Aspen
Vague dread with no cause you can point to
What it feels like
Something is wrong and you have no idea what. The feeling arrives on an ordinary Tuesday with nothing behind it, a sense that bad news is coming, a prickle at the back of your neck in an empty house. Because there is nothing to name, it is difficult to talk about. Saying you are scared of the dentist is easy. Saying you woke at four with a sense of doom and no reason for it sounds strange out loud, so most people keep it to themselves. It can come as a shiver, a jumpiness, or a reluctance to sleep with the light off, long past the age when that feels reasonable.
Signs you might need it
- You feel afraid but cannot say what of
- A sense of doom arrives for no reason
- You are uneasy in the dark or alone in the house
- You wake in the small hours with dread rather than a specific worry
- You keep the feeling to yourself because it sounds odd explained
- Anticipation without an event, the sense that something is coming
What it helps with
The background hum of dread quietens and the day stops feeling faintly ominous. People often describe it as being able to enjoy an ordinary evening without waiting for something to go wrong.
Not to be confused with
Mimulus, which is the same feeling attached to something you can name. The test is simple. If you can finish the sentence I am afraid of, it is Mimulus. If you cannot, it is Aspen.
Vague unknown fears, for which there can be given no explanation, no reason. Yet the patient may be terrified of something dreadful going to happen, they know not what. These vague unexplainable fears may haunt by night or day.
The plant
The aspen is the tree whose leaves move in the faintest breath of wind, thanks to flattened leaf stalks that let each leaf twist on its own. A whole aspen stand can look like it is trembling on a still day, which is where the remedy takes its picture from.
How to take it
The usual way is two drops from the stock bottle into a small glass of water, sipped through the day. If you are mixing several remedies, put two drops of each into a 30ml bottle of spring water and take four drops from that, four times a day.
There is no need to time it around meals, and you can take it as often as you like. Most people give it two weeks before deciding whether it is doing anything. The full guide to taking them covers mixing bottles, timing and the alcohol question.
Often mixed up with Aspen
Often taken alongside
Blends that include Aspen
Combinations mixed for a situation rather than for a person. Each one is shown with the reason Aspen is in it.
Common questions
These are about Aspen. The questions about the remedies in general, alcohol, children, timing, live in the FAQ.
What is the difference between Aspen and Mimulus?
Whether the fear has a name. Mimulus is for fears you can point at, a flight, an appointment, a spider. Aspen is for dread that turns up with no cause attached. If you feel both at once, which is common, there is no problem taking them together.
Is Aspen good for anxiety at night?
It is the usual choice when the night-time uneasiness has no obvious source, including waking with a sense of doom. If your mind is instead running the same worried thought on a loop, White Chestnut tends to fit better.
How do I take Aspen?
Two drops in a glass of water sipped through the day, or four drops from a mixing bottle four times a day. There is no need to time it around food.
Can children take Aspen?
It is a common choice for children who are frightened of the dark, or of nothing they can name. The remedies are preserved in a little brandy, so most parents put the drops in water or juice. Alcohol free versions are easy to find if you would rather.
Not sure Aspen is the one?
Choosing works by recognizing yourself in a description, so if this one only half fits, it is worth seeing what else comes up. The quiz narrows all 38 in about a minute, and the fear group holds the nearest neighbors.
Where to buy Aspen
Bach remedies are widely stocked. If you are buying online, check the bottle says Aspen and comes in the standard 20ml stock size.
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