Nature prescribed by doctors

what do you think about nature as a possible treatment for mental distress?
here’s the article…

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Nature can be very peaceful. No one around to cause anxiety or paranoia

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I don’t think it is helpful, personally I get more stressed and anxious when I’m alone in nature.
Also exercise brings me to a psychotic state

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I need some civilization around or my paranoia amps up.

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it must have some benefits, its not a replacement, its probably more like a type of therapy or cbt i think, i dont think they could force you to do it or anything,

For some it would be beneficial. I seek out nture walks when in a bad state.

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i had my mums dog today and it was great getting out for a walk esp in nature, i love it but i can see how it would be different if i was symptomatic x

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I think a lot depends on how you grew up. What was a comfort.

idk what you mean zm :thinking::thinking::thinking:

Like if you grew up in a city or town you might feel more comfortable with people around. I had a friend that grew up in the high plains of Colorado, flat land you could see for miles. When he went with us to New York he freaked out at the bills and forest, said it made him claustrophobic

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oh right, i know what you mean, i thought it could be adapted so that it worked where you were, like if you lived in the city then you could be encouraged to go to a nearby park with support or something, better than staying inside all the time i think.

For me this is a total no brainer. Of course you derive healing from being with nature. And I love birding, it’s relaxing and interesting and takes you out of your problems for a piece. I don’t know about the taking your hood off and being exposed to the winds though, I don’t like to be cold so… but other than that these doctors are onto something.

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i think if we can deal with that then it could help strengthen our mental durability in a sense (just guessing though) :slight_smile:

i think its a bit like the cold water post i had in a way, also i heard that getting out of your comfort zone is immensely beneficial in the long run.

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I see. I do remember when I used to walk the 3 miles at the bird refuge the bitter winter winds would sweep across the flat land and it would sting my legs. Even with an extra layer of clothes I would get so cold. But I did love those walks. So maybe there is something to that. I did love that I never got over heated. Being over heated is one thing I hate about exercise usually.

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i think its about building up a resilience, may be physical but with a focus on mentality, not enough for it to be dangerous lol, then there is the creative side of it as well,

can people see how this could be adapted in so many ways, it doesnt have to be birdwatching or beach combing, recently i learned of different types of tree, so i have been trying to identify tree types, oak, ash, chestnuts, rowans birch,

and also learning about plants and flowers, what is edible and health benefits etc, cloud spotting is great fun too, making a habitat is fun, there are loads of therapeutic ways which could encourage people to get out of their comfort zone and become interested in the world around them.

i guess it all depends how stable you are though :confused:

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You are so right. I love all those things. I should spend more time outside. I wish I was physically able to walk the refuge again. I can drive it though, maybe that’s a way to get more nature in my life, and there’s little pull over spots where you can get out and sit on the benches and be with nature. It’s pretty cool actually. I think I’ll add a weekly trip to the refuge for my mental health’s sake. I can start walking it and my honey can follow around in the car and when I can’t walk anymore he can pick me up. I could slowly work my way back up to the 3 miles again. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

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that would be awesome :slight_smile: its fun trying to work out what type all the trees are, i dont know them all (only a few) are there any trees? we have a wide variety here.

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Many activities can be healing. Nature is one of them for most people. The trick is to find an activity that works for you. Therapists and doctors are not addressing this issue enough. You can’t have a healthy life without healthy activities, and most people with serious mental illness struggle with this.

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I live on a desert. The only wild trees we really have here are juniper. But there are none at the refuge. So sad. A walk in the trees would do me some good for sure. I grew up in a true garden spot where we had every imaginable tree. I never realized how lucky I was until I ended up on the desert. I guess I could learn to identify different types of sage brush. lol

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