Yes to all this. Especially the ‘burden’ of the ‘nature cures all ills’ culture. In fact the expectation that such a mindset can be damaging in itself if you then feel guilty about still feeling the way you do despite immersing yourself in the outdoors. It is also damaging to the natural world - giving it yet another ‘use’ for mankind to abuse. There is no doubt that being outside can often lift mood but sometimes you just need to hunker down somewhere safe and ride it out.
I’ve really enjoyed reading your deeply thoughtful posts & am looking forward to the next batch x
Yes - the commodification of nature that's sometimes implicit in the nature cure is definitely worth exploring and talking about. I'm also thinking, as I respond to you, that it's about about where we see human beings' importance in the world. The nature cure still seems to centre humans and human experience as the most important. I think I much prefer, though, to place us just somewhere in the midst of a vast landscape, Earth, Universe - as an equal part of that and interacting with it.
Kate, your skiing analogy is excellent. Thank you for writing about your illness and your experience so eloquently. Depression and anxiety run in my family and also in the family of my former husband, father of my three children. Two of my three have struggled with depression and, not having experienced this myself, I have struggled to understand. Your writings and openness about your situation have been very helpful.
Thanks for sharing this Sallie. You've also made me realise that I don't know what it's like *not* to live with what are euphemistically known as 'mental health challenges' (a term I hate for its euphemism). It must be - as you say - a difficult experience to try to understand it in others when you have not experienced it yourself. And I'm glad the skiing analogy helped.
Yes to all this. Especially the ‘burden’ of the ‘nature cures all ills’ culture. In fact the expectation that such a mindset can be damaging in itself if you then feel guilty about still feeling the way you do despite immersing yourself in the outdoors. It is also damaging to the natural world - giving it yet another ‘use’ for mankind to abuse. There is no doubt that being outside can often lift mood but sometimes you just need to hunker down somewhere safe and ride it out.
I’ve really enjoyed reading your deeply thoughtful posts & am looking forward to the next batch x
Yes - the commodification of nature that's sometimes implicit in the nature cure is definitely worth exploring and talking about. I'm also thinking, as I respond to you, that it's about about where we see human beings' importance in the world. The nature cure still seems to centre humans and human experience as the most important. I think I much prefer, though, to place us just somewhere in the midst of a vast landscape, Earth, Universe - as an equal part of that and interacting with it.
And hunkering down is highly recommended!
Humancentric thinking is the cause of many ills.
Kate, your skiing analogy is excellent. Thank you for writing about your illness and your experience so eloquently. Depression and anxiety run in my family and also in the family of my former husband, father of my three children. Two of my three have struggled with depression and, not having experienced this myself, I have struggled to understand. Your writings and openness about your situation have been very helpful.
Thanks for sharing this Sallie. You've also made me realise that I don't know what it's like *not* to live with what are euphemistically known as 'mental health challenges' (a term I hate for its euphemism). It must be - as you say - a difficult experience to try to understand it in others when you have not experienced it yourself. And I'm glad the skiing analogy helped.
YES to all you say about the nature cure. And nature. A much more interesting perspective.
Please do return with more writing in the new year!
Request heard and noted!