Cherry Plum
Fear of losing control of yourself, of your temper or your mind
What it feels like
The fear here is not about what might happen to you. It is about what you might do. You feel stretched to the point where you are not sure you can hold it together, and part of you is watching yourself, waiting to snap. Parents of a screaming toddler at the end of a long day know this feeling. So does anyone who has driven home so tired that they did not trust their own hands on the wheel. There is often a sense of pressure building with nowhere to go, and a real reluctance to admit it to anyone, because saying it out loud makes it sound worse than it feels.
Signs you might need it
- You feel stretched to breaking point and afraid you will snap
- You worry you might lose your temper and say something you cannot take back
- There is pressure building with no outlet
- You do not trust yourself to stay calm in a situation you used to handle
- You keep the feeling private because it sounds alarming out loud
- Sudden impulses arrive that frighten you and do not feel like you
What it helps with
The pressure eases and you feel steady in yourself again. People describe it as getting back the sense that they are the one in charge of their own reactions, rather than braced against themselves.
Not to be confused with
Rock Rose, which is terror at something outside you, and Impatiens, which is ordinary irritability rather than fear of your own reaction. Cherry Plum is specifically about not trusting yourself.
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.
The plant
One of the first trees to flower in the year, covered in small white blossom on bare branches while everything else is still asleep. It flowers so early that a late frost often catches it, a plant taking a risk before the season is safe.
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 Cherry Plum
Often taken alongside
Blends that include Cherry Plum
Combinations mixed for a situation rather than for a person. Each one is shown with the reason Cherry Plum is in it.
- The crisis formulaFor the fear of losing your grip, when the pressure feels like more than you can hold.
- The anxiety blendFor the fear of your own reaction, that you might lose your grip on it in front of everyone.
- The sleep blendFor feeling stretched to snapping at three in the morning, when everything looks worse than it will at nine.
- The anger blendFor when your own temper frightens you and you are not sure what you might say next.
- The children's blendFor the meltdown they cannot stop once it has started, and are not enjoying either.
- The crisis formula for petsFor panic that tips into frantic behavior, scratching at doors, chewing, or losing all self control.
- The pet sleep blendFor night panic, the crying, scratching and chewing of an animal left alone with it.
Common questions
These are about Cherry Plum. The questions about the remedies in general, alcohol, children, timing, live in the FAQ.
Is Cherry Plum in Rescue Remedy?
Yes. It is one of the five in that crisis formula, along with Rock Rose, Impatiens, Clematis and Star of Bethlehem. It is included for the part of a crisis where people feel they are losing their grip.
Is Cherry Plum for anger?
Partly. It suits the fear of losing your temper rather than the anger itself. If the feeling is closer to jealousy, suspicion or resentment, Holly is the better fit, and if it is impatience with how slowly everything is moving, look at Impatiens.
Should I take Cherry Plum if I feel like I am not coping?
Yes, and it is often reached for during very stretched periods like new parenthood or a heavy caring role. Take it, and lean on the people around you while you are at it. Feeling stretched is usually a measure of how much you are carrying rather than anything being wrong with you.
Not sure Cherry Plum 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 Cherry Plum
Bach remedies are widely stocked. If you are buying online, check the bottle says Cherry Plum and comes in the standard 20ml stock size.
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