Flower remedies: any thoughts?

[bryony]

I've been looking into non-medical-type things to aid mental well-being, this being the first winter in a few years that i'll be attempting without the aid of antidepressants. I think I'm ready, but I'm still pretty sensitive to faling int dark moods. I've had flower remedies recommended to me by a few people, and i've read a few interesting accounts of people saying they're quite helpful. Now i'm often a bit sceptical about these things, but I guess there's no harm in trying. Has anyone used flower remedies before? With good or bad results? Or do you have any other herbaly-type recommendations that you'd like to share?

Obviously I'm not looking for a miracle cure, just interested to see if anyone can recommend anything that perks them up a bit over the winter months.

If all else fails, there's always tea and chocolate biscuits!

Many thanks,
Bryony

[StripyPixieSocks]

I haven't had any experience with Flower Remedies but I used to take St Johns Wort and that seemed to help alot when I was bad but not bad enough to go back on heavy medication.

Also, believe it or not staying hydrated can have a huge effect on your mood so try to drink 2 litres a day to keep everything well watered.

You could also try boosting your Vitamin B12 as well as it's known as 'The Sunshine Vitamin' and a lack of it can cause depression.

You could also look into getting a light box with a lux value of over 2500 as this can help with S. A. D. which can put extra pressure on you at this time of year.

Try also keeping a diary to see if anything in particular triggers you feeling a little more down than usual although I know all too well how you can go to bed one night feeling on top of the world and wake up feeling miserable and there is just no reason!

I don't think tea and chocolate biscuits have any medicinal value but who cares? Tea and Jaffa cakes cannot fail to make you feel better I reckon!

Hope you manage to stay well this Winter

[Clara]

I was going to suggest St John's Wort too, that and getting as much daylight as possible.

I'm going to try not to start a fight but before you spend any money on flower remedies I would make sure you understand how they are made and what they are based on - I think lots of people buy them without realising they are not "herbal" as such, more of an "energy" medicine, certainly more homeopathic than homeopathy.

[becks77]

Hi,
Bach's is good for a short term remedy I find. Have you tried an SAD light they can be quite good too
Best wishes
Becks

[lsm1066]

I have a long history of depression and it was only when I gave up on anti-depressants and started using flower and herbal remedies that I felt I started to improve. St John's Wort is the obvious first step, although you should check for contraindications before you start to take it as it does interact with some conventional medicines.

For flower remedies, I found the ones that helped me most were Rescue Remedy (as a general tonic, a couple of drops 2-3 times a day), Elm for when I felt that things were all getting a bit overwhelming, Oak for when I had to be strong and supportive and Willow when I had to be able to cope with changes (they all sound pretty obvious when I put it like that).

But I will say one thing that's probably more important than any other, and that is that if you're on medication, don't come off it on your own. Talk to your GP / CPN / counsellors if you have them and make sure they know what you're doing, even if you want to go ahead without their approval. At least they'll be there to back you up if you need them. My own GP in London was also a qualified herbalist so she was fantastically supportive when I told her I was ditching the Prozac in favour of St John's Wort. Later, when I started to get low again, she told me that regular medication would never work for me because I didn't feel it was a positive thing to be doing and that I should take St John's, but that she would see me every two weeks instead of the usual once a month to keep an eye on how things were going.

Hope that makes sense.

Lynne

[bryony]

Thank you all so much for your replies- they've been very helpful. I think it also just helps to know that other people have gone through/are going through the same thing. I'll definitely give St. John's Wort a go I think. It seems quite easy to get hold of too, which is a plus! The points about keeping hydrated and vitamin B12 hadn't occurred to me at all, strange how the little things can be so important. I really like the idea of a diary as well- I'm usually pretty lazy about things like that, but it'd just take a little effort.

As for the flower remedies, I'm trying Larch at the moment. Although they seem quite a strange concept to me, I'm keeping an open mind about them for the time being.

Unfortunately, sunshine is the one thing I can't get hold of! (daylight seems to be a rarity here in the midlands!) I have been considering buying a lightbox for a while, but they're quite pricey, so will have to wait till the student loan comes in in January. (Thank goodness for loans!) Having looked into it, they sound pretty effective. It's reassuring to hear that some of you think so as well.

Although the antidepressants are effective (and if things start to get bad I wouldn't object to taking them again), and I do trust my doctor's advice, there's always the trouble of side effects (nausea and eccessive sweating, yuk!), and I really don't enjoy coming off them. I think I can relate to what you're saying Lynne, in that I don't think they'll be a positive thing for me to be on in the long run. It won't go away overnight, and I'd like to have some long-term strategies outside of medication. (So all of your suggestions come into this ) I'm aiming to introduce a new one every week or so, hopefully there'll be some good results. I'm feeling hopeful, which is a good start!

Many thanks,
Bryony

[Berti]

hi bryony,

I support what the others have said, st johns and the lightbox being the first things that would pop in mind.
Along you could carry bach's rescue remedy and take when needed.

That said, I have a long experience with flower remedies (and other kinds of energy medicine) and they don't take very long to start working (for sensitive people, right away) BUT when you pick the wrong one, nothing will happen.
It is always cheaper to get your own set and when you have it in the house you will find other uses for it too.
The bach flower essences are the most well known and the easiest to learn to use, along with a handbook that you can use as a repertorium (sp?).
Personally I would recommend to learn to intuitively pick the remedies later on.
Flower remedies can take you a long way, to places where you never imagined to go :) growth wise.

sending love and light to you
berti

[lsm1066]

Personally I would recommend to learn to intuitively pick the remedies later on.

I'd definitely go along with choosing intuitively. I was feeling particularly "off" one day and my 9 year old went off to my remedy store and came back with a concoction of 3 flower remedies (a drop of each in a glass of water). He had no clue what the individual remedies were for, although he knows about Rescue Remedy, and yet when I looked afterwards, he'd picked the perfect three remedies for the way I was feeling at the time, if you were to go by the book.

Instinct has a big part to play in self-healing.

With love
Lynne

[prison break fan]

I have rescue remedy with me at all times, but mostly forget to take it at stressy times. I bought a light bulb which simulates daylight and have it in a lamp by the settee and sit under it every night doing my knitting. Don't know if it really works, but if I think it does, it does! I got it from Higher Nature and it cost £25 three years ago. Seemed like lot at the time but has been well worth it. pbf

[MuddyWitch]

I totally agree with the day light lamp. I suffered SAD dreadfully for years 'till I aquired one (Mum's pressy; she had the same syndrome).

However, untill you can afford one, try to find a glass house or botanical conservatory you could visit. I used to wrap up & go and sit in the one in Leicester, till they demolised it Now I'm lucky enough to have my own and, although it's freezing, I try to spend at least an hour in there every day. Even on grotty days it does seem to help.

Sending happy thoughts

MW

[bryony]

I'll be investing in a light box in the next few days, thanks to some christmas money from lovely relatives. It's good to hear that they've worked well for some of you I'm quite excited about giving it a try...

I'm also enjoying learning about the flower remedies, I've been giving a few a try. I'm not sure if i'm feeling a bit better just for trying, for taking the extra care of myself/placebo type effect or if they really are doing the trick, but an effect is an effect, so i'll carry on. Interesting about choosing the remedies by instinct, is that something you think you can learn over time?

hmm... hadn't thought of public botanical gardens etc... what a good idea, I looked and there's one not far from here. fantastic!

thanks so much for your thoughts- hearing about all your experiences is so reassuring and has really cheered me up

Bryony x

[Berti]

you asked if you can learn to use your instinct for picking remedies over time.
ehhh no.

firstly, your instinct and your intuition, are two different things :)
instinct protects you in danger and intuition is inner knowledge (just my point of view).
so you can train your intuition and learn to use it to pick remedies (or ask questions or whatever.......the more you use it, the better it gets)

there are different ways to pick remedies by intuition and I am sure others will chime in on this.
I learned to use dowsing by hand sensivities, others could use a pendulum.
first learn to use the pendulum then, using handsensivities is much easier and works like this.

taking your time, center yourself, empty your mind and ask for guidance to pick the remedy that is best for you now (or someone else, later on)
put the remedies in a row in front of you (start with four) a little bit apart.
slowly go with your hand over the remedies (you could also use your index finger and concentrate on that) and see if you feel something.
it might be a warmth, tingling, a kind of something flowing (draft like), it differs, but whatever you feel, it is okay.
pick the remedy where the energy feels strongest.
it can be VERY strong (meaning MUCH needed) and the feeling can go up to your armpits if that is the case. the stronger you feel it, the further up your arm the feeling will be.
continue till you have picked enough remedies.

in the beginning this will take a lot of time :) but practice makes perfect.
if you do this few times a week, your intuition will grow and with time, you will just be able to point to the remedy (or even LOOK at it) and you will respond .....

berti

[shell]

rosemary is an anti-depressant,lavender is a sedative,but i remember vagually that sunlight and st john`s wort dosn`t go together with fair skinned people,i did a basic plants in the hedgerows for healing course,though never went back to the next follow on one as i got books to read up instead,it gave me a head start and a hunger to see what grows that has healing for us,mmmm just checked and it says in one book that st john`s wort contains a phototoxic agent which can react on fairshinned people.medical properties include diuretic,sedative,anti-inflammatory,astringent,and anti-depressant.
so not much chance of any one here being affected

[LBR]

I visited the botanical gardens in Munich quite often. Walking thru the gardens was a huge help to me. Also, found a lily pound nearby.

Vitamin D supplements, as D-3, are quite helpful.

I find jumping on the rebounder, (a mini-trampoline) helps. My walks, and Callanetics.

I didn't have much success with flower remedies. I bought a whole set of the Perelandra essences, and gave them away. Guess it wasn't part of my path.

Sunshine, friendly sorts of exercise, drinking tea, visiting ish, writing real letters with real pens. I'm finding that doing these sorts of things help with balance.

[Green Aura]

Have you tried aromatherapy, Bryony. Lots of oils have anti-depressant qualities and are quickly uplifting. Two that spring to mind are melissa and clary sage.

Melissa is very expensive, although you can get it diluted, which is cheaper, but it is absolutely fantastic. Clary sage can sometimes be a bit too quickly uplifting but in a blend with some lavender it too is amazing.

Mix 4-5 drops of your blend (equal parts melissa, clary and lavender) with about 20ml of a carrier oil or unperfumed lotion and massage yourself all over every day, or even better get someone else to do it!

You'll notice the difference very quickly and you can keep using it as long as you like.

I would also recommend seeing an aromatherapist - the results can be virtually instant.