Category: Bach flowers

“Beautiful Vibrations”: Living through medical illness with Bach flower remedies

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Dr Edward Bach described his flower remedies as having “beautiful vibrations” capable of promoting positive mental states such as hope, courage and calm. Established as a safe and natural therapy for almost 100 years, they can help to relieve the emotional distress often associated with physical illness. This short practical guide explains how to select and use the remedies as part of a holistic approach to healing. There are sections on common problems such as anxiety and sadness about the medical condition and its treatment, and difficulty in adjusting to changes in lifestyle and relationships. Despite all its negative aspects, serious illness can have “silver linings” and the flower remedies can help to bring these out.

Dr Jennifer Barraclough is a former consultant in psychological medicine with many years’ experience of working with patients and their families especially in cancer care settings. She is also a qualified Bach flower practitioner, life coach, and author of fiction and nonfiction books.

Beautiful Vibrations is available from your local Amazon website:

Amazon US: Kindle, Paperback

Amazon UK: Kindle, Paperback

Amazon AU: Kindle

Coping with physical illness; the role of Bach flower remedies

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 2 Comments

Bach flower remedies can help to relieve the emotional distress that often accompanies physical illness. They are intended as a complementary therapy to be used alongside medical, surgical and psychiatric treatments rather than instead of them.

The remedies are designed to promote a positive state of mind. This is highly relevant for patients in medical settings, up to one-third of whom will be experiencing significant anxiety, depression or other psychological problems. Negative mood states not only cause mental suffering but can worsen physical decline, due to the combination of poor self care with disordered physiology including a weakened immune system. Lightening and calming of mood, whether with Bach flowers or other therapies, may therefore improve physical as well as mental health.

Psychological problems can usually be understood as a response to the multiple stresses of having a physical illness: Bodily symptoms such as pain, nausea and breathlessness.  Having to wait for medical appointments, test results or starting treatment. The direct effects of the illness or its treatment on brain function. Receiving bad news about diagnosis or prognosis. Being unable to carry out former activities, or to provide for self and family. Practical difficulties with money, housing or transport. Changes in appearance. The prospect of deteriorating health. Existential questions about the cause of the illness, or what happens after death. Relatives and carers can be just as badly affected as patients themselves, though their plight is not always appreciated. Though some distress may be inevitable, it can often be minimised by apparently simple aspects of good clinical practice: clear communication, kindness, respect and practical support.

The burdens associated with physical illness are very real, and it is perhaps surprising that not all patients become seriously anxious or depressed, and that those who do can recover even if the physical illness continues to progress. Some even find the experience brings positive changes in their attitudes and lifestyle: Closer relationships. Less concern for material things and trivialities, and a sense of what is really important. Feeling able to follow their own path in life regardless of others’ opinions. Appreciation of the present day. Spiritual awareness. The Bach flowers can help to promote such benefits.

The remedies, being free of side effects or interactions, can be used alongside psychotherapies or prescribed drugs. The only possible caution is that brandy is used as a preservative during their preparation. This can be a contraindication for those who wish to avoid alcohol completely, although after the fluid has been diluted into a treatment bottle the concentration of brandy is minimal and most unlikely to have any biological effect.

Here are some examples, from the list of 38 remedies, of those flowers often relevant in cases of physical illness.

Mimulus (illustrated) for named fears, even if these seem justified.

Star of Bethlehem for shock, loss and grief.

Gentian for disappointment after a setback.

Gorse for feelings of hopelessness.

Olive for mental and physical exhaustion.

Crab Apple for feelings of uncleanliness or impaired body image.

White Chestnut for worrying thoughts.

Red chestnut for anxiety about other people, even when this is understandable.

Holly, Honeysuckle and/or Willow for those who harbour resentments about the past; there is evidence that chronic anger and hatred are risk factors for disease, whereas the practice of forgiveness has benefits for both physical and mental health.

Rescue remedy (Crisis formula) for any acute emotional distress.

Simplicity is the key to using Bach flowers. There is no need to get bogged down in the complexity of mind-body relationships, and unanswerable questions such as “Which came first – the anxiety or the heart attack?” or “Is the loss of energy due to cancer or to depression?” Remedies should be chosen according to the person’s current emotional state. There are no specific remedies for particular physical symptoms or diseases.

More detail on this topic can be found in my free ebook Bach Flowers for Mind-Body Healing. Bach flowers also play a small part in my Three Novellas, available from various online stores including Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Smashwords.com.

mimulus

 

The placebo element in Bach flower therapy

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 1 Comment

A review of seven published studies (Ernst 2010) states that “the most reliable clinical trials do not show any differences between flower remedies and placebos”. The validity of these results could be questioned, because clinical trial design inevitably distorts the way the Bach system is used, for example by giving all subjects a standard mixture instead of letting them take part in selecting their own combination of remedies. But in any case, considering that the remedies do help a majority of the clients seen in real life practice, does it really matter if they are “just placebo”?

Maybe it is time to replace the term “placebo” because of its negative connotations. At worst, it conjures up an image of dishonest charlatans charging fat fees for giving sugar pills to neurotic women with imaginary ills. But research has shown that a placebo element is involved in every intervention, including orthodox medical and surgical treatments as well as complementary and alternative therapies, and for “real” diseases as well as functional symptoms. By stimulating the body’s own self-healing capacity, with no risk of side effects, the placebo effect can be a powerful force for good.

Bach flower treatment could mobilise the placebo effect in several ways:

  • Through deciding to explore a new therapy that is natural, gentle and pleasant to use, clients experience positive expectations and a sense of choice and control.
  • Talking in a relaxed setting with a practitioner who is empathic and non-judgmental is therapeutic.
  • Analysing specific negative emotions and attitudes according to the Bach system offers a new way of understanding problems.
  • Taking the remedies four times daily provides a reminder of the positive feelings they are designed to instill.

Image: White Chestnut, a remedy for worrying thoughts.

whiteche

 

Bach flower remedies and orthodox psychiatry: a comparison

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

After working as a psychiatrist in England, I became a Bach flower practitioner in New Zealand. The Bach flower remedies are a long-established complementary therapy intended to improve emotional balance. While not an adequate treatment for serious forms of mental illness, they can be used for the same sort of problems – anxiety and phobias, mild to moderate depression, responses to loss or stress, adjustment reactions, relationship difficulties – that often present in mental healthcare settings. Without a clinical trial, it would be impossible to say whether Bach flower therapy, orthodox psychiatric treatment or a combination of both works best. There are several points of contrast between the two approaches, as outlined below.

The style of interview: The traditional psychiatric interview and mental state examination involves asking patients a great many questions, covering not only the detail of their present complaints, but also their life history and social circumstances. This elicits a great deal of information, some of which may be highly relevant for future management, but some patients may find it intrusive or feel it does not allow them enough time to express their real concerns. A Bach consultation, in contrast, is more exclusively focused on current emotional state, and it is up to the clients to reveal as much or as little as they wish. Practitioners may ask for clarification, but do not probe too deeply – a key word is Simplicity. I believe this is more relaxing and therapeutic for those on the receiving end, however it may mean that important material – for example symptoms of a medical disorder, or suicidal ideation – is missed.

The diagnostic assessment: Psychiatrists assign their cases to a diagnostic category from the official classification systems, ICD or DSM. These categorisations are valuable in enabling research into the causes and treatments for different conditions. Bach practitioners, in contrast, make little or no use of diagnostic groups but aim to understand exactly what negative emotions the individual is currently experiencing; for example the same client might be feeling fear for no apparent reason, combined with regrets about the past and lack of confidence to apply for a new job.

Medication: A great advantage of Bach flower remedies over psychotropic drugs is their lack of side effects or interactions. They can also be more accurately tailored to the individual case, as up to six of the 38 flowers can be mixed together, giving rise to multiple possible combinations; suitable remedies for the fictional client described above would be Aspen, Honeysuckle and Larch. The key question is whether they work? Many authorities are sceptical, given that their mode of action is obscure and that most  published trials have shown no significant advantage over placebo. However most of the trials have not used the remedies correctly, having given all subjects the same mixture rather than individual prescriptions chosen at interview. The lack of scientific validation stands in contrast to the worldwide popularity of the therapy, still continuing 90 years since it was first developed by Dr Edward Bach. I have found that about 80% of clients respond well, a success rate comparable to that seen with psychotropic drugs. I have not been able to find any randomised trials comparing Bach flowers with antidepressants or anxiolytics, and would be pleased to hear of any that I have missed.

Relationship with patients/clients: While doctor-patient relationships are no longer so authoritarian as in the past, the doctor (or other orthodox clinician) is in charge, the patient has a passive role, and there are firm professional boundaries. With Bach flower treatment there is a more informal and egalitarian relationship, with clients being encouraged to take part in choosing the remedies they need. I have never found this familiarity abused, having had many friends as clients, and clients who have become friends. It is stated in the Bach Foundation code of practice that clients remain responsible for their own well-being, and I believe this self-responsibility contributes to the success of the treatment – though it would not be appropriate for cases of severe psychiatric illness, which should not be treated solely by Bach flowers in any case.

Psychological treatments: In mental health settings, a range of psychotherapeutic techniques may be used either alongside or instead of drugs. Formal psychotherapy is not part of Bach flower treatment, although all practitioners need basic counselling skills, and some are qualified to use other methods that can successfully be combined with the flowers – I have used my life coaching training in this way.

Professional support: Clinicians working in a public health service are obliged to interact with colleagues, fulfil requirements for audit and continuing education, and attend meetings. All this helps with maintaining standards and keeping up-to-date, though can divert time and energy from direct patient care. In contrast, Bach flower practitioners often work in isolation and are not strictly regulated. They have more time and energy for their clients, and are very unlikely to cause them direct harm, but there is some risk they may fail to recognise a serious mental or physical disorder that needs prompt medical assessment.

A few psychiatrists around the world already use Bach flowers in their practice, and there seems no reason why these remedies could not be more widely integrated with orthodox treatments.

 

 

Comparing Bach flowers and homeopathy

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

What is the relationship between Bach flower remedies and homeopathic ones? Both are “energy medicines”, prepared from natural substances in dilutions too small to measure by chemical analysis.  Their mode of action is not understood, so as far as I know it is not possible to say what basic difference – if any – exists between them. Dr Edward Bach had studied homeopathy before discovering his flower remedies, and the two modalities certainly have some features in common. There are also several points of contrast, as listed below. It will be clear from what follows that the Bach system is much simpler than the homeopathic one.

* Bach flowers are prescribed on the basis of current emotional state, whereas the choice of homeopathic remedies requires a more detailed consultation taking both physical and psychological factors, both past and present, into account.

* Homeopathic remedies for particular disorders are identified on the basis of “provings”, according to the principle of “like treats like”. For example, if taking a certain remedy causes healthy volunteers to develop itching, that remedy might be effective for treating an itchy skin complaint. The Bach flowers, in contrast, were identified in a purely intuitive way by Edward Bach, who would experience a certain feeling such as anxiety or despair and then seek for a plant which would alleviate it.  

* There are thousands of homeopathic remedies to choose from, but only 38 Bach flowers.

* Homeopathic remedies may be derived from animal, plant or mineral sources, some of which are toxic in their original form. The Bach flowers are all (with the exception of Rock Water) made from non-poisonous plants.

* With classical homeopathy, the aim is to identify the single remedy which best resonates with the client. With Bach flowers, although there are some “type remedies” appropriate for different personalities, it is usual practice to choose a combination of several remedies up to a maximum of six.

* Homeopathic remedies are prescribed in a range of potencies and dosage regimes, whereas Bach flowers are taken on a simple standard schedule (4 drops 4 times a day).

Some practitioners say both systems can be used together, because they act at different “levels”, others believe they should be kept separate.

I am not a trained homeopath myself but have made some informal study of the system, and both Bach flowers and homeopathic remedies play a part in the plots of my three short novels.

 

Bach flowers in bereavement

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 2 Comments

My dear cat Felix died last month. On the blog which I created in his memory there is a post about ways of coping with the loss of a pet, which includes a brief mention of the Bach flower remedies. The remedies are equally relevant to human bereavement, and I thought I would expand on the subject here.

The process of grief does not conform to a particular timescale or sequence of stages, but is different for each individual, depending on many factors: the circumstances of the death, the bereaved person’s attitudes and emotions, the quality of their relationship with the deceased, and whether they believe in an afterlife. There can be a complex and apparently conflicting mixture of feelings, for example sadness over the death might be combined with relief that the strain of a long illness is over, which in turn might be a source of self-reproach.

As always with Bach flower treatment, it is best to choose flowers according to the emotions which are uppermost at the present time, without trying to analyse them too deeply. But one flower which might almost always be suitable is Star of Bethlehem. In the words of Dr Bach:

For those in great distress under conditions which for a time produce great unhappiness. The shock of serious news, the loss of someone dear, the fright following an accident, and suchlike. For those who for a time refuse to be consoled, this remedy brings comfort.

Many other flowers might also be relevant. Here are some examples, which are listed alphabetically because they do not belong in any particular sequence.

Agrimony: when grief is denied or suppressed, perhaps with the aid of drugs or alcohol

Gorse: when everything seems hopeless

Holly: for negative feelings towards others

Honeysuckle: for holding on to memories from the past

Olive: for mental or physical exhaustion

Pine: for feelings of guilt or self-blame

Sweet Chestnut: for unbearable anguish and despair

Some of these remedies are also relevant in cases of “anticipatory grief” when a loved one has a terminal illness but has not yet died. Other flowers to consider in this situation could include Red Chestnut for anxiety on behalf of the sick person, and Mimulus for fear about how the survivor is going to cope with the death when it does occur. Lastly, there is Rescue Remedy for use in acute situations such as news of a sudden death.

Nothing can take away the pain of losing a beloved person or pet, but the Bach flowers are among the remedies which can bring some comfort, especially when grief seems unduly severe, complicated or prolonged.

 

Bach flower remedies for writers

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

The Bach flower remedies are intended for self-help at times of emotional imbalance or life stress. Although their mode of action is not understood, and sceptics claim that they are ‘only’ placebos, they have gained world-wide popularity since being discovered in the 1930s by a British doctor, Edward Bach. There are 38 individual flower essences in the system, five of which are included in the well-known Rescue Remedy for use in crisis.

Having trained as a Bach flower practitioner myself, and run a client practice for several years, I have been impressed with how well most people respond to this safe and pleasant form of therapy. I have written a number of posts about them on my other WordPress blog, and a short ebook on Smashwords. Fuller information can be found on the Bach Centre website.

Four (fictional) case vignettes illustrating how these remedies might be helpful for writers are presented below. These are of course just simplistic examples; each writer has a unique personality and circumstances and is subject to the same challenges in life as anyone else. Remedies should always be selected on an individual basis according to the person’s current state of mind.

‘Lyn’ is a housewife and mother and freelance journalist who works from home. She is very efficient, but has difficulty in finding time and space for writing amid the demands and distractions of domestic life. Walnut to help her focus on her work despite what is happening around her; Centaury to be able to say ‘no’ when family members make unreasonable requests; and Elm to relieve her sense of being overburdened with responsibility.

‘Peter’ is determined to publish an influential book about improving healthcare for disadvantaged groups. After getting home from his full-time job he spends several hours writing and gets to bed very late, but his mind is so active that he cannot get to sleep. He is also feeling despondent and frustrated after having early drafts rejected by several agents. Vervain to help him relax and to moderate his over-enthusiasm for good causes; White Chestnut to calm his repetitive thoughts; Impatiens to curb his hastiness in submitting manuscripts before they are finished; and Gentian for his disappointment.

‘Sandra’ dreams of becoming a famous author, and has lots of different ideas for novels, but has not actually done much writing and often feels tired and unmotivated when she sits down at her desk to make a start. Clematis for becoming more grounded and putting ideas into practice; Hornbeam for the ‘Monday morning feeling’.

‘Matt’ has spent ten years on his first novel, making continually revisions but never quite feeling satisfied that it is good enough. Besides having doubts about the quality of his writing, he feels anxious about having his work read by other people, and about various aspects of publication and marketing. Larch to boost his confidence in his abilities; Mimulus for his shyness and understandable fears; and Rock Water for his perfectionist nature.

I would be interested in comments from anyone who has used the Bach flower remedies to assist with their writing, or any other creative process.

 

 

 

 

Evaluating Bach flower remedies: an audit of 100 treatments

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

A few years ago I carried out a review of the case notes of the first 100 clients treated in my Bach flower practice. This does not claim to be a scientific study, and would certainly not meet the requirements for publication in an academic journal, due to various limitations: it was retrospective rather than prospective, no standard questionnaires or other valid measurements were used, no independent assessment was carried out, and there was only enough information for a short-term follow-up. All the same, when I came across it again last week I thought some of my readers might be interested in a summary.

These 100 clients, a consecutive series, had come to my clinic either through word-of-mouth recommendations or through my website. They included 83 females and 17 males, and ranged in age between 8 and 87 years.

Their presenting complaints were often complex and multiple, but the most frequent main problems were anxiety (37 cases), depression (13 cases), and physical illness (13 cases). Others included adjustment to change or loss, relationship difficulties or long-term psychological imbalances.

Treatment was usually short-term: 39 clients received only one treatment bottle, and 24 had only two. Others chose to continue taking remedies for several months, and there were four clients who came back for 10 or more bottles.

Six clients did not attend for further appointments, but the other 94 provided progress reports after 2-3 weeks, that is after their first treatment bottle had finished. I classified the outcomes at this stage as follows:

Excellent or very good: 33. Clients in this group spontaneously mentioned feeling calmer, lighter, more focused, more in control, balanced, joyful or peaceful soon after starting their remedies. Comments included ‘The flowers are fantastic’, ‘I need another of those magic bottles’ and ‘I think I’m going to keep taking this stuff for the rest of my life’.

Moderately good: 38. These clients reported definite, but more subtle, changes for the better.

Slight improvement: 18. This category includes three clients who did not actually take the remedies but had found the consultation useful for ventilating and reframing their problems.

No change: 3.

Some of those who showed little or no response to their first treatment bottle went on to take further courses and reported a delayed benefit, but the follow-up on this group is too incomplete to be analysed.

Worse: 2. These two clients were unwilling to continue treatment because of marked healing reactions, despite having been advised that such reactions were usually only short-lived and often predicted a good response. Both of them felt ‘spaced out’ after taking their drops, and one reported worsening of her presenting complaint of tightness in the throat. About ten of the others had also reported healing reactions, of a milder degree, but continued with their treatment.

Though the data was not detailed enough to permit a separate study of individual symptoms, I noted that both physical and emotional complaints often improved alongside each other in those clients who responded well.

The results of this modest audit confirms what all Bach Foundation Registered practitioners already know – that the majority of clients find the Bach flowers to be an effective and pleasant treatment. How much of this benefit can be ascribed to the ‘placebo effect’ is impossible to tell from a descriptive study like this.

And finally: a note to say that my short novel Carmen’s Roses, in which the Bach flowers play a small role, is now available in various ebook formats on Smashwords – price just $2.99 USD. Please click here for details.

 

 

 

 

Update on introducing Bach flowers to medical doctors

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

My last post on this blog was about preparing a short talk on the Bach flower remedies for a group of doctors and medical scientists. Several readers asked me to report back, so here is a brief update following the event.

My talk seemed to be well received by the  audience, which represented a wide range of specialties: neurosurgery, rheumatology, oncology, paediatrics, general practice and others. Most of those present had never heard of the remedies before. There were plenty of questions, for example: are the same plants used for similar purposes in herbalism and pharmacology? how exactly did Dr Bach select his flowers? would just looking at the flowers have an effect? At least one person thought that the mode of action must be chemical, but another was familiar with the concept of vibrational healing, pointing out that plants have an energy field as demonstrated by Kirlian photography.

It was encouraging to receive so many positive and open-minded responses, and I was left wishing that there were more opportunities for orthodox clinicians and natural therapists to learn about each others’ work.

Introducing the Bach flowers to medical doctors

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Later this week I’ll be giving a short talk about the Bach flower remedies to a group of senior doctors with connections to my old medical school in Oxford, UK. Many of them will probably never have heard of the remedies – even though Mount Vernon, the home of the Bach Foundation, is only a few miles away from Oxford city. Even fewer will have had personal experience of using them, or know how much they can help with the management of health problems whether mental or physical.     

I hope and expect that there will be a friendly informal atmosphere at this meeting, and that most people in the audience will be interested in the brief case histories and flower photos I plan to present. However, some orthodox clinicians are sceptical about the value of ‘natural therapies’ in general, and a few are quite hostile towards them, so I need to be prepared to answer criticisms such as the following:

Bach flowers are no more effective than placebo: several randomised controlled trials published in medical journals have reached this conclusion. The placebo effect, in which the beliefs and expectations of both patients and their clinicians work to bring about a self-healing response, is indeed a powerful force for good and if the Bach remedies can mobilise it effectively, so much the better. There is certainly a placebo element in this therapy, as in any other.

It is, however, difficult to believe that the excellent results achieved with the remedies are due to placebo alone – over 80% of clients treated by Bach practitioners respond well, and they include babies and animals. And the occurrence of ‘healing reactions’, in which a minority of clients experience an aggravation of symptoms before they get better, seems unlikely to be a placebo (or nocebo) effect.

The published trials have several limitations, for example they have usually given the same remedies to all participants although it is a key principle of this therapy that an individualised mixture should be chosen for each case.

The challenges of evaluating natural therapies and the ‘holistic approach’ are considered in more detail in my recent book Persons not Diseases (by the way the e-version on Smashwords is on promotion at just $1.50 USD this week, 2-8 March – here’s the link).

Their supposed mode of action is not scientifically credible: talk of ‘vibrational’ and ‘energy’ medicine does not go down well in orthodox circles, where mechanical and chemical approaches hold sway. It must be admitted that the mode of action of Bach flower remedies, like that of homeopathics, is not well understood. However, it is arrogant to assume that a therapy must be ineffective because current knowledge cannot explain why it should work. The phrase ‘the exact mechanism of action is unknown’ quite often appears in the product descriptions of widely-used pharmaceutic drugs!

The remedies give ‘false hope’ of cure, and patients may use them instead of effective medical treatments: It is true to say that Dr Edward Bach envisaged a world in which most diseases could be cured if patients themselves simply learned to recognise the emotional imbalance underlying them, and used the flower remedies to restore harmony to mind and spirit. Although subsequent advances in mind-body medicine would support Bach’s ideas, current claims for the remedies are more modest. They are not a panacea and, as made clear in training courses for Bach Foundation practitioners, they are intended for ‘complementary’ rather than ‘alternative’ use. They do not treat specific medical conditions, but are selected according to the personality and emotional state of each patient, with the aim of improving quality of life. They can safely be used alongside conventional treatments.

If any other points of interest arise from the meeting, I’ll write a follow-up post next week.