PTSD, Not New and Not Hopeless

Beyond mindfulness: how horse riding and eating greens can help depression
The Guardian
Amy Fleming
August 10, 2015

Mindfulness and CBT have been touted as catch-all cures for anxiety and depression. But what if they don’t work for you? We look at some alternative therapies

Vietnam veterans in America, with no support for coping with post traumatic stress disorder, turned to horses to sooth their souls, and so now are some Iraq vets.

Not so long ago, if you had anxiety or depression, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was the answer. It was everywhere. Now mindfulness is even more ubiquitous.

And there is indeed much scientific evidence for its benefits in treating depression, anxiety and addiction. But, as Rachel Boyd of the mental health charity Mind points out, “It’s not for everyone and there are lots of alternatives.” Before CBT, Freudian psychotherapy dominated.

We’ve lumbered from digging up the roots of our problems, to solving issues by changing the way we think and behave with CBT, to learning to enjoy life how it is, through mindfulness. But if none of the above appeal to you, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up all hope of a calmer, brighter outlook. There are other options.
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