PTSD & Plants
Plant Therapy 101: How I Dug in Dirt to Ground, Grow & Find My Roots
Nature has always been my refuge. When I found myself in a dark & scary place...unable to get there, I grew plants to regain & stabilize my mental health. Untreated chronic PTSD coupled with undiagnosed ADHD had me in the grip.
Over the past few years, I have created a mental-wellness "jungalow." that I'm quite proud of. I'm not claiming "all-fixed" by any stretch, but I've made amazing progress that I can see, feel (& water.) I am a work in progress. Please join me.
Hi, I'm Hippie. Ten years ago, I lost everything. My 25yr career, hard-earned reputation, my home, my wealth, my self-trust, my identity, my freedom...and my mental-wellness went right out the door too.Today, thanks to plants (and lots of therapy), I remember who I am, how miraculous life is, how powerful & resilient I am, and how beautiful nature is. I feel the earth's rhythm again, & I have reconnected with myself.
Tomorrow...is another day. I have been a professional communicator, entrepreneur & start-up strategist for 25 years. I am a visionary. In business, I would start with a seed/idea, figure out what was necessary to create it...and I grew it into reality. When I caught my case, I wasn't allowed to communicate what I was going through with anyone but my attorney, husband, priest or therapist. I felt isolated, afraid, and very stuck. I had a huge hole inside me and needed to fill it. I wanted to focus on something positive and move the stuck energy. I thought about it and recognized that I needed a parallel reality that allowed me to: start with a seed (cutting, or baby), and learn/research what it needed. I needed to nurture, to the point of thriving. I needed something I could grow, within my own power...so I went with plants.
I started with a few Walmart rescues, and, those powerful beings rescued me right back. They gave me someone to talk to. They responded to my care, interest & touch. They offered me solace, focus and the glorious state of "no-mind" I needed at that time.
When I got home, I was unprepared for the level of glitch my brain would suffer. I was told and thought I was prepared...but I wasn't. I didn't have any money. But, I took the risk, made a Facebook post, and asked my community (friends/family) for plants, cuttings & seeds...(literally, anything I could grow.) My people showed up for me. They brought, bought, and shipped me oodles of amazing green friends to get me started. Magically, the healing power of growing plants started healing my mind again:
Receiving them, gave me love.
Unwrapping and prepping them gave me purpose.
Searching for roots in water jars (many times a day), gave me hope.
I felt my faith restored every time I saw a root pop out of a stem.
I began to trust again - in the laws of nature & its resiliency.
I am nature, and I am resilient.
Now, I have over 1000 plants. I grow from seed, propagate from cuttings, rescue dying plants from Walmart, I plant-swap, and plantscape (both indoors and out).
Phalaenopsis ~ Moth Orchid
Plants are my thing. They're my go-to when my world starts spinning, or my triggers have sent me reeling & my mind glitches.
Nurturing plants is a grounding, soothing, intellectually-stimulating, and captivating experience for me.
It has helped me get back to the present from PTSD flashbacks & calms my racing ADHD mind.
It gives me something healthy to hyper-fixate on and, slows down my thoughts.
Digging in the dirt brings me peace, reduces my anxiety level & reconnects me to my breath & earth's natural rhythm.
Growing beauty and being surrounded by it...gives me joy.
Boston Fern
In Closing...
My traumas and yours are not the same. Our healing salves might not be either. I dove deep into the power of nature to heal my mind, manage my PTSD & ADHD and find zen space. For those of you who feel broken in your mind & soul out there, you're not alone. If you're looking for your thing and would like to try on plants, I highly recommend it. I have written blog posts about the game-changer tips & tricks I found along the way. I write these posts for people who love plants, and for the people out there who admit they kill plants (but really want to grow plants instead.)
Any question I can answer, anything I can say or do. I'm here for it.
I'd love to hear your questions, suggestions, and comments. This blog (like me) is...a work in progress. If you like what you see, please Subscribe.
