Nature Time Prescription for Depression and Anxiety

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Island Traveler

From 20 minutes to 2 Hours per day, Nature Time can now be prescribed by your Primary Care Physician to treat Depression.

I sum up my Nature Time to one day per week or every 2 weeks. I need to learn how to break them down to several short sessions every day or every other day because it’s more therapeutic that way. Just like taking medications, Nature Time should be daily to work its best. It needs to remain in our system so we don’t go rebound or have withdrawals.

For those that have been visiting Nature for healing and Wellness, this only confirms what we know and felt all along.

Close your eyes and pretend you are with me. Where hiking towards a hill carpeted by greens and wildflowers. The blue Ocean surrounds us and we can clearly hear it’s waves moving towards the shore. The Ocean breeze fresh, cool and gentle. Then we reached the top, the clouds reachable. Now open your eyes, welcome to my Oasis. It is now yours and can be any adventure and escape you want. It transforms however you want it. Enjoy.
Nature Time at Carmel Valley. Mental Health Getaway and Healing every time. It’s worth the 90 minutes drive though Scenic Nature and Ocean Drive along Cabrillo HWY is by itself a form of Therapy.

CNN Travel: In the US and Canada, doctors can prescribe “nature time,” including free passes to national parks. Dr. Melissa Lem explains why being outdoors in nature is so important to our health.

I don’t wait for others to save me. I try to save myself as long as I have the strength to do it. I don’t recommend Waiting and Assumption.

TIMES: Why Doctors Are Prescribing Nature Walks

The irony. My Primary Care Physician never mentioned it nor has any of the Doctors I have worked with to their Patients suffering from Depression. These are Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Physicians. None from my 22 years of Nursing Practice.

All alone is when I’m most connected to Nature.

What normally happens, Primary Care Physicians based on a Depression Scoring System or simply from the Patients subjective need for Depression Treatment refer their Patients to a Behavioral Health Specialist like Psychiatrist both for medication prescription and Psychotherapy. Primary Care Physicians comfortable with prescribing Anti-Depressants can initiate and refill basic Anti-Depressant prescriptions like Sertraline. Still follow-up and trust are poor.

Some Medical Groups like Kaiser are aggressive in treating Depression and Mental Health at the Primary Care Physicians level which I believe should be the standard of wholistic Patient Care because no one knows more of our medical and psyche history than our Primary Care Physicians. Other Medical Groups, their Doctors are reluctant to deal with Depression upfront and will refer depressed Patients to a Behavioral Health Specialist delaying Patient Care. The when is the problem many Depressed Patients have to endure.

The closer the Nature details we see, the more Worldly things and problems we forget.

From Waiting to Nothing

Behavioral Health Referrals can get denied by their insurance as easy as having the wrong ICD Code Diagnosis. Follow-up and time of approval to appointment can take weeks to months, and many of these referrals fall off the cracks. Patients on the other hand are suffering or already been to the Emergency Room for severe Depression and or Suicide. Nothing has changed for the past 10 years to improve this inconsistencies.

Nature because it’s okay to by myself. Nature because all that I could ever want is almost free…

Untreated Mental Health is alarmingly prevalent. It is very common yet it is not given the needed attention and urgency. Severe Depression and Suicide are considered Emergency. They are seriously Life threatening.

…Freedom and Adventure.
…Joy and Happiness.
…Peace, Calm, Contentment.

Bay Area, San Francisco and Santa Cruz has very high untreated Mental Health and Homeless Population. They are everywhere. Locals and Leaders seem to accept this as normal and hopelessly unfixable. It’s not. Something can be done. People should get the help and support every Human Being deserves.

True. Some will buy the 1 million house, destroy it and build brand new 2-4 townhouses at 2 million each. This is the unregulated housing trend in California. People even take pride in telling others how their community has become very unaffordable while omitting the fact homelessness, mental health crisis and drug addiction are also happening in the streets of the million dollars neighborhoods. Bubble Trouble.

How communities with 1 million and above houses ignore real People in their streets crying for help and change is unbelievable. But where I live and my surrounding Cities these is acceptable and tolerated. Eventually, new Settlers gets numb and accept things as futile.

People like to pick and choose. No one really likes the ugly part of anything, so selecting what’s beautiful is hope that the outcome will also be beautiful. Not really the case in everything. This is why we make big regrettable, heart breaking mistakes.

People look the other way. From our Governor to our Mayors, same reaction, look the other way. Focus is on Capitalism, Economy and Politics. Mention of Mental Health is Taboo and People act like it’s happening to another Country. Who would believe and accept Silicon Valley home to some of the richest companies and owners in the World like Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Netflix and Tesla has so much Poverty and ignored Mental Health Problems? It’s a scandal. It’s ugliness to an image that has to be dreamy. This I can tell you, it ain’t dreamy at all. But I got numb too and learned to accept things for what they are.

I know what calms me. I know what makes me happy even if they are fleeting. I know what makes my heart feel Alive. But what I want will never be easy. I always have to compromise to have them. Life is complicated when it could be simple.

I struggle with Anxiety, Stress and Depression myself so I know exactly what it feels to live in an environment where People are in a Bubble, Friends and Family included.

Bubble means things that are nice, pretty, happy, comfortable, amazing are the main focus of life and conversations. Anything negative, sad, painful, dark, conscience provoking, uncomfortable, requires caring are frowned upon and unpopular. They get skipped like they are not part of Living in the Real World. Superficial Bubble Mindset and Lifestyle.

This is what I learned in America and it’s obsession of having a Dream House, “That I would rather be free from misery and slavery, than having a nice house and be owned by a company for 15-30 years.” I chose to liberate myself and my Family in 2008. I chose to save me and follow the dreams I had set aside because of the irresistible influence of People and Society. I was very naive and stupid then.
To feel Alive takes hard work and patience. To let someone important we love feel Alive requires selflessness, kindness and understanding. We do not have to wait for their Doctor to prescribe Nature Time if we already know Nature makes them happy and hopeful. Love generously.

Next time we see our Primary Care Physician, ask for Nature Time Prescription. Summer is coming and so many Nature Parks awaits for us to experience. We deserve to smile and be happy the way Nature intended. If our PCP doesn’t know what Nature Time Rx is, time to educate them and tell them exactly what we really need. Not everything is fixed by Prescription Drugs.

About Island Traveler

Just a Man too curious where his dreams will take him.
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39 Responses to Nature Time Prescription for Depression and Anxiety

  1. Pingback: Nature Time Prescription for Depression – Stay Healthy Weekly

  2. Stacy-Ann Campbell says:
    May 3, 2022 at 6:52 pm

    Article and pictures are therapeutic. Thank you

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. ourcrossings says:
    May 3, 2022 at 1:52 am

    Such a beautiful collection of colourful photos! Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally but also contributes to your physical well-being and that’s why I try to make a conscious decision to spend as much time as possible outdoors. I firmly believe that our relationship with nature – how much we notice, think about and appreciate our natural surroundings – is a critical factor in supporting good mental health and preventing distress. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  5. WanderingCanadians says:
    May 2, 2022 at 3:39 am

    I completely agree how mental health is important and we as a society and government should be doing more to address it. Sorry to hear that you struggle with anxiety, stress and depression. I appreciate that you are so open about it. Nature really is healing.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    • Island Traveler says:
      May 15, 2022 at 12:46 pm

      Thank you for the thoughtfulness and kindness. Mental Health was foreign to me till I hit 40’s and gets worse depending on life circumstances. No one prepared me for it, I had to learn what it is and survive it in my own terms, and some Doctor’s help, but overall, I had to find ways to beat it that works for me. It is sad that many people still don’t know how to truly support and help Family and Friends struggling with Mental Health issues. The last few years, mental health and stress is increasing but measures to help hasn’t. Most work Management don’t really address it in a personal way. Patch here, patch there, “bandaid treatment.”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. The Guat says:
    May 1, 2022 at 10:38 pm

    Your nature healing escape photos are always so great! Makes me want to drive up north and visit 🙂 and I completely agree with you the Outdoors has some great healing properties, helps your mind and perspective. Thanks for those soothing vibes. Have a great week!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    • Island Traveler says:
      May 15, 2022 at 6:30 am

      Thank you. More than ever, Nature is much needed for the Healing and calmness it brings. Just my observation, many had been edgy, angry, stressed out with all that happened the past 2 years and everyone needs their happy, peaceful place. COVID, Politics, Racial Hate, Global War, changed People’s attitude, behavior and perspective. It’s sad but it’s also not too late to be better.

      Like

      Reply
  7. Ab says:
    April 30, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    Those royal blue water can definitely bring soothing and healing calm. I can see why you return it to this place again and again.

    I wish more people had the awareness and encouragement and the means to experience the outdoors. It would greatly help reduce this wave of mental health pandemic that I think we are on the cusp of having coming out of COVID.

    I’m sorry that you struggle with anxiety, stress and depression. But I am glad that you speak and write about it so openly and honestly. I feel that often is part of the healing itself.

    Hang in there and enjoy the rest of your weekend! 🙏

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    • Island Traveler says:
      May 1, 2022 at 11:16 am

      Thanks Ab. Yes, writing freely is in itself therapeutic, so are doing what we enjoy like hiking outdoors, photography and listening to music. When I’m with Nature, all these become one healing process happening all at once. Like taking medicine for back pain, several prescriptions to ease the pain just having different functions and mechanism to our bodies. Mental Health is happening at work to many at many different levels but only a 1-2 are brave to speak about it. It’s sad because you can see through their busy language, actions, words and eyes they are going through something that they might be dealing all alone. COVID accelerated stress and mental health in so many ways in the healthcare setting including our patients. With COVID forever and ever, so it’s effect on the human mind, heart and soul. Many may be rejoicing with the no mask and no more safety mandates but the people directly affected by it are not. There is realistically a vulnerable group COVID easily targets with possible lethal outcome as shown by the last Winter Omicron surges. People continues to die of COVID, but many have stopped acknowledging this tragedy is still live and happening in real time. Thank you for being a very kind and supportive Blogger Friend. Much appreciated .

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Ab says:
        May 1, 2022 at 5:52 pm

        I can definitely see the wear and tear emotionally and mentally in people around me and in some days, on myself as always. It’s been quite the two past years and it’s still ongoing. We all need to watch out and take care of each other and ourselves. 🙏

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply
  8. thecovidpilot says:
    April 29, 2022 at 9:21 pm

    Blue skies, smiling at me

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  9. lisaonthebeach says:
    April 29, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    Beautiful photos, as always! And I agree: nature, outdoors, fresh air, exercise, and nature noise work miracles for the heart, mind and soul!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  10. elvira797mx says:
    April 29, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    Thank’s for share, friend. Interesting post! Beautiful photos.
    Hope you are ok.
    Take care.
    Elvira

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

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