Updated January 27, 2022.
Safety note: PTSD is a serious diagnosis. Please seek help from licensed professionals, including a psychiatrist and a therapist, to manage PTSD. It can be slow going finding a psychiatrist and a therapist with whom you feel comfortable. But, it’s worth investing your time in this, for your mental health.
Please realize that self-care and self-treatment has its limitations. The use of complementary therapies, such as flower essences, for emotional support is discussed here as just one piece of the pie in your healing.
Of course, never go off your prescribed medication and continue to see your licensed therapist for your mental health. Flower essences are for complementary use only.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is normal reaction to a very stressful, traumatic event or situation. Trauma related perceptions, thoughts and feelings create a physiological and an emotional response long after the event is actually over.
Complementary therapies can contribute to healing PTSD on a spiritual level. There are many complementary therapies that repair and strengthen the spirit. Some people find yoga to be helpful, others find hiking in the outdoors to be best for them and still others enjoy expressive art. And others use aromatherapy and flower essences to soothe the spirit.
Flower essences are in the realm of naturopathy, herbalism and energy therapies. Flower essences (FE) work on the vibrational level. Flower essence therapy is based on the idea that flowers have a vibrational essence and on the idea that the people and the flowers of the earth are connected. Certainly, highly sensitive people are have a multitude of feelings about the beauty and fragrance of flowers.
Most flower essences are diluted and preserved with a small amount of alcohol. If you are in recovery, pregnant or breastfeeding, there are some companies that make flower essence products using vegetable glycerin as a preservative, instead.
Three of the flower essences traditionally said to help ease emotional trauma and shift you towards emotional balance are echinacea, black eyed susan and honeysuckle.
Echinacea – Essence of echinacea supports the strengthening of the inner self, after suffering severe trauma, abuse, devastation. The essence of echinacea supports the development of feelings of dignity of the self.
Echinacea essence is healing for feelings of dignity of self
Black-Eyed-Susan Often traumatic memories and feelings are locked away, outside our awareness. As we examine these disassociated parts of ourselves, there is usually a surge of energy and emotion, pain and grief. As the fear energy is released, the sense of self becomes more integrated. The energy used in keeping the fearful memories at bay, is transformed into positive growth. The essence of black-eyed-susan is supportive of the growth and transformation of shadow energy into vital energy of the self.
Black eyed susan supports vital energy
Star of Bethlehem – The essence of star of Bethlehem is restorative to the person who has coped with trauma by numbing out in unhealthy ways. The sense of spirituality has been lost, as the self feels disconnected from itself and the world. The essence of star of Bethlehem supports restoring the alignment with spirituality and wholeness after trauma.
Star of Bethlehem supports spiritual wholeness
Honeysuckle – The essence of honeysuckle is the moving away from drowning in intense emotions of the past, to metabolize and make meaning of the past, so as move your soul forward.
Honeysuckle for deriving personal meaning of events