Bach's flowers are a natural therapy based on the curative power of floral elixirs. This method for treating psychological and emotional woes was invented in 1930 by the English bacteriologist Edward Bach. After probing many plant species, Bach determined the properties of 38 and divided them into seven broad groups depending on what effect they had on the organism.

The underlying premise of the therapy is that physical problems and diseases stem from personal, emotional and psychological conflicts and that by alleviating them we can cure what ails the body. Thus, floral elixirs have a positive effect on fear, phobias, and feelings of desperation and loneliness. Dr. Daniel Perez, a member of the natural-medicine section of the Barcelona Medical Association, said this therapy improves people's perception of their emotional problems and helps them deal with them better.

The seven areas in which Bach's flowers act are hypersensitivity to one's surroundings, excessive worry over others, fear, loneliness, a lack of interest in the present, uncertainty and desperation. Each of these is subdivided into more specific problems that can be alleviated with a floral elixir.

If the disorder has to do with a specific phobia, say, fear of flying, the recommended essence is mimulus. If you have generalized anxiety, take red chestnut. For inexplicable fears, the remedy is said to be aspen. If a patient suffers from feelings of guilt and low self-esteem, willow and wild apple respectively are supposed to do the trick. For those who are discouraged easily, gentian. Those who are too critical and intolerant of others should take beech. The key is to identify the problem as clearly as possible, then choose the right elixir.

These flowers do not have side effects and are safe, which means there is no risk of overdose. In a bid to concentrate efforts on just one problem, even though you can take several flowers at once experts recommend no more than seven at the same time. The therapy starts to have an effect after three weeks of using the flowers.

The exact mechanism of how they work is not known. It seems to be a physical process rather than a chemical one, as is the case with other therapies based on plants. The main idea is that the world holds a duality of opposites, so that to alleviate or transform a negative situation you have to develop its positive opposite. This is what floral elixirs are supposed to do. Bach's flowers are available in health food stores and pharmacies. They come in small vials with an eyedropper. Just add five drops to a glass of water, and swallow five drops of this mix several times a day.