A Recap of the Successful Water Well Drilling
Tags :
horticulture therapy,Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
Share This :
Discover Whether Horticultural Therapy Can Finally End The Torture of Being a Mental Illness Victim?
February 18, 2019
horticulture therapy,Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
When it comes to treating mental health issues, horticultural therapy might not be among the top ten in your list of effective cures. Well you’re not alone. As a matter of fact, some people take therapeutic gardening activities as just another outdoor hobby.
Story highlights
- In-depth understanding of raised garden beds
- The importance of having raised garden beds on your next gardening projects
In this article, we will explore the truth about whether or not gardening as a therapeutic intervention in mental health can solve this issue once and for all. But first, let’s discuss the reasons why a lot of mental health disorders remain untreated.
What makes mental health issues so hard to treat in spite of the options available intended to put a stop to it?
We all know that mental illness knows no bounds. It can hit anyone, rich or poor, from young children to adults. You can fall prey to its symptoms easily and quickly, most of the time without any warning signals at all. The process of diagnosing mentally ill patients is oftentimes very frustrating. Here are some of the reasons why…
Mental health issues may be disguised as physical or health disorders and vice versa.
There are continued studies being done to uncover the connections between the body and the brain. Sad to say, the strong relationship between psychological and medical symptoms add to the difficulty in diagnosing a patient. In fact, researches have shown that some physical ailments trigger at least 10% of psychological symptoms.
Dr. Sherry Ann Beaudreau, a clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine stated that mental health issues may worsen medical symptoms.
For example, heart palpitations or gastro intestinal problems may trigger anxiety. Dr. Beaudreau, in one of her interviews said that “sometimes it’s both, and sometimes patients think it’s a medical disorder, but it’s actually part of their anxiety or depression disorder. So I think we walk a really fine line trying to figure that out.”
Mental illnesses symptoms are often similar, which make diagnosis very challenging.
Perhaps it’s not new to you that there are cases of mental health misdiagnosis. You can see these issues in the news or even in social media. These occur even though the mental health professionals are doing their best efforts to prevent misdiagnoses from happening.
Overlapping symptoms are one of the contributing factors to mental illness misdiagnosis. Plus the fact that there is much to discover about how a human brain works can make diagnosing psychiatric disorder a challenging one.
Dr. Sherry Ann Beaudreau expressed that “we have the issue of this heterogeneity and trying to map it onto symptoms that sometimes sound similar across different disorders,”she added “Because of all of the heterogeneity and the fact that these disorders were put together…. more by critical observation, the time has come where that’s changing and it’s being looked at differently.”
Social stigmas, missing history, and misreporting
The fear of being discriminated is one of the reasons why most people with mental health issues shy away from seeking professional help. Missing history, as well as, misreporting can likewise hinder an accurate initial diagnosis.
Uncover the Truth about Gardening as a Therapeutic Intervention in Mental Health!
You may already realize that gardening is a great boost to your physical health. But when it comes to its therapeutic benefits for mental wellness, it is often overlooked.
Did you know that there are proofs showing that therapeutic gardening activities can indeed get rid of mental illness?
Professor Tim Lang, from the Centre for Food Policy at City University London said that more health professionals today recognize the fact that animals, plants and the natural environment is a great contributing factor to a person’s overall mental and physical wellbeing.
For the large number of people in our society – children and adults – who live with challenging physical or mental health problems, gardening and community food growing can be especially beneficial. Such activities can relieve the symptoms of serious illnesses, prevent the development of some conditions, and introduce people to a way of life that can help them to improve their well-being in the longer term. And even if you are feeling fine, gardening is… well, just a very nice thing to do.
Professor Tim Lang
Center for Food Policy, City University London
Here are proofs why more doctors are prescribing gardening therapy for depression and other mental health issues…
Antidepressant Microbes In Soil – some health practitioners even consider gardening as the new Prozac because of its ability to boost one’s mood.
A combined study by the University College London and University of Bristol performed an experiment using mice that were exposed to soil bacteria. They intend to find out whether their behavior will be the same to that produced by antidepressants. Dr Chris Lowry, lead author on the paper, stated that:
“These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt”
If you’re trying to connect the dots, here’s a much simpler explanation. Dirt has good microbes that once inhaled activates neuron in the brain. This neuron is responsible for producing happy hormones – serotonin.
Improves brain function – therapeutic gardening activities exercise your body and mind. It keeps your mind active because it uses different brain functions such as problem solving, learning and sensory awareness.
Conclusion
Gardening offers distraction from the busy lifestyle – you might be wondering whether this is a good idea. It is. We can’t deny that it’s a fast-paced daily routine for most of us, which explains the stress and anxiety levels of every person.
Therapeutic garden activities help mentally ill individuals slow down and get their minds off the issues that are troubling them.
These are the facts about how horticultural therapy can be an effective tool in treating mental health conditions. These are not mere hearsays or myths but are supported with credible research and studies. Mentally ill patients do not have to rely on drugs anymore, because there’s an equally effective way to treat this issue without the stigma.
Keep Updated
Newsletter
The Olmec Agro-Tech was established in 2016, as an outlet and space for the Indigenous communities.
Contact Info
- Mailing Address: P. O. Box 550 Tacoma WA 98405
- 253 620 0196
- info@olmecagro-tech.org
- CSA Pick Up Location: Next to Barangay Tropical Park Community Garden 1892 S 46th St, Tacoma, WA 98418
Olmec Agro-Tech
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.