Bach Flower Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Major Depressive Disorder

Dr. Edward Bach developed a treatment for depressive disorders involving dilutions of certain flower essences with water and brandy. The therapy itself is part herbal, part extraction of the "fingerprint" of approximately 38 different flowers and plant species. Each essence is specifically developed for individual patients to help that patient overcome their depressive disorder. The world of flowers provided Dr. Bach with a link to helping his patients, which led to his theory that a patient seeking stability may be obtained by unlocking the hidden life force that Dr. Bach believed we all possess.

Dr. Bach's theory

• Dr. Bach discovered an alternative approach to the delicate balancing of physical and emotional disturbances. He found that the essence of many varieties of flowers may assist his patients in returning to a positive and healthy lifestyle by combining natural elements with physical elements. The remedies are manufactured to assist in releasing old blocked energies within our bodies, minds and emotions.

What are flower essences?

• Dr. Bach believed plants have a life energy and they leave an imprint. The essence of that life force can therefore be extracted from certain flowers and subtly applied to another life force, humans. After determining the flowers and plants that give the highest quality of life energies, he invented two methods of extraction of these essences, the sun method and the boiling method

Extraction of flower essences

• Dr. Bach invented the term, "potentization" to describe his overall method of extracting the essences of plants. Only fully blooming flowers are chosen for this method. Mother Essences, the resulting remedy given to patients, are a combination of the retrieved essences of a flower or a plant and brandy in a 50/50 proportion to each other. More brandy is then added and the result is bottled for preservation.

Production of flower essences

• To produce the flower remedy to help depressive disorders, Dr. Bach's two methods are implemented according to the time of year the extract is being obtained. The sun method is used in late spring and summer when there are a maximize number of sunny days. The boiling method is used at other times during the year when sunny days are not consistent and the weather is colder.

The Sun Method

• The sun method is only used for flowers and can only be implemented on a sunny day. Flowers are picked on-site, just below their flowering spikes, and dipped into a full container of water, 50 parts water to one part flower. For three hours, the container is left in full sunshine. The finishing solution is later mixed with 50 percent brandy.

The boiling method

• The boiling method is not used in the summer and can incorporate not only flowers but twigs of trees, bushes, and plants that bloomed before the summer. Plant material is added to 10 parts water and boiled in a glass container. It is boiled for half an hour. After it is cooled, the finishing solution is added to 50 percent brandy in a glass bottle.

Application to assist in depressive disorders

• Depressive disorders related to physical failures can be assisted using Dr. Bach's Flower Treatments as well as mental disorders that are not linked to a physical issue. The remedies are subtle and not considered a substitute for other medications or therapies.