Exercise is not helping my depression

Change your negative thoughts. It sounds cliche but it works.

A statement generally seen as completely unhelpful, if not counterproductive.

The outside is a reflection of the inside.If your overweight that means your body/mind is out of balance. Meditate on the positive and you'll see the difference. CBT therapy helped me get off the meds and down to a size 8 along with meditation.

I would agree that meditation can help, but for someone already under pharmaceutical treatment it's complementary once that pharma is having an effect.

My guess would be that since exercise changes the chemical balance in your brain, Your old prescription that was working for the old chemical makeup in your brain is no longer working. you may simply need a new prescription. exercise does work on depression for people with moderate depression. but if you're dealing with a slightly more severe form or will bipolar issues then you will need more than exercise alone. You'll get there as long as you keep trying to find what works for you.

I've fought with depression since I was a teenager, and in my experience, exercise for depression is like using jumper cables on a car. If you're mildly depressed, exercise might be one of the things that helps, and it keeps my mood stable. But when I'm really in trouble, it's like trying to jump-start a car that has no gas in the tank, and the brake line is cut, and the starter's down and the timing belt is broken and there's no oil in the engine. You can jump that car all you want, but there are a lot of other things that need to be looked at before it's going to start and run smoothly.

Long story short, I'd talk to your doctor. And if at all possible, I'd see if you can get a therapist or counselor involved. Maybe try googling "low-cost counseling" in your area, or looking on the websites of local hospitals or universities to see if they offer low cost or sliding scale alternatives. Just a few sessions could be really helpful.

I'll also add in that after years of falling into a pit in the winter, I bought a SAD light this year and I've found it to be an excellent support.

Best of luck!

if there are chemical or physical causes for your depression then i can't see how working out would help

I'm currently taking anxiety medication, that helps with depression as well.. Maybe you should try something else.. tell your doctor its not working if you've given your depression meds over 7 weeks.. I will pray for you, I hope you feel better asap! God Bless!:flowerforyou:

You may not have been exercising for a long enough time. A counselor I saw about a year ago - who teaches at a local college - told me that it can take two months for the benefits of exercise on depression to kick in. She also told me that it has to be vigorous exercise - you have to sweat and get your heart rate up. Spinning should do it, weightlifting maybe not.

Try to get better about your calorie counting. I know if I am eating low sugar for a few days then get a lot it can cause havoc with my emotions. I also know getting the right vitamins can help a lot.

Just keep plugging away. The exercise is good for you even if it won't replace your antidepressant. Give it another month or two, my guess is that it will get better. It isn't like a light switch, the fact that you are going routinely tells me something is working. Good luck.

I would speak to your doctor about whats going on. You may be able to take something else or have your dose altered.

There are so many different answers on here and all of them are giving you good advice from personal experience. The trouble with depression is that it hits everyone differently. I found it devastating when I was younger but it's eased off with age, if it's any consolation, you may find this happens to you.
The post I most agree with is the person who says that 900 calories a day is NOT enough. This isn't only because you are getting too little energy, but in such a small amount of food you must be missing out on some essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B12 is very important for your mental health but having a balanced diet in general is essential. I also found that cutting down on coffee and comfort foods has helped.
My other suggestion is that you have pinned your hopes on exercise as some kind of miracle cure because you've been told that and now you're disappointed that it doesn't seem to be working after only three weeks. My experience with depression is that patience is the key. You have to learn to ride it out even when it's like a savage beast raging inside your head. You have to understand that you are young, but you're not alone, and one day you will find, with or without help, a solution that eases your pain.
You must not let it dominate your life. Do not identify yourself as a depressive. Work towards improving the situation - this is not your life or your personality, it is a problem to be solved along with all the others, and that solution can only come when you recognise all the good things you have to be grateful for.
Have you tried outdoors exercise? What about horse riding, cycling, skiing or even gardening? To have goals and projects can help more than anything. A feeling of achievement is the biggest antidepressant I've ever known. Learn some new skills, be creative. Did you that there's a bacteria in garden soil that has a similar effect to antidepressants? Grow food! Anything that gets you outside and achieving can help. Sunshine and green surroundings are a massive lift to your feelings.
I also agree with the lady who advised you to see a councilor or therapist - these people can give you advice on how to make positive changes to your way of thinking aswell as listen to your feelings.
Being told to 'think positive thoughts' isn't helpful in my humble opinion - this is sometimes like being told to climb Everest without oxygen, but you can be helped to do it by professionals.
Good luck.

You may not have been exercising for a long enough time. A counselor I saw about a year ago - who teaches at a local college - told me that it can take two months for the benefits of exercise on depression to kick in. She also told me that it has to be vigorous exercise - you have to sweat and get your heart rate up. Spinning should do it, weightlifting maybe not.

weightlifting made a HUGE difference for me, in fact I'd say it's the single-most effective exercise out of any of them, with sprints coming in second (but I hate running, so weightlifting it is). It does have to be heavy weights though, lifting light weights up and down doesn't do much for anyone, but lifting really heavy weights with compound lifts is an extremely intense exercise and gets your heart rate right up in a very short time.

I think the doctors are right to say it will help you but you have to remember that 'help' doesn't really mean a magic cure all. It usually takes a number of things working together to get out of depression. If you're exercising you also need to make sure you're getting enough nutrients throughout the day or you will crash and burn and feel worse for it. I'm guilty of loosing appetite when I'm down which just makes me feel worse and it's a downward spiral.

Also what are you doing after your workouts? Are you just going home and not doing anything? If so it could be the fact that you've felt so good while exercising and been on a high, to then go back to the life that makes you feel down, could be more depressing than normal. I found the best way to get out of depression was to plan my days in advance and keep myself busy with a day long routine. It was the days where I didn't have a plan that I felt the worst and most lost.

If you are just starting out, two a days, might be more than your body is ready for. I'm pooped when I do 2 a days... For me cardio is a great anti depressent IF I keep it reasonable. When I push too far for too long, my body isn't happy. I get exhausted and then I get upset that I don't have the energy to do what I want. Causing negative emotional feedback instead of positive. Good luck in finding your balance!