NATURAL REMEDY FOR PTSD TO CONSIDER

Over 70 years ago in England, there was a very well respected physician named Dr. Edward Bach. In his many years of practice, he found one very common link among all of his patients. That was...if the emotional issues in the person's life were out of balance, it did not matter what he did to try and heal that patient...they never REALLY got completely well.

He found this frustrating, and decided to do something about it. He was also very much into the study of plants. He gave up his very lucrative practice in London, much to the surprise of his medical colleagues, and moved to the country. He began to study flowers and plants, and the emotional effect they could have on humans, plants and animals. He found that there were 38 different emotions that are felt, and thru testing on himself and others, found which plants addressed each of those emotions. He felt so strongly about his work that he created a foundation and a trust to protect his work, so his formulations could never be altered, and so the foundation could never become a commercial type enterprise that could be bought out or tampered with.

He named his work the 38 Bach Flower Remedies. They are all natural from flowers and plants, they have no side effects and are not habit forming. They can be used on humans, animals and even plants! They address a wide range of emotions, such as Fear of the Unknown, Fear of a Known Source and Fear that is so great it is more like terror.

The Bach Flower Remedies do not affect you physically. They are NOT meant to cure disease. They are developed from the energy of the flowers, and they address the highest vibrational emotional energy level within each of us. That is where they do their job. You do not see emotions change overnight. But what you will see is a gradual return of that person to their normal self. I have personally seen it work in myself and others for over 25 years. All of a sudden, situations that you were not able to deal with gradually become easier to deal with, or anger that was always there is seen and expressed less often, or somebody who feels as though they are at the end of their rope suddenly start sounding more hopeful. That is how they work.

The Bach Flower Remedies have been used widely in Europe for decades, and interestingly, the most popular remedy in European countries which have had wars through the years is:
"Star of Bethlehem".
If it was within my power to do so, I would give as standard issue to each returning soldier who felt it would be helpful to them, a bottle of Star of Bethlehem.

For those who have addiction issues, Agrimony is the suggested remedy. It is for those who hide their emotions behind a cheerful face, and face their inner torment alone. They use food, alcohol or drugs to help them cope.

For those that are suffering from uncontrollable outbursts of anger or suspicion, Holly is the suggested remedy.

If you are not familiar with the Bach Flower Remedies, look into them. They really will help. They can be found at most good health food stores. I have been using the Bach Flower Remedies for years with myself, family and friends, and now I'm sharing it with my blog readers. If I can answer a question for you about them, feel free to ask.

The key to remember is it is not how MUCH you take, but rather how OFTEN. Four drops, a minimum of four times a day is the recommended dosage on the bottle, but it can be used as often as necessary. Again, no side effects, and no addiction.

If you or someone you know are suffering from PTSD, consider Star of Bethlehem. You might find it will help you cope with those feelings that you can't quite get a handle on now that you are home from the military, or to help recover from any type of shock or trauma in your life.

I firmly believe the reason the government is scrambling to find how to deal with PTSD is because it is now ao wide spread due to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. My heart goes out to our Vietnam Vets, as they were really the first to experience PTSD I believe, and they account for far too many of the homeless folks you see living on the streets, because they simply cannot cope with life anymore. The problem is also that PTSD is not something that seems to be successfully treatable with therapy or drugs.

PTSD occurs when traumatic events get locked away in the brain/psyche of the person who endured that traumatic event because they are simply not able to deal or cope with what happened to them, or what they saw happen to others. Talking about it doesn't seem to help and medicating it doesn't seem to be helping.

I think we could learn a serious lesson from the Indians. For years and years, long before the American Medical Association was around, they had only flowers and plants to help them with a wide range of physical and mental ailments. They used them and they worked. Contrary to what most folks know, a number of prescription drugs have their roots in plant and flower sources.

The difference in Dr. Bach's research is that he was able to extract the energy from the plants and flowers in the way they are harvested for use in the tinctures. That is the key to what helps them correct the imbalances in our energies.

The way we know they absolutely work is with animals. An animal does not have the ability to reason, "Oh, I'm taking a Bach Remedy so I know I will feel better". All of a sudden, the animal is more like his normal happy self again. That's how we know they work.

Thank you for listening dear blog reader, and I hope you will consider trying the Bach Flower Remedies for yourself, or sharing them with a friend or loved one. Even if you don't suffer from PTSD, but might like to try the Bach Flower Remedies in your life, consider Rescue Remedy. It is a combination of five of Dr. Bach's remedies in one bottle, and once you try it, you will carry it with you always. It can help keep you calm in every kind of circumstance you can imagine... going to the dentist, before taking a test, right after receiving bad news, or even after a car accident. There is over 70 years of case studies on the Bach Flower Remedies, and the Rescue Remedy alone has made a huge difference in the coping ability of many humans, and animals, all over the world.

If I had just one wish, it would be able to share the Bach Flower Remedies with every American soldier...even to be able to give each soldier a bottle of Rescue Remedy to have with them when they are on the battlefield, to help them better cope with what I can only imagine must be the hardest thing they have ever experienced.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS OF A PTSD SUFFERER

Recovering from a traumatic incident, whether it was a one time incident, or as a result of military service, is unlike anything you as the friend or family member of this person are probably familiar with, if you have never experienced a truly traumatic event in your own life. So, the most important thing you can offer is patience.

You may want to try and get the person to talk about what happened, but you must be patient and let them decide when and how they are ready to talk about it. Not everyone shares their feelings the same way, and particularly with military or law enforcement personnel, sharing is very, very hard for them. They are trained to keep their emotions in check as they perform their duties, and "wearing their heart on their sleeve" is not something that is encouraged for the safety of the person, the team and/or the unit. They cannot simply come home to you and instantly open up. Trying to make them talk will only make the traumatized person feel more isolated than they already do. What they experienced is literally locked inside their head, and it takes time and patience for them to feel safe again in order to let anyone else know about what they went through. It is the body's way of coping. It sounds bizarre, but anytime there is an injury, whether physical or emotional, the body shuts down certain aspects of itself until it can figure out how to deal with what happened. This happens in various degrees of "shutdown" such as shock, coma and PTSD.

So, the greatest gift you can give to your friend or loved one suffering from PTSD is to be patient. Say to them, "I love you, and I'm here for you." And don't ask any questions. At all. Offer them a hug, or offer to hold their hand, and don't take it personally if they say no. It does not mean they don't love you. It just means they need some space.

Remember that PTSD sufferers are recovering from something that was very emotionally terrifying and traumatizing for them, so don't push. Women especially are notorious for wanting to take care of our loved ones, but now is not the time. The best thing you can do is to not take it personally and become informed. This is not anyone's fault. Especially with children who are used to that person acting more loving toward them than they are now, let them know their Mommy or Daddy loves them and that this is not their fault and that Mommy or Daddy is not angry at them.

Study about PTSD to help you understand what the person is going through, pray, and do whatever helps you in your efforts to be patient. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it, and when things are better, your friend or family member will remember that you were the one person who did not push them to open up at a time when they were simply not ready to be pushed.

If you are patient, you may just be the one person they decide it is safe enough to open up to. IF that happens, let it be at THEIR pace, and at THEIR choosing. Just listen. As much as you may want to talk, don't. Be quiet and just be there.

HELP FOR MILITARY PTSD

As I watched the news today, I was saddened by the story of the soldier who returned from Iraq, and because of what he experienced there, is now constantly filled with anger, frustration, bad memories, and the feeling that no one can help him and that no one cares. He is suffering, and as a result, his wife and children are suffering. Some say the military does not care for its soldiers. I would suggest that it is not that they don't care, they are just unsure of what to do to help. I felt led to create this blog just to try and get a few helpful thoughts out to others who may be experiencing these same kinds of feelings.

The most important thing for you to remember is that the brain is a very complicated part of each one of us, and the way each of us reacts to trauma is completely different. Your experience will be totally unlike that of someone else with whom you served. It does not reflect on the kind of person you are. It just means that the way your brain processes the emotions you are feeling and the memories you have are unique to you.

I hope you will find some of the thoughts and ideas shared here helpful, and more than anything, that you know how very proud America is of you, and how grateful we are for your service.