Bach Flower Remedies for Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a complex problem with mental, emotional and physical components. You need professional support and an individualized plan to recover and prevent relapse. Bach Flower Remedies can be used as a tool to support you in your recovery. Bach Flower Remedies are homeopathic medicines designed to provide support for particular emotional states which you may experience and emotional challenges you may face. Talk with your counselor and medical team before using any alternative and complementary therapies as an adjunct to your program; for best results, consult a certified Bach Flower Remedy practitioner.

Rescue Remedy

• Rescue Remedy is a combination of five Flower Essences used for a person who has experienced a trauma or shock, either mental or physical. It's the Remedy you reach for after an automobile accident or an argument. It could be helpful during times of extreme or acute stress and allow you a few moments to regain your mental focus and determination. The remedy Impatiens is also helpful if you find yourself losing control.

Agrimony

• Agrimony is often recommended for people who suffer from addictions to drugs or alcohol. Agrimony is the Bach Flower remedy of choice for people who put on a brave face to hide their inner struggles, even from themselves. The person who will benefit from Agrimony is described as someone who wants to be happy or high all the time, and turns to addictions to try to create that feeling, or to drown his sorrows. He may throw himself into activities because being alone forces him to confront his real feelings; in a similar way, drug addiction takes the place of contemplative thought. His tendency to hide his feelings may have begun in childhood when he was forced to observe social conventions. Using Agrimony can help relieve your anxiety and tension, and increase your confidence in your ability to face life's problems.

Chestnut Bud

• Chestnut Bud is recommended for people who have trouble connecting cause and effect, who keep making the same mistakes over and over again without learning from them. The person who will benefit from Chestnut Bud is one who is almost childishly defiant when it comes to doing what she knows is best for her. This may be an appropriate choice for someone who seems physically present, but mentally absent, who longs for escape. This is a remedy sometimes used for people who exhibit symptoms consistent with ADHD. Using Chestnut Bud may help you learn from your experiences and break free from negative patterns.

Other Remedy Options

• Cherry Plum is recommended for people who feel they may explode violently and hurt themselves or others; the common description of this type of person is one who is wound so tightly he is on the verge of exploding. Clematis may be used for someone who prefers to live in his own little world rather than deal with reality. Gorse can be used to restore a sense of hope, while Larch can help restore your self-confidence in your abilities. Honeysuckle can help you leave the past behind and live in the present. The remedy Olive is restorative. Star of Bethlehem helps you move past deep-seated pain and trauma. Wild Rose is used to help those who feel resigned to a negative fate to help them develop a new interest in and passion for life. Willow is used for those people sometimes described as having a "victim mentality" or who are absorbed with self-pity.

  The above recommendations are not exhaustive. For the best remedy for you, consult a certified practitioner.

Using Bach Flower Remedies

• Bach Flower Remedies are sold as alcohol-based liquid in small bottles with dropper tops. The usual dose of a remedy is four or five drops either placed under the tongue or added to spring water which is then sipped slowly over the course of an hour; follow package directions or the advice given by your practitioner. Rescue Remedy is also available in an alcohol-free version, as a spray, cream and pastilles.

  Because the medicines are in an alcohol base (as a preservative), talk with your counselor and health care team if you are a recovering alcoholic or are taking prescription medication before you begin using Bach Flower Remedies.