The Best Natural Flower Remedies for PTSD

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after someone experiences a traumatic event. It is a medical condition that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. 

It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. For some individuals, going through something so painful might mean they will continue experiencing symptoms even after their original trauma has passed. 

People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened, even when they are not in danger. It is also possible to experience PTSD weeks, months, or even years after a traumatic event occurred - sometimes culminating in delayed-onset PTSD. This type of PTSD is believed to be related to more intense or long-term exposure to stress or violence than others may experience and usually follows a slower emotional and physiological recovery.

<h2>What are the symptoms of PTSD?</h2>

Common symptoms of PTSD can be categorised into four types of symptoms: 

• Re-experiencing symptoms are when a person experiences something that reminds them of the traumatic experience, such as nightmares, flashbacks, etc. 
• Avoidance symptoms occur when a person actively tries to avoid reminders of the traumatic event. 
• Negative changes in cognition and mood are when things like negative thoughts, feelings of guilt, etc., occur and consume the sufferer. 
• Hyperarousal symptoms are when a person constantly feels on edge, is easily startled, has trouble sleeping or concentrating, etc. 

Keep in mind that PTSD isn't the same for everyone and symptoms vary depending on the person.

Getting help & support for PTSD

Sometimes, people are reluctant to seek help for PTSD because they want to handle it themselves, but it is possible to get help with PTSD. A few ways that PTSD might be handled include psychotherapy, medications, or through the support of natural remedies such as flower essences. 

Psychotherapy can take many forms, including trauma-based CBT, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) or family therapy. This therapy can help process the event's emotions and can be complemented with flower essences to provide support. 

Medications can also help manage symptoms of PTSD. Talk with a doctor about your options to determine which would work best for you.

Using flower essences as a natural remedy for PTSD

Flower essences are a growing trend in the holistic world because they support emotional hurt and balance. They are flower-derived remedies prepared in water, leaving their energetic imprint. 

All flowers carry energy, which is transferred to the water during the making process. They are also known as Bach flower remedies and have been used since the 1930s to support negative emotions, and PTSD is no exception. 

There are a few different types of flower essences that can be used for PTSD, but some popular ones include White Chestnut, which helps relieve repetitive thoughts, and Cherry Plum, for feeling like you may lose control.

How do Bach flower remedies help relieve symptoms of PTSD?

Bach flower remedies help to support negative emotions. They can help with post-traumatic stress disorder by rebalancing emotions and bringing the person back to their true self, helping the person move forward in their life. 

You should be aware that flower essences won’t wholly erase or block negative thoughts and emotions, so they shouldn't be used as a sole remedy for PTSD, but they will help support the healing process.

What flower essences can help with PTSD?

Several flower essences may help with PTSD and the process of self-healing. Flower essences are meant to be explicitly selected for the individual and their specific emotions or needs, so look for those that best match your emotional state. 

With Mindful Remedies, you can create your personalised flower remedy blend by choosing up to seven flower remedies in a treatment bottle. If any of these remedies resonate with you, simply click on the buttons below to add them to your treatment bottle.

Rock Rose

Rock Rose can support those with PTSD in an acute state of fear, terror or panic. It is ideal for those with escalating anxieties and who are often panic-stricken. Along with Aspen, it can help relieve nightmares and should also be used if you feel anxious about having more nightmares. 

You should use Rock Rose if you use a lot of nervous energy and feel exhausted. You may want to consider Rock Rose if you're having panic attacks or experiencing intense feelings of sheer terror, extreme anxiety or panic. This flower essence will help calm this extreme stress and feelings of fear and calm the nervous system.

add to your remedy

Star of Bethlehem

Star of Bethlehem is the flower essence for dealing with trauma, traumatic events and the negative emotions afterwards, especially if you are suffering from shock, numbness or paralysing sorrow. It can help bring comfort and neutralise feelings of shock immediately after a traumatic event or if this is delayed. It allows people to move forward from a negative situation.

add to your remedy

White Chestnut

This flower essence helps with repetitive thoughts and mental chatter that can come with PTSD. It's helpful for those who feel like they can't get a break because their mind is always thinking about the traumatic event. These persistent unwanted thoughts go round and round in the person's head, causing distress. White Chestnut helps to calm the mental noise.

add to your remedy

Cherry Plum

This flower essence helps with a sense of fear of losing control, which can be a symptom of PTSD. It's helpful for those who feel out of control and fear that they'll do something that may hurt themselves or others. 

Also, those who feel they're on the verge of a breakdown, fear insanity or losing control of their mind. This remedy can calm the mind and bring courage to regain sanity. We would recommend seeking additional medical advice if these symptoms are occurring. Bach flower remedies can be used alongside other forms of therapy or medication and are safe, natural and gentle.

add to your remedy

Aspen

This is a flower essence for feelings of anxiety. Aspen can be helpful for those constantly on edge and jumpy. The person is afraid of their thoughts and their imagination running amok but not afraid of anything specific. This flower essence is helpful if the person is experiencing terror upon waking from a bad dream or nightmare and fearing going back to sleep again.

add to your remedy

Mimulus

Mimulus is the flower essence for if you are afraid of something specific – which may be related to the traumatic event you’ve been part of. For example, you may be fearful of loud noises if you’re a veteran of war or afraid of getting in a car if you’ve been in a car accident. This flower essence provides quiet courage to face any irrational fears and move forward to start enjoying life again without fear.

add to your remedy

Pine

This is the flower essence to support feelings of guilt, blaming yourself or if you feel responsible for something. This guilt takes away all joy from life. The Pine flower essence helps the person take a more balanced view of life and recognise negative old patterns of thought that are not serving them well.

add to your remedy

Sweet Chestnut

Sweet Chestnut is the Bach flower remedy for depression and absolute mental despair where your soul is suffering greatly and you feel like you’ve come to the end of the road. This depression is at a deeper level and it feels like you've reached your absolute limit.

add to your remedy

Using Rescue Remedy to help PTSD

You may also want to consider Rescue Remedy, the five flower remedy for emergencies developed by Dr Edward Bach. This is the only combination he recommended as this was meant to deal with emergencies when unable to create a personalised remedy. 

Rescue Remedy contains five flower remedies that are intended to revitalise someone in the event of an emergency. PTSD is a complex disorder that affects the mind, physical body and spirit. It can have a significant impact on your life and those around you. 

It can be tough to seek help for PTSD because it's hard to understand what may work best for you and your healing. Flower essences are one option of many when it comes to getting support after experiencing trauma and can be complementary to existing therapy or medication. 

Flower remedies won’t erase painful memories, but they can provide support during this challenging time in life. If flower essences sound like something you might want to try, then browse our flower essences and we'd be happy to create a custom Bach flower remedy for you.

Please speak to your medical practitioner to get advice and support, especially if you’re feeling in a particularly negative space or suicidal. 

How do you take flower essences?

Flower remedies are not essential oils, they don’t smell and are taken by the mouth. Take a minimum of four drops, four times per day especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night. You can either add the drops to a drink or put them directly in your mouth under the tongue. If you put directly into your mouth, please be mindful not to touch your mouth as this risks contaminating the bottle.

If following these directions, the bottle should last approximately three weeks, by which time you should hopefully have felt some of the balancing effects of the remedies.

They are completely natural, safe and gentle and can be used as a support system for self healing.