Depression and Exercise?

mrdalton

Im not going to tell you when or how to exercise - I dont know what is best. I do know it really helps me though. I have suffered depression for twelve years and just recently discovered I am bipolar. What I can tell you is not to give up hope. I was miserable and hopeless and unable to get out bed or hold a job for years. You are not lazy. You are depressed. And that is ok. It is not your fault. Dont give up. I heard that on average it takes ten years to discover the perfect medicine combination. Ten years. Be patient and dont give up. You will be ok. And if you happen to get up and take a walk - even better. I take in to consideration I am dealing with more then the average lady and try not to be too hard on myself if I mess up one or two days. I am heading in the right direction and trying - and I deserve a ton of credit for my efforts. I know what it is like to not be able to brush your teeth. Some days it is just too much. But if you do take a walk - you deserve a reward. Be nice to yourself. I just want you to know you are not alone. Chin up. You can do this! I believe in you. Feel free to add me as a friend and we can support each other.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Thank you everyone for all your input and advice. I really appreciate all of it and will definitely be scheduling some type of exercise EVERY DAY for myself! Even if I have to quit early I will at least try every single day and make it into a habit. I'm still brainstorming on what type of rewards I will use but I am considering that sticker suggestion! It does sound childish but I'm a kid at heart and I think it would help motivate me. I know some big diet programs do that type of gold star sticker motivation too. Hehe
Honestly I did not expect such wonderful support and understanding and I'm so glad to know there are other people who 'get' what I am going through. You all are the best.

I though about it because it would totally work for me! I'm 33 and totally nastalgic, I'd probably buy strawberry short cake, she-ra, or care bears. Even as I wrote it I saw it on the fridge, right there where I'd see it every time I opened the door, something happy and silly just to make me smile. I even saw the calendar, it was places that I'd want to see in person. If you do it, make your own calendar on snapfish or winkflash or something and have the pictures be something that you want, something that will remind you why you're getting out of bed, why you're pushing through the hurt (emotional and physical). You are going to be awesome.

calliope_music

i've been there. honestly, just going out and starting slow was what worked for me. a 10 minute walk. then 15, 20, etc. i found that i felt so much better after that i wanted to keep going most of the time.

hang in there! most people have covered what i was going to say

RhonndaJ

I've lived with depression and anxiety disorder for all of my life and played musical medications literally for years until we found a combination that handled the majority of my symptoms and was unlikely to keep the weight on. I say the majority as I still deal with anxiety and phobias, sometimes on a daily basis.

You've been given a lot of good suggestions here. Like you, I couldn't face a group class as I have a lot of trouble with groups of people, so doing things at home, even starting really small is the great idea. Anything that gets you moving.

One of the things I've started doing, but haven't been logging is dancing. I don't know if it would work for you but for me music is very soothing and distracting to my 'moods'.

And... I've been doing the sticker thing as well. I guess I'm a big kid at heart but I like it as a means of marking successes no matter how small.

sarah44254

Thank you everyone for all your input and advice. I really appreciate all of it and will definitely be scheduling some type of exercise EVERY DAY for myself! Even if I have to quit early I will at least try every single day and make it into a habit. I'm still brainstorming on what type of rewards I will use but I am considering that sticker suggestion! It does sound childish but I'm a kid at heart and I think it would help motivate me. I know some big diet programs do that type of gold star sticker motivation too. Hehe
Honestly I did not expect such wonderful support and understanding and I'm so glad to know there are other people who 'get' what I am going through. You all are the best.

Please also schedule rest days. Exercise every day of the week (unless it is very light exercise) can actually hinder your progress. Take one day off a week to 'take it easy'.
PS. I love sticker charts. As long back as I can remember, my mom would make us kids 'star charts' and put shining gold and silver stars into little grid boxes as we did our chores, scored well on tests, or went bathroom on the toilet :laugh: I still make myself star charts to encourage myself today :happy:

l3ugjuice

This. It is NOT laziness. OP is super brave to post this topic. People who wrongfully think depression is laziness need to keep that opinion to themselves. Let's be supportive.

I was being supportive. Sometimes I question whether or not people actually read what others say. I shared with her my own experiences with depression, which led to me being homeless, friendless, and bankrupt before 30. It was a very difficult time for me, and a very difficult issue for me to overcome. I thought that's what she was looking for, and I thought I was pretty clear in explaining that I understood my situation may be different from hers.

Some people DO need to keep their opinions to themselves, I think...but I really dont think it's me here. I'll remember not to share painful personal experiences to try to support others on this site again. In summary, shove it.

Whatnow50

Hello my new friends! After reading each post here I want to be friends with each one of you! I feel like I'm home!

Awesome support shown for OP but helps each one of us when we can share topics like this. I was looking for a topic about TV addiction but really I should be looking for depression support... I think I found it!

I too suffer from depression and can totally sit and watch TV and be on the computer at the same time for hours, if not days.
There's plenty of stuff around me that could use my attention but I find ignoring it day after day doesn't seem to come with any immediate negative consequences so… I justify that TV is educational. That when not, I deserve entertainment. If I still make it to the gym each day then it must be ok to just sit and watch TV the rest of the time.

I realize this is not healthy thinking but isn’t that depression in itself. Without the hassle and cost of finding a therapist in this little town how can I conquer this and start to change my habits and life? And FYI- I won’t medicate so that’s not an option for me either.

I do work during the school year, have been going to a gym off and on. As of Saturday going to gym everyday for 2 weeks then off on a vacation. Seems the only thing that amps up my energy is knowing I will be with one or both of my young adult kids. I fly into a frenzy when I get to go visit them or they are coming home. Then I crash again when it's over.

Thankfully, or not, my husband doesn't complain... or understand. He just goes on with life no matter what I'm doing.

After reading these posts I'm sticking to my gym plan, starting back with my vitamins including fish oil and complex B and increasing my sleep to 7-8 hrs per night.

All easier said than done! Please friend me and let's help each other get healthier and enjoy life more.

Thanks to all!

findingfit23

I completely understand where you are coming from. What works best for me is going to a class like a lot of people said.
If I say Im going to go for a walk, or even jsut play Wii, Ill never get around to it on my time. But if it something scheduled, I will show up.
It can be really nerve racking to walk into a class for the first time. You never know what to excpet, will I be the biggest one there? Can I keep up? All that stuff. But I have never felt unwelcome in anything I have tried. And I find once I get going, I dont want to stop because I dont want to be the fat girl that couldnt finish.
You can even go to just watch the first time and check out the atmosphere.
Give it a try, you can do it!

Whatnow50

wanted to add...

I switched to Anytime Fitness from a locally owned gym that just wasn't doing it for me. I love Anytime Fitness... there are people of all ages, shapes, weights, endurance levels, clothing styles, etc. All makes it easier for me to go there.

Mostly each person is quiet, into their own workout so I don't feel pressure to be social. The owner is friendly just enough and encouraging just enough. I highly recommend your local Anytime Fitness as an option to at least try. I did also go to one in my kids town.... same environment there. With membership you can go to any of them if you travel for work or pleasure.

Best wishes to you all!

jmruef

I do understand depression. I know how hard it can be to get out of bed, let alone do anything else in a day.

One thing that MAY help is to celebrate each little thing. You got out of bed? It's a victory. You brushed your hair? Another one. Teeth? Yet another. You get the idea. Just realizing that you did those things - that you were able to get out of bed and FUNCTION - means that you are winning over your illness for that moment in time. It really is a moment by moment thing.

Are you in treatment / on any kind of medication? A lot of people resist the idea of meds for depression, but it really might be something to consider if you haven't already.

Thank you for the advice. It's hard to remember to congratulate myself for those things when I know other people can do them so easily, but I will try to give myself more credit.
I am on medication now but it's a process of getting the right ones and doses I guess. My meds were recently switched around a bit and a new one was added so I am in adjustment between being totally emotionally cut off and actually feeling things. Hehe I'm just hoping things will get easier when this medication starts really working at a therapeutic dose.

I have done the "find the right med" thing and it sucks. Once you hit the right one, though...and once it has been in your system to take effect...it does get better. You know it's not a cure-all but it should help level you out enough that you can start functioning again.

Do focus on giving yourself credit. You know that depression isn't just a mood that may change; it's a medical condition that you're in treatment for. It's not an excuse for not doing things, but it's something that makes little things - like getting out of bed, or cleaning, or ANYTHING - really hard. So when you DO those "little things", they become big things - and big victories.