An environmentalist or an eco-tourist would agree that there is no better alternative to depression treatment, then “ecotherapy.” But in a shocking figure, GPs have been found to have prescribed antidepressants to over 31 million people in the UK in 2006 alone, making it an all-time high.
To combat the growing trend of the depressed people’s relying solely on drugs, Mind — a leading mental health charity – advices depressed people to go for ‘Green therapy’ to tackle the growing problem effectively and easily.
But, you must be pondering on what this ‘green treatment’ might involve. It prescribes no drugs, but walking, kite-flying and gardening as a treatment for people suffering from depression. The charity argues these drugless therapies need to be recognized as a ‘clinically-valid frontline treatment’ for problems relating to mental health.
But, it does not mean that a depressed patient should stop taking drugs. What the charity wants is the need to broaden the treatment therapies by including eco-therapy in the treatment procedure.
Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer said,
Mind sees ecotherapy as an important part of the future for mental health. It’s a credible, clinically-valid treatment option and needs to be prescribed by GPs, especially when for many people access to treatments other than antidepressants is extremely limited.
Hundreds of people have benefited from the green projects run by our local Mind associations but if prescribing ecotherapy was part of mainstream practice it could potentially help the millions of people across the country who are affected by mental distress.
So, if you are suffering from depression, go for an eco-therapy along with taking the drugs prescribed by your physician.
