You may be living with mental problems, or you may be caring for a loved one struggling with painful depressions or attacks of bipolar disorder. You would like to know about activities that can help a person with mental problems. You are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four American adults suffers from some form of mental illness in any given year.
Roman Empire Treatments
Roman physicians initially believed that the gods were attacking mentally ill people, but they eventually realized that mental illness had biological causes. Ruth Elder and her co-authors of a 2009 textbook, "Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing," note that Roman physician Celsus suggested the following treatments for mental patients: counseling them, playing music for them, reading to them and encouraging them to continue working.
Development of Psychiatry
After the fall of the Roman empire in 476, A.D., the empire's knowledge of mental illness was lost. European and American mental patients were sometimes executed as witches or chained up in private homes or asylums. A PBS essay, "A Brilliant Madness," describes how French physician Phillippe Pinel substituted a new regimen in 1793 of counseling, medical care, work and physical exercise. Once stabilizing drugs and therapy became widely available after 1950, scientists began studying ways in which mental patients could help themselves.
Physical Exercise
If you are trying to improve your mood, taking regular walks in a nearby park can do wonders for your outlook. A 2010 analysis of ten studies on the effect of "green exercise"--exercise done in nature--showed that green exercise boosts self-esteem and mood in people with mental problems as well as in mentally healthy people. Professors Jo Barton and Jules Pretty of the University of Essex in England found that the presence of a pond or a river enhanced this effect.
Pet Ownership
You may be having trouble communicating with people, but a dog or a cat could use your love. Doctoral student Ulrike Zimolag and Professor Terry Krupa of Queen's University in Canada did a 2009 study comparing mentally ill pet owners with mental patients who did not own pets. They learned that pet owners functioned better and were more integrated into their communities. Walking your dog and talking with other dog walkers can help you form links again when you are trying to rebuild a human social circle.
Socializing and Stabilizing
Consider seeking help and friendship from your peers. A 2010 study by Professor Sadaaki Fukui of the University of Kansas and his co-authors showed that peer-led recovery groups for people with mental problems helped group participants grow in self-esteem, strengthened their self-confidence, increased their social support and spiritual well-being, and reduced their psychiatric symptoms. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, also known as NAMI, can help you find in-person and online support groups, where the experiences and friendship of your peers can aid you. NAMI volunteers can be reached by phone at: 1-800-950-NAMI. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance can be contacted at: 1-800-826-3632.
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References
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- "Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal; Pathways to Recovery (PTR): Impact of Peer-Led Group; Sadaaki Fukui et al.; 2010
- PBS: American Experience: A Brilliant Madness
- "The American Journal of Occupational Therapy"; Pet Ownership; Ulrike Zimolag and Terry Krupa; 2009
- "Environmental Science and Technology"; What is the best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health?; Jo Barton and Jules Pretty; 2010
