A day on the farm...

Things are starting to look up.

I managed to take a long walk before seeing my GP this morning. After my appointment I met my boyfriend at Vauxhall City Farm. I've been going there since my second year of medical school when I had a major depressive episode. I used to go and spend time with the same white horse each week which I found really therapeutic. None of the horses were around to pet today, so I spent time with some rabbits, pigs and lambs instead. I found myself laughing with my boyfriend as we walked around the farm. For a moment I lost sight of my sadness. (By the way, if you're keen to help miserable depressives like me you can kindly make a donation to the farm here).

I'm not sure what the evidence base is behind animals as therapy, although Wikipedia gives a brief overview of the subject here. When I was an adolescent I was admitted to hospital for self-harm and depression on several occasions, and twice the children's ward was blessed with a visit from a pair of dogs from Pets As Therapy. Again, during those brief moments of holding and stroking the dogs I forgot the fact that I was in hospital and just enjoyed their softness. A few years later I approached Pets As Therapy to see if I could take my own dog in to hospitals, but it turned out he was too bouncy and excitable. Oh well, he was good enough for me.

I made a decision to ease off on the baking today, mainly because there are still four cupcakes remaining and I don't know whether the psychiatric nurse who comes tomorrow will have the balls to accept baked goods from one of her patients. Instead I turned my culinary attention to making a hot and sour prawn and noodle soup. Oh my gosh it proved to be the ultimate comfort food! Simply put a few chopped spring onions, red chilli, grated ginger, lemon grass and mushrooms into some fish stock. Add a tablespoon each of soy and fish sauce, followed by some egg noodles and raw King Prawns. After boiling for a couple of minutes the prawns and noodles will be cooked through and you're good to go. I got the idea from a cookbook I bought last year called “The Kitchen Shrink”. It was one of the recipes the author suggested for depression. What can I say? It worked.