Watching the waves break across the vast, roaring ocean in front of him, Dave Phillips felt out of options standing on the cliff\u2019s edge in Cornwall several years ago. The former British army corporal had lost a number of loved ones in quick succession, and the compounding effects of untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his military tours had become all-consuming.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m from a generation where we didn\u2019t talk,\u201d says Phillips, 67. \u201cI tried dealing with it myself and ended up standing on a cliff edge thinking, \u2018Yeah, this is the way.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Only his late partner\u2019s voice in his mind, saying \u201cdon\u2019t be a twat\u201d, stopped him from taking that step, but in that moment, he knew he needed help. Little could Phillips imagine how profound a role the ocean would play in his healing.<\/p>\n
Sailing helped Dave Phillips find a way through grief. Photograph: Turn to Starboard<\/p>\n
He walked away that day and sought professional help for PTSD, anxiety and depression. He was introduced to Turn to Starboard<\/a>, a British charity helping veterans cope with trauma through sailing. Attending its sessions changed everything for him, he says. \u201cIt [the sea] takes me away from all the stresses and strains of life. It\u2019s got the power of calmness.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, Phillips is among crew facing the elements while circumnavigating the UK on two tall ships, raising money for the charity and carrying the Invictus Games flag around the country. And he is excited about life again, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt [the sea] reminds you that you\u2019re alive,\u201d says Sally Terry, the chief executive of Turn to Starboard. \u201cI\u2019ve seen it awaken something in people.\u201d<\/p>\n Members of Turn to Starboard are sailing two tall ships 2,000 nautical miles, raising money for charity. Photograph: Turn to Starboard<\/p>\n The ocean has long framed restorative practices for better health around the world, from Victorian-era doctors prescribing \u201csea cures\u201d for patients to the modern-day trend of cold-water swimming.<\/p>\n But it was a marine biologist, Wallace J Nichols, and his 2014 book Blue Mind<\/a>, exploring the neurological and psychological benefits of being in, on or near water that brought the ocean\u2019s therapeutic power firmly to the forefront. This draw to water that Nichols described is known as the theory of blue space, or blue mind, which has been applied in therapeutic practices with increasing frequency in recent years.<\/p>\n