Mental Health Vs Nature

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Human beings have always used Mother Nature as an object for healing. Before there was synthetic medication, like penicillin, people turned to the natural world for antidotes to remedy what was considered to be abnormal. The world of medicine was split into two as synthetic drugs emerged; one was western medicine, where synthetic drugs are highly utilized, and the other was eastern medicine, where natural remedies still dominate. Treatments for mental illnesses today are mostly dealt with by using the western medicine approach, but what if nature itself is a cure or a factor that can alleviate the symptoms of these illnesses? Before the urbanization of the world, exposure to nature was a daily occurrence for people. As the years …show more content…
The statement explains that parts of the human mind, body, and spirit are sacrificed as people are separated from nature, examples containing decreased use of the senses and attention difficulties. Nick Drury, a psychologist, states in his article, “Mental Health is an Abominable Mess: Mind and Nature is a Necessary Unity,” that
75% of the people that received mental health services either did not respond to treatment, or worst-case scenario, their mental health deteriorated. Using synthetic drugs may work on treating mental disorders, but many unwanted side effects can occur. On the other hand, multiple experiments have shown that exposure to nature helps increase a person’s mental health and decrease the effects of their disorders without the side effects of medication. The most commonly tested mental disorders, in regards to exposure to nature, are depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity
…show more content…
These two sources complement each other on the basis of urban versus rural area effects on anxiety. Rebecca A.
Clay, the author of the article “Green is good for you” from the American Psychological
Association, mentions that Roger S. Ulrich, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University, found that even just viewing pictures nature can also help. He mentions that at a Swedish hospital, showing post-op heart surgery patients in intensive care units pictures with trees and water requested for less pain medication and lowered their anxiety.
The results display that nature has positive effects on the mental health of people, no matter the severity of the disorder.
Another mental disorder that has a link with nature is schizophrenia, which is a serious mental disorder that affects the way people think, act, and express emotions. The signs and symptoms of schizophrenia varies from hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, speech, and behavior. Charles W. Shmidt, the author of the article “A Deeper Look into

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