Mental disorders are a hardship that no one should have to deal with, but the sad truth is that every third person deals with them in North America. Mental disorders are a reality we live with in modern times, but this does not mean that anyone should accept them without a fight, especially when some of the best known remedies for mental disorders are literally right outside our doors. Spending time in nature has been proven to reduce symptoms of mental disorders and rewire our brains to function in a healthier fashion.
Mental disorders occur when certain environmental, behavioral, psychological and emotional factors influence a person’s thought patterns and brain chemistry toward unhealthy tendencies. Mental disorders are deeply entrenching and become a person’s normal way of thinking when they are not dealt with properly. Some can become so severe that the invidual afflicted by them may want to kill themselves or self medicate by abusing substances. Several commonly known mental disorders are depression, anxiety, ADHD and addiction.
The reason that spending time in nature can be so beneficial to someone with a mental disorder is that nature has been proven to change the brain’s mental and chemical patterns without the use of prescription drugs or behavioral therapy. There is a very strong connection between people and nature, and when people immerse themselves in nature, it has the effect of restoring them to their natural state, one where their disorder does not exist. In the case of mental disorder, therapy is always recommended and sometimes prescription medications are necessary, but do not underestimate the power of nature have restorative properties that even counseling does not possess.
