If you could bring any historical methods of treatment back into use which one would you bring back and why? I I am

Question: If you could bring any historical methods of treatment back into use which one would you bring back and why? I I am aware that a lot are sill used in some places e.g. exorcism but which one would you make universal again if you had to?
- Keywords:
  history,
  treatment
Asked by anon-216138 to Robert, Olly, Nicola, Jasmin, Dennis, Caroline on 12 Jun 2019.
- Oliver Clabburn answered on 12 Jun 2019:
  
  I’m afraid this is beyond my area of expertise. I do remembering learning about some historical treatments during my undergraduate degree. Things like labotomies – but they’ve been stopped for very good reasons!!
- Caroline Brett answered on 12 Jun 2019:
  
  I’m not sure I’d bring any methods of treatment that were developed specifically to treat mental health conditions, however in some cultures in the world, which have much higher recovery rates from mental illness, people with mental health disorders are supported by the rest of the community. That seems to work and, ironically, ties in with some of the talk in the NHS about what’s called ‘social prescribing’ – i.e. suggesting that people experiencing difficulties with their physical or mental health take part in community-based activities like singing, or walking in the forest, or social groups!!
- Dennis Relojo-Howell answered on 12 Jun 2019:
  
  I honestly don’t have anything in mind. Sorry.
- Robert Dempsey answered on 12 Jun 2019:
  
  I don’t think I would bring anything back – there were a lot of treatments used in the past which were quite barbaric and extreme. I think those treatments which didn’t work have, rightly, been lost to time! I think we could do more to promote wellbeing and mental health in schools – such as helping people recognise their own mental health state and understand what improves/worsens their mental health and how we can manage this. Clinical Psychology tends to be involved when people have very severe difficulties and symptoms, not a lot of prevention work is done.
- Nicola Johnstone answered on 13 Jun 2019:
  
  Bed rest was often recommended historically. Not sure I would make it universal – but it could be useful for the stressed and sleep deprived.
- Jasmin Moon answered on 13 Jun 2019:
  
  I think if a treatment has stopped being used there is a good reason for that, usually because science has shown us that it doesn’t actually work!
  That’s why all treatments should be continuously studied and tested to ensure they are still effective and result in a real improvement to the person’s mental health.

Question: If you could bring any historical methods of treatment back into use which one would you bring back and why? I I am aware that a lot are sill used in some places e.g. exorcism but which one would you make universal again if you had to?

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