Open a book to find better health

 
Patients looking for relief from mental health problems may find themselves with a library card instead of a drug prescription. 
A newly published study in the UK has found that reading a prescribed self-help book in conjunction with face to face support sessions helped more than 42% of patients find relief from  depression and anxiety without the use of anti-depressant drugs.  
Another study found reading reduces stress by 68%, more than listening to music or going for a walk. And it doesn’t require hours of reading to reap the benefits. either. The study found that in as little as six minutes brought significantly lower stress levels. 
The practice started in Wales, in 2003, by clinical psychologist Professor Neil Frude and has already spread to Denmark and New Zealand. In May, the book prescription program will begin in the UK as a partnership between medical associations, librarians and physicians and under the directions of the National Institute for Care Excellence. The program will be used to address conditions including: chronic pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, as well as others. 
The thirty titles for prescription range from classic books like, “The Secret Garden,” by Frances Hodgson Burnett to self-help books like, “The Feeling Good Handbook,” and “How to Stop Worrying.”  
Researchers have also found that developing literacy helps patients understand their problems and this understanding improves health and symptoms of both physical and mental illness. 
Although not on the prescription list, the Bible has long been recognized as a constant source of peace, comfort and health.  It continues to be a bestseller. Many self-help books have their moment of popularity. But the Bible’s appeal has endured for centuries.  
More than a self-help book, it is a God-helping-man book that offers a solid foundation for health and well-being.  
A friend, Keith Wommack, tells a delightful story that illustrates the point:A man was living on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning, he was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his worn-out Bible. His grandson wanted to be just like his grandfather and tried to imitate him in every single way.One day, the grandson asked, “I try to read the Bible just like you, but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?”The grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, yet all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him to try again.This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather it was “impossible to carry water in a basket,” and that he would use a bucket instead. The man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough.” Then the man went out the front door to watch the boy try again.The boy, now, knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would still leak out. So, the boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.Out of breath, he said, “See, it’s useless!” The man said, “Look at the basket.”The boy looked at the basket and, for the first time, he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty, old, wicker coal basket, it was clean.The man said, “That’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.”He continued, “Take time to read a portion of God’s Word each day; it will change you even if you don’t think you are retaining a word.”