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Post by Veneetha Malakkla on Sept 24, 2015 9:50:29 GMT -4
I enjoyed reading this article. It was very interesting. I just experienced the power of being in nature myself while I went hiking the other day. I agree that practicing eco therapy will help cope with mental illness. There's something about being in nature that is therapeutic. As humans, we are all connected to the universe and nature too. We feel a sense of calming energy by sitting in nature. It increases our serotonin levels and therefore we are happier as individuals. I believe treating the mind and body together as whole to better improve health benefits.
The article states "At a conference in February at UC Berkeley, scientists gathered to discuss the latest research on the health benefits of awe, including reductions in levels of cortisol, a stress hormone....But beneath those arguments is something more than an interesting but unconvincing mouse study about soil bacteria. Something spiritual." I agree with this. I feel that if we all take a step back from our busy lives and sit in stillness. We connect with our higher self and feel sense of peace and well being.
"It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles with no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way." -Cheryl strayed
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Post by Tejal Rana on Sept 24, 2015 10:59:53 GMT -4
This is a very interesting article. I think observing nature has its own calming effects. Hiking, being in the outdoors, walking thru gardens, it all helps to put our mind into the moment and allows us to focus our attention to nature which helps to decrease stress and anxiety. The article mentioned “there was food growing, and flowers. It really helped to shift my thinking.” Observing nature, its beauty and intricacy, helps the mind to stay focused, clearing out stresses, and other thoughts. It is interesting in the article it states that people who exercise more in a “natural setting instead of synthetic environments, they experience less anger, fatigue, and sadness.” Also how walking in a park decreases blood flow to the area of the brain that thinks and holds on to unhappy thoughts. I think those two quotes are interesting in the sense that nature helps people to de-stress and have better mental health. I agree with the article on how nature itself has a healing effect on health.
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Post by Ibtesam Haider on Sept 24, 2015 11:11:37 GMT -4
Ecotherapy is a growing medical practice that is focused on soothing and relaxing the mind because of its emphasis on nature. Personally, it is a very enriching experience because the mind sometimes requires peace and tranquility from the everyday stress. I think nature provides an opportunity to build a harmonious relationship that is cultivated through being one with it. It gives the person a chance to unwind and think clearly and positively instead of having a negative attitude toward life in general from all the tension and mental strain. My belief is that people need to get away from their fast-paced, technology-dependent lifestyle to reflect and gather their thoughts once in a while in order to see purpose and the “bigger picture.” Sometimes it’s imperative to talk to oneself by observing nature and “getting lost in it,” than someone else even though we’re social creatures, to reason things out. Since the beginning of time we have depended on nature to survive and mold us into individuals, and so we need to get back in touch with it from time to time in order to get away.
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Post by Tanzina Nowirn on Sept 24, 2015 12:02:16 GMT -4
This is a very interesting and much needed article for medical field. Ecotherapy delivers not only health benefits, but wider social benefits and cost savings that medication could not. In the twenty first century our life is caged by technology. One of the reasons many people are depressed today is that social platforms (Facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, youtube...etc) make them compare their lives with others instead of appreciating who they are. We forget to appreciate our natural surroundings, the serene, the fresh air.
I think it is very important that we do combine medical treatment with ecotherapy for treatment of depression, stress and anxiety. Numerous studies have proven that it does work better when combined. When you go to a gym to loose weight, you constatly remind yourself that you need to loose weight. I completely agree with prescribing people to go to park, feel the nature, and get exercises done without even knowing it. I think more research needs to be done and ecothrapy should not be the only solutions in serious cases. We need to create and promote a society where nature has more value in someones upbringing.
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Post by Joebert Bedoya on Sept 24, 2015 14:33:03 GMT -4
I remembered when I was deployed in Iraq(2007-2008)where I felt somewhat depressed because for the most part I can only see desert with no greens, no blue sea and the place looked like a wasteland. I get excited and happy whenever we travel to Kuwait City which have more greens and it is located in the coastal area. Ecotherapy is a very effective tool in changing the person's mood or perception. Prescribing the patients with medical and mental disorders can have positive effects such as lowering the stress level, diversion of thoughts, prevents complications from current condition since going to the park needs walking. Incorporating ecotherapy with other modes of treatment such as pharmacotherapy is even better. A person cannot be outside 24/7, eventually, that person goes back inside and the cycle continues unless the patient takes some prescribed drugs. Orientals have been using the environment to enhance their inner self and promote well being. We can still see them in the parks, doing Taichi and other forms of meditation. Some hospitals have modified ceilings with clouds and other visual stimulators. Some hospital rooms have bigger windows and have flowers or ornaments. This strategy really helps in a lot of patients especially in the surgical wards. Patients tend not to ask for pain medications as often compared to the patients that are confined in regular room without any visual stimulators. When their attentions are diverted somewhere, it lowers their anxiety and pain level. I believe that adding ecotherapy as a standard of practice in medicine in the states can have positive impact in the medical fields.
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Post by arijanasabic on Sept 24, 2015 15:22:38 GMT -4
This was probably one of the most interesting articles I have read in a long time. It was thought-provoking and caused me to acknowledge that nature plays an important role in our lives whether we like it or not. I think this articles opened our eyes to a different type of medicine, one which does not include giving patients pills but showing patient that healing some disease doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. From personal experience, I can say that being outdoors and in the nature brings on an unexplainable peace. Taking a walk, a hike or a bike ride through nature causes us to feel more calm and collected and causes us to forget all our worries even if it is for 30 minutes. I think that nature-based therapy should be practiced more by physicians, as it is in our human nature to live outdoors. I think why this therapy works so well is because we come from nature. In today’s world, most individuals ignore/forget how important our link to nature and other beings is. We get so caught up in work, TV, video games that we forget the importance nature has on our psychological well-being. Cultures which encourage spending time outdoors have lower rates of depression and anxiety which is probably due to the reduced levels of cortisol and increased serotonin. Our brains crave social connections, as it is by human nature that we need a relationship with outdoors and animals, as well as other humans. We were not made to live alone, inside an apartment without ever seeing daylight. I believe in some cases, depression and anxiety are ways our bodies communicate to us that we need to change/ improve our well-being, as well as embrace the environment that surrounds us.
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Post by Prasheen shah ms3 on Sept 24, 2015 15:51:31 GMT -4
This article is very interesting because it takes a deeper look into a simple method of elevating the mood probably known for a long time. It is no surprise that going out, feeling the fresh crisp air and looking at nature has the ability to make one feel better. I've used this method myself several times when I'm feeling down. I think it might have something to do with changing your environment into a more busy and beautiful one. It's very easy for a person to constantly ruminate on their negative thoughts in their homes with bland walls and dull colors. When you get outside, your focus shifts from inside your own head to observing everything around you. Although this is no where near a complete method for curing depression and other mental illnesses, it's a very important part of improving your overall mood that is often overlooked by patients. Patients will often think that the medication they were prescribed will be enough and forget to try natural things that will elevate their mood and help themselves. When a doctor physically "prescribes time outside" the patients that would not have gone outside otherwise will actually go out. Maybe they'll meet someone or see something interesting. Also, encouraging patients to go outside and enjoy nature has no negative side effects and can only help.
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Post by Tobi Tayo on Sept 24, 2015 20:30:50 GMT -4
Nature's healing power has been documented from anecdotal and educational sources for many years. That the concept of releasing one's self from the confines of four walls allows deeper thinking, promotes good health and encourages better social relationships have been some of the touted positive factors. I'm not however convinced about soil bacteria having much to do with the mood of an individual.
Seeing nature probably gives most people a sense of freedom from defined quarters. The effect is far reaching and I can definitely feel an improvement after getting outside to nature. But is it dissimilar to moving from a smaller space to a larger one? I would certainly feel better if, for example, after being limited to one small room I could suddenly go to two larger ones.
Also would patients with social phobias or anxiety feel the same benefits if they undertook the same study?
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Post by Nicole Tipton MS3 on Oct 1, 2015 14:17:58 GMT -4
I am a strong believer in alternative care but there are certain limitations. Such as many of these herbal remedies can be contraindicated with prescription medication. Evidence based medicine has shown that nature can help with healing. Patients who have a positive and hopeful mindsets heal faster. There is a peace in knowing that you are part of something much bigger. There is so much of the herbal/alternative medicine that I feel like is important for us to know such as Mg+ reducing anxiety or anti-inflammatory reducing depression. This would be a great way to improve overall health for the patients.
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Post by Shelly Everett on Aug 16, 2016 3:18:34 GMT -4
In my opinion, this topic is very interesting to discuss. I like to stay outdoors as much as possible, and let my kid play outside at least three hours a day, regardless of the weather. Do you know why? If not, just read this article: bigessaywriter.com/blog/why-children-should-spend-more-time-outdoors. I'm sure you'll be able to get the point! |
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Onyenaturuchi Ijioma
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Post by Onyenaturuchi Ijioma on Oct 27, 2016 11:51:45 GMT -4
For me, I believe in the power of nature. The system set forth for nature is a complete, self sufficient and successful. In it, one can find every aspects of life. The depressed person who thinks that he's helpless is able to observe how the plants and other aspects of the ecosytem are being taken care of by a central force. The other person who is anxious, is able to learn the nature of orderliness by observing how things naturally align with time and space. It means that with including the need for natural rehabilitation, one can easily understand that the good portion of medication can be avoided or rather replaced by addressing the more natural underlying issue causing most of their symptoms. This is not making the pharmacological approach less relevant- rather we allow pharmacology as an add-on- when the underlying issue become overwhelming. This should not be the sole answer, as numbing the external unnatural forces will not address the inner factors causing the symptoms, which can lead a patient to be phamacologically dependent on a treatment.
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