Nature Deficit Disorder

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RachelBibleStudent

Guest
#1
Nature deficit disorder refers to a hypothesis by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors [SUP][/SUP]resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. [SUP] [/SUP][SUP][/SUP] This disorder is not recognized in any of the medical manuals for mental disorders, such as the ICD-10[SUP][/SUP] or the DSM-IV,[SUP][/SUP] neither is it part of the proposed revision of this manual, the DSM-V.[SUP] [/SUP] Evidence was compiled and reviewed in 2009.[SUP][/SUP]

Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen.[SUP] [/SUP]Recent research has drawn a further contrast between the declining number of National Park visits in the United States and increasing consumption of electronic media by children.[SUP][/SUP]

Richard Louv spent ten years traveling around the USA reporting and speaking to parents and children, in both rural and urban areas, about their experiences in nature. He argues that sensationalist media coverage and paranoid parents have literally "scared children straight out of the woods and fields," while promoting a litigious culture of fear that favors "safe" regimented sports over imaginative play.

In recognising these trends, some people[SUP][/SUP] argue that humans have an instinctive liking for nature—the biophilia hypothesis—and take steps to spend more time outdoors, for example in outdoor education, or by sending young children to forest kindergartens or forest schools. It is perhaps a coincidence that slow parenting advocates sending children into natural environments rather than keeping them indoors, as part of a hands-off approach.[SUP][/SUP]

Nature is not only to be found in National Parks.[SUP] [/SUP] The chapter "Eden in a Vacant Lot" by Robert M. Pyle (page 305) emphasises the opportunity for exploration and fascination in small untended wildernesses, and rejoices in the 30,000 vacant lots in Detroit, arising due to down-town decay.

A recent article entitled "The Misdiagnosis: Rethinking Nature Deficit Disorder"[SUP][/SUP][SUP][/SUP] has critiqued the nature-deficit disorder hypothesis. In the journal Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, Elizabeth Dickinson,[SUP][/SUP] a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says that nature-deficit disorder and some forms of environmental education are misdiagnosing and mistreating the problem of how and why children don't spend enough time outdoors and in nature.
there is more here...

Nature deficit disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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DragonSlayer

Guest
#2
Well, I didn't agree with what you wrote about " conspiracy theorists ", as I am one of them ( I prefer to be called truth seeker though ) but as I love nature for my childhood, I have to say this is a very interesting article !
 
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LadyOscar

Guest
#3
Interesting indeed. Thank you for mentioning this. I am more familiar with DSM-IV and this one has never brought up for a discussion during my clinical rotation at psychiatric wards. In fact, I've never seen any patient with such case myself. This seems forgettable, like it doesn't matter but it does.
 
Sep 8, 2012
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#4
Yea, I agree with the last expert you referenced.
The trend is to make everything a disorder.
The tendency is to create a new psychiatric definition for every perceived shortcoming.
This comes from the religion of the 'perfectableness' of mankind.
Nietzsche's Ubermensch made to the glory of the perfect society.
Social marxists can't shake this unwavering faith that they can make mankind perfect, - (in their own image).
- - - I wonder where they got that idea from?
 
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jerusalem

Guest
#5
every once in awhile common sense prevails. you don't have to be a genius or have a degree to know that this is true. thanks for posting this.
 
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RachelBibleStudent

Guest
#6
Yea, I agree with the last expert you referenced.
The trend is to make everything a disorder.
The tendency is to create a new psychiatric definition for every perceived shortcoming.
This comes from the religion of the 'perfectableness' of mankind.
Nietzsche's Ubermensch made to the glory of the perfect society.
Social marxists can't shake this unwavering faith that they can make mankind perfect, - (in their own image).
- - - I wonder where they got that idea from?
i think you misunderstood the point of nature deficit disorder...

it is not to invent yet another disorder...instead it is to identify a lack of exposure to nature as the actual root cause underlying several disorders...especially attention deficit disorder...
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
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#7
Although I dont see a need to claim another disorder, I do agree that children do not spend enough time outside in nature.
When raising my children, I had to coax parents to simply let their children out to play, to wander the nearby woods, catching frogs in the creek, or simply getting muddy by slushing in the mud.
My children spent more time outside than in, and we loved camping,hikes, or simply sitting and watching the river flow.
My children now grown, continue to love nature, and in every way live as closely as they can to it.

Today, I rarely see children play outside, the streets are empty of the ussual play, biking, running or the return walks from the nearby trails , streams and pond.
I do wonder where the children are, what do they do, and if they even know the wonderful world so close by.

I live in the foothills, and each year we go to our favorate mushroom picking grounds, it is a journey that is wonderous and filling, in both heart and stumick. :)
The trees create a canopy above us, allowing a soft green sunlight to filter through, soft sunbeams that cause one to catch their breath, then one steps onto the ground soft with moss as much a two feet deep, like walking on pillows.
The mushrooms grow in many shapes and sizes, some like fairly tail houses, others many colors of coral like shapes, like castles spread out before us.
I am sometimes surprised by a deer, who was also enjoying the mushrooms, it also suprised would quitly dissapearmaking me wish I could make time be still for just a moment.
I once when seeing a deer, gently sat down, and watched it, instead of running from my presance, it looked at me for a few minutes, then decided I was not threat, and contunued to feed of the deer mushrooms that were in abundance.
It was so wonderous and beautiful. and for a moment I wondered if I was in the garden of eden.
I trully believe that when we leave all the man made things of the world behind, and walk gently into the places that God created, we do recieive a glimce of paradise.
And that if we do not have this beauty to fill our eyes, one can not know the many things of God's glory.
For it is in these places, that God's glory trully shines.

God bless
pickles
 
Sep 8, 2012
4,367
58
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#9
i think you misunderstood the point of nature deficit disorder...

it is not to invent yet another disorder...instead it is to identify a lack of exposure to nature as the actual root cause underlying several disorders...especially attention deficit disorder...
The cause of ADD and/or ADHD is television and video games.
The cause of youth obesity is not getting out and exercising.
- Different cause.
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#10
The cause of ADD and/or ADHD is television and video games.
The cause of youth obesity is not getting out and exercising.
- Different cause.
Rick, God bless you but adhd and add is not caused by tv or vidio games.
Three of my children are adhd, and for those who are properly diagnosed it is a very real disorder.
Believe me, I am adhd myself and have struggled all my life with it.
Now I will agree that many are being misdiagnosed and avoiding tv and games is helpful.:)
But the adhd child does not have the attention span to watch a tv show, my three could not even watch a tv show or movie untill well into their teens, they just could not maintian the attention needed.
We also had no vidio games untill they were into thier teens, and then discovered that vidio games actually are helpful to the adhd person.
We did try meds for a short while, but quickly realised drugging was not the answer.
We worked with behavior mangement and diet, also simply understanding their need for activity and good stimuli.
The three also have IQs well above 150.
Adhd is a real disorder, but is also an abused diagnosis.
Thanks for reading and understanding my responce, for after raising these amazing kids, even though adhd has its challanges, I can tell you its gift is a constant awareness so acute, that the best comparison I can give is that its like life is alive and brilliant, all around one.
It is less about not enough attention, and more about over attention, awareness. :)

God bless:)
pickles