Bach Flower Remedies: Fab or Fad?

Bach Flower remedies: while some people write them off as nonsense, either before or after trying them, others claim they just wouldn't cope without them and carry their personal remedy with them wherever they go.

I'm personally interested in the idea so have been doing a bit of reading around the subject and this is what I've been able to establish so far:

On the face of it, in favour of the remedies, they are cheap and one purchase will allegedly last you a good while. If they do work, and you can find testimony after testimony on the internet and amongst friends and acquaintances to say that they do (as well as quite a few who suggest that it is nothing more than a placebo effect), how else can you calm your nerves, whenever required, for less than $5? There seems to be a variety of ways to take the remedies, including spray, droplets, cream, pastilles...and they are sold on Amazon, so they must be popular.

On the other hand, with the exception of the Rescue Remedy, it would appear that you need a consultation with an "expert" to establish which of the 38 flower essences are suitable for your particular negativities. That sounds expensive. Either that or risk chancing creating your own personal remedy according to your own self-diagnosis. Well, apparently that doesn´t matter because if you take the wrong remedy then it is harmless. So if you take the right remedy...what?

Rescue Remedy, I should add, is known in the world of Bach Flower remedy fans as a universal aid for helping anxiety and relieving stressful situations. It has become the most popular of all of the remedies, but that must surely be because it is suitable for anyone who is suffering from shock, grief or stress (quite a lot of people). The other essences focus on less general areas and are more specific, for example, helping if you tend to be an overly indecisive or excessively dominant person.

The concept of flowers being submersed in water to release an essence as sunlight penetrates their petals is feasible. That flowers have curative powers is also. Where most people looking at giving flower power a chance might start to hesitate is when they wonder whether certain essences used in more or less homeopathic quantities can really do anything.

OK, so many "normal" medicines come from plants but might it not just be the fact that

1) you are examining potentially negative emotions or situations you wish to evaluate in your life

2) have the will to do something about it

3) are taking steps to do so

which are proactively positive actions and, ultimately, it is this which makes everything seem so much better? And nothing to do with flower remedies whatsoever?

The real Bach Flower remedy die-hards even recommend using the famed Rescue Remedy on their pets and children. Well, until I know a bit more about how it all works, I personally won't be going down that road...but yes, there is plenty of reading material to get started on.