Emma's battles

My family has a history of mental illness.  Mental illness is very genetic.  Looking back, I'm failry certain my mother was BiPolar.  I don't remember much of her diagnoses.  She was put in a hospital when I was 7, came home about 6 months later and no one ever talked about it again.  After that point in my life, I don't have very clear memories of her participation in my life.  I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression and Generalized Anxiety by the time I was 17.  I've had great doctors, excellent health insurance and have done fairly well with my life.

Unfortunately, my daughter Emma had her first breakdown at 10 and was formally diagnosed with BiPolar I last year.  She is 17 and getting ready to graduate and has been accepted to the University she chose.

It's been a rough road even though I've been through it before and watched my mother slowly implode.  Emma though is strong and committed.  She has a good team of doctors and takes their advice to heart.  It hurts my soul though to watch her have to down so many pills every day and we are still trying to work some minor problems out.

For us, or rather for her, horses have been almost as healing as her medications.  I'm not sure what they possess but even her therapist has commented on the studies done on human and equine interaction.  She's even decided to major in equine therapy and get her certificate in theraputic uses of horses for both mentally and physically disabled children.

Has anybody else tried working with horses? Or is there something else that helps to calm your soul?

Susan