Nature Deficit Disorder and The Restorative Environment by
Richard Louv is an article on the Disorder called ADHD and the connection that
nature has with it. I felt a connection reading the entire article because it
is something that hits home to my life. I was diagnosed with ADHD by the age of
6, and took medication until 8th grade for it. One of the first
things that hit home was when it was stated that one link to the mental
disorder was due to Television. “Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center
in Seattle maintains that each hour of T.V. watched per day by preschoolers
increases by 10% the likelihood that they will develop concentration problems
by age 7.” (Louv,4) I entirely disagree with this statement for a number of
reasons both personally and scientifically. The first reason I don’t agree with
this statement is that I don’t believe that I watched a lot of television as a
kid, maybe in the morning before my mom would take me to pre-k but not
excessively. I also spent a ton of time
outdoors, at my school and at home, so I don’t see the connection between T.V.
and ADHD. Secondly, this statistic is from 2004 when the availability and
technology assisted the accessibility of television and computers. In 1997 when
I was officially diagnosed, time outdoors was more common in schools and home
life then TV. However, I am not saying
that nature does not help with the symptoms of ADHD, just the idea that
television increases the chances of having it. “By bolstering children’s
attention resources, green spaces may enable children to think more clearly and
cope more effectively with life stress.” (Louv,7) I find that by being outside
I am instantly more relaxed and less stressed. I hate being enclosed in a box, and you can
most likely find me on my porch when I am at home. Whenever I am stressed, I
like to sit outside and reflect about my life. There is something about the
natural versus the unnatural connection to this world. So many times as an
adult is spent dealing with man made things, and views of buildings and
structures. When I am around nature I am reminded of the realness of the world,
and not the societal boundaries that we can live in. It allows me to escape
from the artificial world, and enjoy what is really there. It reminds me that
there’s more to life. A parent said of
her child after taking her son to a park for 30 minutes every morning that “I
have noticed his attitude toward going to school has been better this past
week. I think it’s because spending time at the park is pleasurable, peaceful,
quiet, calming. “ I believe that kids
with ADHD experiences such fast mental processes which is why it’s hard to just
focus on one thing at a time for them, and others don’t see how they got from
point A to point B. Because their mind is moving at such a fast rate it’s hard
to slow it down, by being in nature it is exactly what this parent says,
pleasurable, peaceful, quiet, calming. It allows you to slow down your brain
and relax in the moment. This comes to
my last statement that caught my eye in this article. That if nature reduces
the symptoms of ADHD then ADHD may be because of a lack of exposure to nature.
(louv, 11) I do not believe this at all, it’s not a cause of the disorder definitely
has to do with the mental processes in the brain. I was born 3 months early and
obviously my body was not done growing in the womb when I was born. I do believe that nature has a soothing
ability on those that can’t focus, and it continues to help me daily. I listen
to ambient music and watch the clouds go by and the birds fly overhead and it’s
one of the only times I can relax and know that no matter what life goes on. Here’s
one of the links to my favorite songs to listen to while outside. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov-u8bqOt7U
(Life and Death: by Paul Cardall)
The picture at the top is from the Helios album cover, and is my idea of beauty and peacefulness. Ideal image in my head to escape to.
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