Crab Apple — Bach Flower Essence For Obsession With Order and Cleanliness
The Crab Apple remedy helps an individual cope with their feelings of shame, which are a consequence of their actions, thoughts or flaws. The person is obsessed with cleanliness of their body or their immediate surroundings.
They are focused on the material world and the reason for this orientation is clear. Material things can be arranged and cleaned; it is easy to maintain cleanliness and order with them.
As with any obsession, this one is also exaggerated. A person is no longer able to tell the difference between important and unimportant. They are equally dedicated to little, in consequential and essential things. Excessive intolerance towards disorder or uncleanliness can create feelings of disgust towards oneself, especially towards one’s own appearance, body parts or certain foods.
”I look disgusting.”
”Look at this pimple, now I will not be able to leave the house for days!”
They exaggerate the importance of small, insignificant defects or imperfections. When they fail to keep or maintain order and cleanliness, they fall into despair because they were unable to deal with it.
This remedy combined with Pine is often given to teenagers, but also adults when we need to help them accept themselves just as they are.
Accepting ourselves unconditionally and having high tolerance to frustration are two prerequisites for mental health.
Generally, the remedy helps someone’s tendency towards order and cleanliness (which in itself is positive) remain within the limits of practicality; without it becoming a goal in itself (”at any cost”), because it then becomes a burden and a source of despair for Crab Apple individuals and those around them.
Crab Apple is a remedy that cleans. It cleans everything — mental and physical — everything we do not like about ourselves, on the outside, on the inside and around us.
