Weight training and mental health

Markjames82
Markjames82 Posts: 143 Member
edited December 2024 in Motivation and Support
I don't really openly talk about my mental health, the odd post of a Facebook group maybe but that's about it. I'm quite a private person, so to share that kind of stuff is quite hard for me to do.

This community is an easy place for me to share that stuff because there's no connection.

Early hours this morning I had my biggest anxiety attack I've ever had, I couldn't get back to sleep, I was sweating and I thought my heart was going to explode. So now I'm sat at home because I couldn't face leaving my bed, let alone my room, house etc.

Training certainly helps, keeps the bad thoughts quiet and stops me overthinking and I am getting professional help soon. But recently the attacks have been coming on more frequent, I am a big believer that any form of exercise is good for it. I'm scared that the exercise isn't enough.

Does anyone on here have any form of mental health? Perhaps we can create a support group for one another, because let's face it. We're the ones that understand the best.

Replies

  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    years ago, i used to frequently wake up from sleep suddenly with my heart pounding almost impossibly hard, my mouth too dry to swallow. i couldn't get back to sleep, and i worried about that, which didn't help matters. at one point, i was so full of stress that i couldn't handle normal things like walking up a flight of stairs or driving a car. i couldn't watch exciting movies as i'd have a horrible physical reaction to them. and sometimes i'd just get a lesser version of that feeling during the day.

    exercise helped - a lot. my doctor told me whenever i had the feelings during the day, to jump on the treadmill and walk, and that helped. working out with weights helped. but it wasn't enough for me. i had to figure out what was underneath the fear, the waking, the stress, so i could start dealing with it.

    professional help is a good thing, and i'm happy to hear you reached out. i did finally find a super great (for me) therapist after a couple duds. reading also helped me, more than i can say. reading to relax has always been my passion, but this time i was also reading to heal. an ex of mine was seeing a woman going to codependents anonymous, and when i saw some sheets from their program, i thought "my god! this is me!" i couldn't believe it, but their sheets described exactly what i was going through.

    i rushed out to the book store and picked up several books from their recommended reading list. my first one, and i hate to be trite but it changed my life, is called "Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives". i found it the gentlest of the first three, but it really helped me to feel better and safer to read it because it gave me the awareness that i could feel better, that others went through this and got through it. next was "Codependent No More", and the third book was"Children of Trauma: Rediscovering Your Discarded Self", which was heavier stuff for me and i wouldn't recommend it as a starter.

    I found myself often crying while i read, but it really helped, and together with a decent therapist - one who didn't try and tell me i was wrong about anything - i started to regain my life. ultimately i stopped having those horrible awakenings, started driving a car again and living life. i was walking up stairs, starting conversations, and not having to worry that a panic attack would cripple me and stop me from doing things.

    my life ain't perfect, but it's so much better and happier. and that can happen for you, too!
  • ricktrill
    ricktrill Posts: 19 Member
    I can understand where you're coming from, and I think it happens to more people than they're willing to admit. The weight of life can get pretty heavy, and I've found that exercise alone will not help me deal with the daily anxieties I have. I always go back to our need of being balanced in mind, body, and spirit. I'm a christian, so when the weight becomes heavier than I can bear, I turn to God in prayer, the Bible, and meditation. Having an attitude of thanksgiving, spending time in the quiet and just re-focusing on what's really important in my life, and just overall slowing down to do these things helps me to just power through life in general, and it certainly helps to rejuvenate me for more workouts.

    I don't know what your spiritual life is like, but if you're a man of God, I'd encourage you to seek Him out through all that you're going through. If not, I'd at least say it's important to set time aside to reflect and meditate. With all the busyness going on in our daily lives, I don't think enough of us really just take time to think. If we don't our subconscious has a way of getting our attention by putting us in moods that we have no idea why we're in them.

    I hope and pray all gets better for you.
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
    I don't have bad anxiety, but I do have a couple of mental illnesses that are very debilitating.

    really glad to hear you're getting some help. anxiety is luckily very treatable with appropriate medication. hopefully you find some relief soon.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    edited May 2016
    Exercise helps me with my anxiety quite a bit, but sometimes more support is needed. There's a great site to use until and even when you're getting in person professional help. The website is called Daily Strength that will have the support you're looking for.
    http://www.dailystrength.org
  • Markjames82
    Markjames82 Posts: 143 Member
    itsbasschick wrote: »
    years ago, i used to frequently wake up from sleep suddenly with my heart pounding almost impossibly hard, my mouth too dry to swallow. i couldn't get back to sleep, and i worried about that, which didn't help matters. at one point, i was so full of stress that i couldn't handle normal things like walking up a flight of stairs or driving a car. i couldn't watch exciting movies as i'd have a horrible physical reaction to them. and sometimes i'd just get a lesser version of that feeling during the day.

    exercise helped - a lot. my doctor told me whenever i had the feelings during the day, to jump on the treadmill and walk, and that helped. working out with weights helped. but it wasn't enough for me. i had to figure out what was underneath the fear, the waking, the stress, so i could start dealing with it.

    professional help is a good thing, and i'm happy to hear you reached out. i did finally find a super great (for me) therapist after a couple duds. reading also helped me, more than i can say. reading to relax has always been my passion, but this time i was also reading to heal. an ex of mine was seeing a woman going to codependents anonymous, and when i saw some sheets from their program, i thought "my god! this is me!" i couldn't believe it, but their sheets described exactly what i was going through.

    i rushed out to the book store and picked up several books from their recommended reading list. my first one, and i hate to be trite but it changed my life, is called "Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives". i found it the gentlest of the first three, but it really helped me to feel better and safer to read it because it gave me the awareness that i could feel better, that others went through this and got through it. next was "Codependent No More", and the third book was"Children of Trauma: Rediscovering Your Discarded Self", which was heavier stuff for me and i wouldn't recommend it as a starter.

    I found myself often crying while i read, but it really helped, and together with a decent therapist - one who didn't try and tell me i was wrong about anything - i started to regain my life. ultimately i stopped having those horrible awakenings, started driving a car again and living life. i was walking up stairs, starting conversations, and not having to worry that a panic attack would cripple me and stop me from doing things.

    my life ain't perfect, but it's so much better and happier. and that can happen for you, too!

    *kitten*, that sounds horrific! I'm glad you're on the road to recovery now. It's all baby steps right?
  • Markjames82
    Markjames82 Posts: 143 Member
    ricktrill wrote: »
    I can understand where you're coming from, and I think it happens to more people than they're willing to admit. The weight of life can get pretty heavy, and I've found that exercise alone will not help me deal with the daily anxieties I have. I always go back to our need of being balanced in mind, body, and spirit. I'm a christian, so when the weight becomes heavier than I can bear, I turn to God in prayer, the Bible, and meditation. Having an attitude of thanksgiving, spending time in the quiet and just re-focusing on what's really important in my life, and just overall slowing down to do these things helps me to just power through life in general, and it certainly helps to rejuvenate me for more workouts.

    I don't know what your spiritual life is like, but if you're a man of God, I'd encourage you to seek Him out through all that you're going through. If not, I'd at least say it's important to set time aside to reflect and meditate. With all the busyness going on in our daily lives, I don't think enough of us really just take time to think. If we don't our subconscious has a way of getting our attention by putting us in moods that we have no idea why we're in them.

    I hope and pray all gets better for you.

    I'm not a man of faith, but you're not the first to recommend meditation to me and I really should look into it. I find yoga helps me unwind as well
  • Markjames82
    Markjames82 Posts: 143 Member
    ObsidianMist wrote: »
    I don't have bad anxiety, but I do have a couple of mental illnesses that are very debilitating.

    really glad to hear you're getting some help. anxiety is luckily very treatable with appropriate medication. hopefully you find some relief soon.

    Thank you very much, I'm also bipolar. And dealing with that alone is a struggle everyday.
  • Markjames82
    Markjames82 Posts: 143 Member
    darlswife wrote: »
    Exercise helps me with my anxiety quite a bit, but sometimes more support is needed. There's a great site to use until and even when you're getting in person professional help. The website is called Daily Strength that will have the support you're looking for.
    http://www.dailystrength.org

    Thanks for the link, I'll check it out
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
    Markjames82 wrote: »
    Thank you very much, I'm also bipolar. And dealing with that alone is a struggle everyday.

    bipolar is a b*tch, but also fairly treatable with meds if you can find one that works well for you. there's always some trial and error but stick with it! I have borderline personality disorder which is similar in a lot of ways except I don't ever get to feel manic lol. (not to belittle mania, I know it's not all fun and games.) I hear you on the daily struggle though. bpd + mdd sucks hard.
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