Plant Cases

Bleeding Heart
A young girl of eight years old suddenly developed acute stomach pains and diarrhoea, although there had been no prior history of such symptoms. A gastrointestinal expert conducted a full battery of tests and could not find anything wrong with the child. Finally her parents took her to a family counsellor who also used flower essences.

In the opening diagnostic session, the child drew a large picture of a heart which was broken. The counsellor used Bleeding Heart to help her address what was sensed as a deep source of grief within the child. The young girl began to share her sense of loss for a playmate who had been killed suddenly several months prior to the onset of her symptoms. Her family had no idea that she had been so profoundly affected by the death of her friend.

Within several days of her taking the Bleeding Heart, the child's symptoms were drastically reduced and within several weeks they had completely disappeared and never returned again.

Impatiens, Zinnia & Borage
An executive salesman, aged 58, contended with a great deal of stress in his daily lifestyle. He was diagnosed by his physician as having chronic high blood pressure and in the early stages of coronary heart disease.

The doctor asked him to make nutritional changes, and to incorporate exercise and stress reduction in his daily lifestyle. Despite enrolling in two different programmes for reducing stress and teaching relaxation techniques, the man made little progress. He still found himself anxious and irritable at the end of the day.

A flower essence therapist recommended a combination of the flower essences Impatiens, Zinnia and Borage. The man noticed an immediate effect using these remedies - he felt calmer and more centred. The relaxation techniques that he had previously attempted seemed easier to incorporate. He noticed many situations at home and in the family that were changing due to his feeling of greater ease and self control. When he went for his regular check up six weeks later, the physician was amazed to discover that his blood pressure had dropped significantly and he wanted to know "what had changed" for his patient.

Mimulus

A woman in her seventies had gradually become a "shut-in" following the death of her husband. She was afraid to engage in household errands or go out alone, despite the fact that she was physically capable of doing so. Although she had a valid driver's licence she had depended on her husband to drive and was reluctant to use her car. As her fear grew much more pronounced she became hypersensitive to many noises in her house and began to fear that her house would be broken into. Due to these fears she began to sleep very restlessly and also became increasingly fretful and agitated.

A flower essence counsellor prescribed the single remedy of Mimulus. No clear changes were noted until about the third week of use. The woman then reported that she felt calmer and was getting more sleep at night. A week later she remarked to her daughter that she had been acting like a frightful child, and it was time to make some changes. Two weeks later she reported to her counsellor that the time had come to get another life and to stop pretending she was dead just because her husband was. She made many incremental changes in her lifestyle, learning to drive her car and accepting many social invitations she had previously declined.

California Wild Rose

This flower essence was used for a 16 year old young woman who had become moody, dressed in dark colours and was emotionally distant from her own family. Furthermore, her grades had suddenly plunged from above average to barely passing. In a counseling session, the young woman stated she felt "bored" with life and didn't feel much interest or hope for the future. She had recently parted with a boyfriend and had also not been chosen for a part in a school play which she had wanted. Her mother noticed a change within two weeks of taking the California Wild Rose. She was more willing to talk about her feelings of hurt and rejection and she found a new (girl)friend at school. Within several months her disposition was brighter and more cheerful and her grades at school had returned to their normal level.

Star of Bethlehem

A young woman in her twenties had been violently attacked and raped and robbed at gunpoint. She had received counselling for these incidents and seemed to be in recovery. Six months later, she developed a severe eating disorder along with food allergies. Despite nutritional and psychotherapeutic counselling she continued to lose weight, and showed signs of depression.

She was given Star of Bethlehem to address the shock and trauma of her violent attack. Through the use of the essence she began to re-live the original incident, but now acknowledging the tremendous feelings of rage, grief and shame she felt about her attack. As she worked through and resolved these emotions, her eating disorder also subsided.

Tiger Lilly, Mariposa, Lily, Alpine Lily

A woman who had just turned 40 went for her regular check up to her gynaecologist. Although she had no prior history of cervical dysplasia, she was now diagnosed with severe cervical dysplasia (CIN III) confirmed by tissue biopsies from five different areas of the cervical and vaginal tissue. Her physician recommended immediate surgical intervention, removing all of the affected tissue in the cervix and vagina, through a process called conisation, requiring hospitalisation, general anaesthesia and a two month recovery period. IN his opinion, she was at high risk of cancer without these measures. Because this condition had developed so suddenly without any prior history, the woman sought psychotherapeutic counselling and nutritional counseling. She modified her diet to exclude foods that were irritating or difficult to digest.

Her counsellor suggested a trine of Lily remedies, including Tiger Lily, Mariposa Lily and Alpine Lily, to address her feminine identity and its connection with her gynaecological issues. During the next several months the woman did deep emotional work around her sense of grief about having never had a child; she also realised she had ambivalent feelings about motherhood partly due to her own traumatised relationship with her mother. Her dream journal and daily life journal, and the sessions with her counsellor revealed submerged emotional material which was now being revealed to her. After six months the woman returned to her gynaecologist for another evaluation intending to allow surgery if her cell tissue was still disturbed. Tissue biopsies were taken of the original sites, and to the astonishment of her doctor the new tests showed absolutely no areas of cervical dysplasia, even in a mild form; her tests were normal and have remained normal for five years.