Posted in Mental health, antidepressant, anxiety, anxiety/panic, big pharma, depression, mania, mental illness, panic, psychiatry, psychosis, withdrawal on April 26, 2007 | 2 Comments »
The UKs National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) amended its depression and anxiety guidance on April 25th 2007. This was in response to safety information issued in May 2006, by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for prescribing Venlafaxine/effexor.
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Yet another article espousing the benefits of gardening to vulnerable people, in this case young people with learning difficulties - Growing into the role, in the SocietyGuardian newspaper.
This article caught me eye because it looks at the economic viability of these projects. This is interesting in the wider context of increasing numbers of people needing [...]
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Another writer’s take on why gardening is so great - it makes us ‘better’ people! Not better than others (!!!), but enables us to become more than we were - to experience life more positively - in a fuller and more open way..
Particularly beneficial and uplifting to people who have a history of feeling crushed [...]
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Posted in Allotment, Bargains/Free stuff, Mental health, allotmenteering, antidepressant, anxiety, anxiety/panic, bipolar, depression, gardening, horticultural therapy, mental illness, psychiatry on April 22, 2007 | No Comments »
BTCV are running a scheme for people called a ‘green gym‘.
They give people the chance to ‘work out’ in nature with conservation or gardening work.
So an opportunity for those who haven’t got a garden or don’t feel up to tending a whole plot on their own. Also seems an alternative to attending projects that are [...]
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Apologies for the cheesy title, any-one who reads this will know that my titles are much more sophisticated and considered and high-brow and stuff but it is from a BBC article.
Of particular interest to me were comments from a guy called Gavin who is diagnosed with schizophrenia. His comments reminded me that whilst experiencing the [...]
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Well ain’t it just lovely weather….. yeah yeah, but I want rain.
To avoid social ostracisation, as people look at me worried as though the power of my thoughts may induce a shower - I quickly qualify that I only want it at night. I agreed with Beener’s mum (who is an amazing gardener) that we [...]
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Posted in Allotment, Bargains/Free stuff, Greenhouse, Monty Don, allotmenteering, compost, gardening, horticultural therapy, organic, permaculture, self sufficiency, sustainability on April 9, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Not being a religious person, nor one who celebrates Easter I spent a lot of this weekend up the allotment. It was wonderful, warm and peaceful.
One of our friends very kindly spent his good Friday loading up a big trailer of manure and met me up the allotment.
When I arrived there was nobody there. I was [...]
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Posted in Allotment, Mental health, allotmenteering, antidepressant, anxiety, anxiety/panic, bipolar, depression, gardening, horticultural therapy, mental illness on April 9, 2007 | No Comments »
I came across this article exploring the benefits of gardening for people with mental health ‘problems’ and thought it was a good ‘un.
Treating the Maniacs?
Horticulture as Therapy: from Benjamin Rush to the present day
It would be difficult for anyone to successfully argue that gardening or even being in a garden/nature does not positively increase mental well-being.
It [...]
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In the last six months I have spent the majority of my days gardening in one form or another. So far avoiding the issue and fact that I am a hay fever sufferer - my worst symptom is when I simply want to rip my nose off to stop that annoying itch. It doesn’t make [...]
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I was told the other day that GMTV ran a feature on Monday about the mood enhancing effects of soil. I was dubious, but apparently we somehow absorb good ’stuff’ through our skin and this makes us feel better.
I was happy to see that the research has been highlighted in a BBC article [...]
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