Bach Flower Remedies for Depression and Grief
They say that there are as many types of depression as there are depressed people. This means that every person manifests and experiences depression in their own way. Nevertheless, there are certain situations that cause either a small or a significant drop in most people’s moods. Here are some typical situations and usual ways of expressing depressive moods.
One of the characteristics of a depressed mood is self-blame and self-scorn. Since every depressive mood is destructive (from the perspective of a day to day existence), so too are these two behaviours, meaning that they serve no purpose other than to drag us deeper into depression rather than provide relief from it. This is why it makes sense to work on this type of self-concept and eliminate it so that our mood can become better, healthier. Real relief from this is a Bach remedy made from a Pine flower.
Sweet Chestnut helps in situations when we are overwhelmed with despair after a loss, when previously we did everything in our power to avoid this loss. This overwhelming despair, accompanied by a lot of crying and feelings of despondency, as if we have reached the end of the road and there is no way out, will be overcome and eliminated using this remedy.
Star of Bethlehem, a grassy plant with stunning star-shaped flowers, helps in all situations of shock and trauma — when we cannot believe what has happened, happened to us, when we refuse to accept loss (of a loved one, dignity or status) and our feelings become paralyzed, frozen, our faces freeze and we cannot even shed a tear.
Willow flowers cover those types of depressions (bad moods) which have emerged after suffering a personal injustice, an injustice we harbor for many years until we become bitter, completely unable to see the good things in our lives and the things left in our lives after this injustice that we are unable to just let go of.
Walnut helps us adapt to new circumstances. A change in mood occurs when we need to adapt to new circumstances but are unable to. Confused by the changes (illness, old age, menopause, a move), we end up somewhere in between ”neither here, nor there.” Depressive states which are a result of our inability to fit in and adapt are greatly improved using this remedy.
Mustard is an excellent remedy for sudden episodes of depression that seem to come out of nowhere and when they strike there is nothing we are able to pinpoint as a cause or a trigger. Unpredictable episodes of sudden, dark moods (which are characteristic of teenagers or the morning blues that keep us gloomy-minded until we are fully awake) are quickly eliminated by this remedy.
Gorse remedy is for depressive states in which a person is overwhelmed by feelings of total hopelessness, pessimism. It is a mental state when we conclude that ”there is nothing left to seek” or ”that nothing will come out of this” and are completely certain of the conclusion. Despair and bitterness can accompany such beliefs — pessimism can be directed towards only one sphere of our daily lives, such as solving a health problem, but can easily extend to the entire meaning of our existence. This remedy awakens our motivation to live.
Honeysuckle, a beautiful, shrubby vine plant, with tiny honey-yellow or pink orchid-looking flowers, is a great remedy for people prone to nostalgia, when the heart is still somewhere in the past, tied to days gone by, making us completely incapable of seeing anything worth living for in the here and now.
Olive is good at tackling our physical and mental exhaustion head on. An exhausted person becomes absent and numb, they are aware of their gloom and a total lack of motivation which easily leads to a depressive mood. ”I’m tired of life” is their usual comment. Olive revitalizes our energy, makes us aware that we are tired and aware of our vital need for sleep and rest. It is excellent at eliminating insomnia, which is a consequence of our exhaustion.
For our bad moods and depressions, which differ in origin and intensity, we use different Bach Flowers. A talk with a Bach practitioner will help you identify your emotional state, define the origin and intensity of your feelings and finally an appropriate choice of remedies will be made.
