Bach Flower Essences for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Introduction - Bach Flower Therapy:

The idea of using flowers for healing is far from new. For centuries, healers have been using plants and flowers as medicine. Many traditional medications, like Digitalis (an alkaloid of Foxglove, or "Digitalis purpurea/officinalis"), come from plants . At the beginning of the 20th century, Dr. Edward Bach, a British bacteriolgist and homeopathic physician developed a treatment method using the essences of flowers for healing.

Dr. Bach believed that many illnesses have their roots in our mental and emotional states. According to Bach, learning to improve our outlook could lead to good health. He postulated that disease was caused by negative aspect of emotions like anger, fear and sorrow. Bach began searching for medications that could heal the soul. His search led him to flowers, plants and shrubs. He believed that the essences of certain flowers could affect our moods. He experimented by placing flower petals or leaves on his tongue. He observed how his mood was affected by different plants. Through this process of trial and error, in his lifetime, Dr. Bach was able to identify 38 flowers that could improve negative mental and emotional states and create a balance in a person's ability to connect with their full potential.

The 38 Bach flower essences are created by placing flowers in spring water in the sun to make a solution filled with the flower essence and sun energy. All natural ingredients are used in Bach Flower Therapy. Dr. Bach used brandy as a preservative to keep the flower essences fresh. Today, a small amount of ethyl alcohol is usually used to preserve the essences, though the remedies are available with vinegar to those who are keenly intolerant of even a slight amount of alcohol. The Bach flower essences are usually taken orally or sublinguinally and can sometimes be applied to the skin. Bach Flower Essences are FDA approved.

Families with developmentally disabled and brain injured children have used Bach Flower Therapy to help with agitation and other emotional and psychological symptoms of ADHD. See the following links for more information about this natural therapy.

• Nelson Bach, USA, Ltd.

• Dr. Edward Bach Center

• New Bach Flower Therapies

• Bach Flower Internet Resources

• The Bach Flower Therapy Site

• Heal it With Flowers

• Flower Essences Books

• Creative Play Workshops and Flower Essences

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Specific Attributes of the Bach Flower Remedies:

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•   Agrimony :

  Putting on a cheerful face to hide problems. Sensitive, yet troubled inside. Need to avoid conflict, thus are often "peacemakers" to their own detriment.

•   Aspen :

  Fears and worries of unknown origin, nervous and anxious

•   Beech :

  Critical and intolerant of others

•   Centaury :

  Difficulty in saying no, anxious to please, codependent or caretaking

•   Cerato :

  Doubtful of own ability to judge situations, always needs others' advice

•   Cherry Plum :

  Fear of losing control and of irrational thoughts and/or impulses

•   Chestnut Bud :

  Failure to learn from experience, thus repeating the same mistakes

•   Chicory :

  Over-protective, possessive, selfish

•   Clematis :

  Day-dreaming, lack of interest in present - not grounded in physical reality

•   Crab Apple :

  Poor self-image, feelings of shame, sense of uncleanliness

•   Elm :

  Overwhelmed or burdened by responsibility

•   Gentian :

  Easily discouraged - especially after an improvement followed by a setback, hesitant, despondent

•   Gorse :

  Hopelessness and despair, pessimism

•   Heather :

  Self-absorbed, dislike of being alone, excessively talkative

•   Holly :

  Feelings of being unloved, or extreme jealousy - bitter, envious, suspicious

•   Honeysuckle :

  Living in the past, feeling homesick

•   Hornbeam :

  Monday morning feeling, emotional - or more often, mental - exhaustion

•   Impatiens :

  Impatient, irritable

•   Larch :

  Lack of self-confidence, feeling of inferiority without envy

•   Mimulus :

  Fear of known or familiar things, shyness, tremulousness and self-conciousness

•   Mustard :

  Deep gloom, despondency, or depression for no apparent reason

•   Oak :

  Exhausted, but struggles on

•   Olive :

  Physical, mental & emotional burnout; burning the candle at both ends

•   Pine :

•   Red Chestnut :

  Overanxious or over-concerned for others

•   Rock Rose :

  Terror, sudden alarm, nightmares

•   Rock Water :

  For those who are overly strict with themselves

•   Scleranthus :

  Indecisive, unable to decide between two options

•   Star of Bethlehem :

  After-effects of fright, grief or shock

•   Sweet Chestnut :

  At the limits of endurance, deep despair, bleak outlook

•   Vervain :

  Over-enthusiastic, argumentative with fixed principles and ideas

•   Vine :

  Strong-willed with a tendency to be domineering or inflexible

•   Walnut :

  Facing major life changes, needing protection from the influences of others

•   Water Violet :

  Prefer to be alone, proud

•   White Chestnut :

  Persistent unwanted thoughts, preoccupations and worries

•   Wild Oat :

  Uncertainty as to the correct path in life, dissatisfied with current lifestyle, can't decide which path to follow

•   Wild Rose :

  Resigned, apathetic, making little effort to improve situations

•   Willow :

  Resentment, feelings of self-pity

•   Rescue Remedy :

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