The garden of peace: Helping veterans heal the mental scars of war

The Guardian

In Scotland and England, an organization called Gardening Leave offers a quiet space for veterans to work on recovering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. At its five sites, veterans spend social time with peers, and learn gardening skills in the company of mental health therapists. The program serves about 400 veterans a year, with the goal of drawing them out of their social isolation and helping them address some of their mental health challenges. One of the men who visits the Gardening Leave center in Ayrshire explained, “The staff here know how to talk to us; there’s no being judged. Coming through the door there’s a sense of relief.” Heather Budge-Reid, chief executive of Gardening Leave, says the concern about being judged is common. “They suffer a lot from the idea of stigma; even if the wider public are starting to understand PTSD, the veterans have their own internal stigma. It’s a kind of survivor’s guilt, so there’s shame, huge shame.” She hopes to be able to expand the program’s hours to include weekends, and would also like to be able to serve former reservists.

Spark Extra! Read about a yoga and meditation program that is helping some U.S. veterans.