“Most children have a bug period, and I never grew out of mine.” -Edward O. Wilson, Naturalist
If you know me, you know the outdoors have long been an essential part of my recovery. I grew up spending lots of time outside, hiking, fly fishing, and hunting. I lost touch with those things while I was using only to find them again after I stopped. My story is not uncommon. In fact, many people, whether in recovery or not, report regular time in the outdoors being an important aspect of their mental health. Could this hypothesis be the explanation for why the outdoors are often so good for people like us? There are some interesting theories and data about why this may be the case, so let’s dive in. To read more, head on over to my Substack.