Gentian
Discouragement after a specific setback
What it feels like
Something went wrong and it has knocked the wind out of you. The interview you did not get, the test you failed by two marks, the offer that fell through on the house. You know exactly what caused the mood, and the mood is out of proportion to the size of it, which you can see perfectly well and still cannot shake. It is the feeling of a small setback confirming a suspicion you already had, that this is how things tend to go for you. Importantly, you have not given up. You are discouraged, and a bit of encouragement genuinely does help.
Signs you might need it
- You can name the exact thing that discouraged you
- A small setback has flattened you more than it should
- You expect the next attempt to go the same way
- You put off trying again in case it goes wrong
- Encouragement from other people does actually lift you
- You are pessimistic about a particular thing, not about life in general
What it helps with
You get your perspective back. The setback returns to its actual size, and you can see it as one result rather than a verdict on everything.
Not to be confused with
Gorse, which is the same feeling gone further. Gentian is discouraged and can be talked round. Gorse has concluded there is no point and does not want to hear it. If there is no specific cause at all, look at Mustard.
Those who are easily discouraged. They may be progressing well in illness or in the affairs of their daily life, but any small delay or hindrance to progress causes doubt and soon disheartens them.
The plant
The autumn gentian, a small purple flower of chalk downland that comes into bloom as the summer is ending and most other things are going over. Flowering into the shortening days suits a remedy about carrying on after a knock.
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 Gentian
Often taken alongside
Blends that include Gentian
Combinations mixed for a situation rather than for a person. Each one is shown with the reason Gentian is in it.
- The low mood blendFor discouragement you can trace to something. A result, a rejection, a week that went wrong.
- The exam nerves blendFor the flattening after a bad mock or a poor result, when one mark starts to feel like a verdict.
- The big changes blendFor the setbacks along the way, the third fallen through apartment, the application that went nowhere.
Common questions
These are about Gentian. The questions about the remedies in general, alcohol, children, timing, live in the FAQ.
What is the difference between Gentian and Gorse?
How far the discouragement has gone. Gentian is disheartened but still open to trying again, and responds to encouragement. Gorse has decided nothing will work and will tell you so. Gorse often follows Gentian if a run of setbacks keeps coming.
Is Gentian good for exam results or job rejections?
That is exactly the situation it describes, a specific knock that has left you flat. It is often taken alongside Larch, which covers the belief that you will not be good enough next time either.
How is Gentian different from Mustard?
Gentian always has a cause you can point to. Mustard is gloom that descends out of a clear sky with nothing behind it at all.
Not sure Gentian 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 uncertainty group holds the nearest neighbors.
Where to buy Gentian
Bach remedies are widely stocked. If you are buying online, check the bottle says Gentian and comes in the standard 20ml stock size.
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