Depression and Wilderness: The Benefit of Wilderness as Therapy

While backpacking might be a good idea at some stages of depression, I'd pare it down a little for the earlier ones: take long walks.

When I had "the blues" a few years back, preparing for days or weeks in nature was out of the question. Way too much stress on a system already on its knees.

Just walking out the door on local paths in woods and parks was something that seemed to have a positive influence. I got physically tired and had breaks from the dark stuff.

What might be an even better question is whether backpacking can prevent or soften the onset of depression.

Very thoughtful and thought-provoking piece.

Appreciate your insights into the restorative powers of mother nature.

Good essay!

Great topic! In spring-summer-fall I walk to and from work, 6 miles each way. It’s a fairly level walk, but mostly through the woods on a trail. It completely relieves my work stress in a way that just going to the gym does not. The gym is better than no exercise, but nowhere near as good as being in trees, among plants and animals, birds, flowers, rain, hail, or blazing hot sun. It’s a fantastic way of dealing with stress, and unending stress leads to all kinds of health problems, mental and physical.

If only we used public school gym class to teach kids the real joy of moving their bodies, instead of dodge ball and flag football, or how creepy the gym teacher is, or how painful it is to picked last for the team. They could learn skiing, running, orienteering, kayaking, swimming outside, hiking, biking, backpacking. I guess some schools have some of this, but not enough!

I walk to and from work, 6 miles each way.

Uphill both ways?

Not a doubter, just clowning around.  I think that’s an awesome commute.

I can’t resist remarking on the irony of this paragraph in McNeish’s article:

“Dr. Horst Mueller is a clinical psychologist in Alberta, Canada and he’s an advocate of the simple campfire: “Its flickering light brings you into an alpha-wave state,” Dr. Mueller says. “Alpha wavelengths are those created by meditation and deep relaxation; they lower stress and give you an overall sense of enhanced well-being and creativity.” I don’t disagree with the thrust of Clelland’s assertions about the value of humans getting outdoors experience in nature (That’s why I’m reading Backpacking Light).

The irony is that at least in the Lower 48 States, those very same folks who advocate for wilderness experience will be the very one’s castigating you and leaping in your face about the environmentally and socially offensive act of having a campfire. We all know their protestations about the preferability of either foregoing a fire of any sort, or using only a small, compressed-gas camping stove. How curious, sanctimonious, and hypocritical! I doubt Thoreau, Muir, or Nessmuk (George Sears) would support this notion.

Lol. You’ll get castigated yourself for even having a problem with those that have a problem with making a fire. Same with cairns. If you can step back the irony is actually comical.

I admit I’m having a hard time following why someone writing that campfires are calming provokes a diatribe accusing “all those” unnamed people–“these very same folks”–who are hypocritical sanctimonious a-holes. I’m assuming the author of the article is somehow included in all this–otherwise, why hypocrisy? I don’t know. I’ve never encountered those people. “Leaping in your face”? Sounds like a caricature.

Whatever. I’ve built small fires in early season when it’s cold and it gets dark early. They are calming, except I dislike the smoke. During the rest of the season I don’t want to deal with all that smoke so I never ahve them.

“ I’ve built small fires in early season when it’s cold and it gets dark early. They are calming, except I dislike the smoke.”

I can relate to this.

As far as reinterpreting the life and perspectives of people in the past…good luck with convincing people one way or the other.

^^^fair enough as long as it is understood that it goes the other way as well. Claiming that today they would agree with contemporary views is just as much of a leap. We do not know.