of the client. Some people clearly match the profile of
a single remedy and this is all they need. More often, some combination
of remedies is indicated. With 38 remedies to choose from, a great
many different combinations are possible and this reflects the
individualised nature of the therapy. There are no rules about
which remedies do or do not go well together - sometimes it is
fine to include ones with apparently opposite effects, for example
both Vine and Centaury might be needed for someone who is dominant
at work but submissive at home. Combinations should be reviewed
before each new bottle is made up in case minor changes need to
be made.
Q:
What are healing reactions?
A:
Although the remedies cannot produce any harmful side-effects,
a small proportion of clients do 'get worse before they get better'.
They may notice an emotional change such as increased anxiety
or irritability, or a physical change such as a skin outbreak
or looser bowel motions. Such changes may be explained as negative
energies being cleared from the system. They indicate that the
remedies are working, and in most cases the reaction will be quite
mild and last for just a few days, after which there will be a
marked improvement. It is seldom necessary to stop taking the
remedies, but sometimes it is a good idea to reduce the dose,
add the Rescue Remedy, or adjust the mixture.
Q:
What do you mean by my 'type remedy'?
A:
All the remedies have a place in treating temporary emotional
states and so, in theory at least, you might feel the need for
each and every one of the 38 at different times of your life.
However, some are bound to resonate with you more than others,
and there are certain remedies which will correspond to long-term
features of your personality. Examples: Larch for someone who
has always lacked confidence, Vervain for the passionate enthusiast,
Water Violet for the loner who appears aloof and proud. Whereas
some people seem to be pure examples of one type, others represent
a mixture of two or three. The type remedy, or remedies, are not
always immediately obvious but may emerge after a period of treatment
to deal with more superficial current issues - 'peeling the onion'.
No one personality type is better than another, but all types
have both 'positive' and 'negative' aspects. Treatment with the
corresponding flower would only be indicated if the balance is
disturbed so that the 'negative' side is being displayed.
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