I like to think of Cherry Plum as the remedy for control freaks. I should know (wink).
Self-deprecating humor aside, someone in a negative Cherry Plum state may have a fear of losing control or going crazy, of taking rash actions, or they may even be afraid they will suddenly burst into a rage and become violent.
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Fear of the mind being over-strained, of reason giving way, of doing fearful and dreaded things, not wished and known wrong, yet there comes the thought and impulse to do them.
~Edward Bach |
In a negative Cherry Plum state, you try very hard to suppress your emotions, because you’re afraid of doing something you know you shouldn’t… as though a person who is normally “well-behaved” and a responsible human being will suddenly and for no reason act out in an irresponsible way.
That need for control of what occurs in our life stems from a belief that our emotions and feelings are somehow unwanted or unacceptable. That belief usually comes from an authority figure in our early life, based on their own false beliefs.
When I see this in print, it all sounds so irrational and unlikely. I have seen (in myself and in others) this negative Cherry Plum state, and it is definitely very real to the person it’s affecting.
Example: I am a very good and responsible driver. I haven’t gotten a ticket in more than 20 years, and the last two wrecks I was involved in (both more than two decades ago as well) I was hit while I was sitting at a red light.
Anyway, there’s the background, now back to the example. I was driving a friend’s vehicle on a narrow, 2 lane mountain road in Mexico. Lots of hairpin turns and blind curves. I was freaking out a little, because I was in the outside lane, and the drop-off at roads’ edge was about 1,500 feet. And the weirdest part was that I was really gripping the steering wheel hard, because I was having this odd fear of suddenly turning the wheel and driving off the side of the mountain.
My friend acknowledged my fears, reminded me I was a capable driver, and noted that the lanes were the same width down in the desert as they were up there on the mountain. Really, all I had to do was keep the truck in the lane. Not so hard. Good friend.
I remember thinking at the time it would have been nice to have my Bach Flower Kit handy. Unfortunately, that was not the case, so I had to use total will power to convince myself I was suffering from false belief.
It would have been so much easier if I’d had my Cherry Plum.
Ironically, this emotional suppression causes a sort of short circuit, and the body and mind really do end up doing things that are out of the norm.
A negative Cherry plum may suffer from congestion of some sort: sinus problems, perhaps constipation, as though part of their system has just shut down. They may be aware there is something awry and try to force themselves to be calm, or fake it.
They may feel as though they’re about to “lose it” and will no longer be able to control the destructive forces they feel rising inside them.
Panic and anxiety disorder may be the result of unresolved issues of this type. A chronic Cherry Plum state may lead to obsessive behaviors (OCD), where certain actions “must be performed so that nothing bad will happen.”
A psychologist might very well say that this state of mind is caused by an internal fear of letting go.
From a spiritual viewpoint, the negative Cherry Plum personality has turned away from the guidance of their Higher Power. It should be remembered that for every positive development in our spiritual growth, there is also present a darker version that (in Biblical terms) comes to tempt us.
Our Universe is about balance, and Free Will, and making choices.
Instead of trying to hold all these feelings beneath the surface, it would be much to your advantage to name and talk about these feelings, at least to yourself, if not to a professional, or ideally, your Creator.
By accepting the guidance of your Higher Power, you will be led through the darkness and fear, and into the light of your true destiny.
As you may have guessed by now, the positive Cherry Plum state is good composure and a sense of calmness about your situation and how you will handle it. Vast energy resources become available to you so that you gain insights and can handle great adversity, whether internal or external.
Cherry Plum flower essence has been shown very helpful in cases as diverse as psychotherapy sessions, the treatment of bed-wetting in children, marriage counseling, drug addiction, and interestingly, in the support of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological issues.
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I have been going through extreem emotions because of abuse that I suffered in childhood that keeps coming up. I have been feeling a lot of anger. I do try connecting with God and I do have a faith, but my emotions sometimes get the better of me. I am hoping I can get better.
You know, Karri, sometimes it’s appropriate to feel angry. No one has the right to abuse anyone else, whether they are young, or old, or somewhere in between.
There have been many times when I tried to justify or excuse the actions of abusers, because they were very likely abused themselves and are simply continuing the pattern. It’s what they know.
I had good intentions then (and now), but I’ve come to believe differently.
I understand why an abuser might fall into that pattern, and yet, they had a choice. And they chose to hurt someone, whatever the reason.
Of course an abused person would feel anger, at least they would after their heart had begun to heal. The first tendency is to go numb, so the memory and emotional pain isn’t so severe.
And the trick is to feel it, really feel it, and let it pass right through your body and out. Not to seek revenge, or dwell in the pain. The more you recite the story to yourself, the deeper the pain is embedded. The abuser wins because the abused one still suffers.
Neuroscientists tell us that – as long as there is no resistance against it – an emotion only takes about 90 seconds to pass through the body. And then, it’s gone.
Takes practice to allow yourself to feel the nasty ones, and just observe the feeling. Not push it down, not “act out” in a negative way.
Just watch it, acknowledge it, accept it, allow it to pass through and away.
This is how you can heal.
Karri, I dearly hope you are in a safe situation these days. And I pray you will seek help. This is difficult to go through alone.