Social anxiety and depression.

havok1113 wrote: »

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

My feeling is that it is necessary to get all of your mental and physical health issues under control before you try to focus on fitness and weight loss. Anything else is really just an exercise in frustration.

I think that in your case, I would look into adjusting medications, trying different therapies or perhaps seeing a new mental health professional.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you for the advice. But I believe that in trying to better myself physically, in turn mentally I will improve as well. Exercise is a known form of therapy if you will that every doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, and Web article I have ever come across, suggest.

If you are so anxious that you can barely leave the house, how are you able to exercise in a consistent way?

Of course exercise is helpful for stress and anxiety, but if you are having big enough problems that your issues are getting in the way of your everyday life, exercise is not going to be enough to keep things under control. You will be inconsistent and constantly frustrated.

Plans realistic number of days you want to workout for the week and an idea of kind of workout but be flexible of which days you do that particular workout. On those days you schedule a workout but time is short, just think a little something is better than nothing. So even a 30 min workout when you really wanted to do 1 hr is okay. The routine for me is helpful.

I suffer from dysthymia with bouts of major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, PMDD, and C-PTSD. I understand what you mean -- motivation can be quite difficult. I do take medication for it, as well as seeing a psychologist. I require the medication since at least one type of the depression is hereditary, and when not on it, multiple professionals have almost put me in the psych ward. Absolutely, trying to motivate oneself with a mental illness or two can be pulling teeth.

Personal diatribes aside, seeing a professional and getting medication isn't a bad thing, in my opinion. Some people use medication simply as a stepping stone to help their brain chemistry get in check while they figure out their emotional issues, and then wean off of it as they learn self love and better coping mechanisms. Some medications cause weight loss, and some cause weight gain, and some have both as a side effect listed, so if weight is contributing to a negative self-image, that may be something to keep in mind.

That said, I think it's important to work on good coping mechanisms and getting professional help if available; but, one thing that can help is try to not beat yourself up if you slip. If you meant to exercise today but don't have the energy to put your feet on the ground, it's okay. There's no need to beat yourself up about it; save all of that energy to exercise tomorrow. Exercise does release endorphins, as well -- those can help you feel better, provided your brain doesn't absorb feel-good chemicals too quickly.

You're welcome to add me and talk to me as you wish. I struggle with the same depression-driven motivational issues, and if you think having a friend who would help to keep you accountable for your goals as well as talk through mental concerns, I would be happy to help.

It's about learning to love yourself for what you are. For some people losing weight helps. For others, building muscle, seeing friends is the perfect "pick-me-up." It may be something as simple as the social events you actually attend are simply not your cup of tea and you aren't at your best. Either way, best of luck with your journey, keep your head up, and see you at the top

About 25years ago I was in a fire and suffered second degree burns (no scars luckily). The room I was in had a gas leak and exploded. I thought I was going to die but the things I'd always been told--your life will flash will before your eyes, you'll suddenly believe in god again, etc.--didn't happen. Instead I just thought "this sucks". I went through about a month of recovery but after that went into a deep deep depression as well as severe anxiety and a fear to even go into buildings.

Luckily, I had a good psychiatrist who used both medication *AND* talk therapy with a psychologist to get me through it. The whole process took about two years. I point this out because there's not going to be a magic cure for your anxiety and/or depression but IT CAN BE MANAGED. You look young so even though two years may seem like a huge amount of time (it might take more for you, it might take less) it really isn't in the big scheme of things.

A couple of times in my life the anxiety has come back and when it does I attend an anxiety group or go see the psychiatrist.

The key is to GET STARTED. You sound like you've already acknowledged the issue so now it's time to take steps, even baby steps, toward healing. As much as we like to think we're powerful and independent, I'd still recommend you get help from another person or group of people.

Also, I'd recommend exercise, especially swimming which seems to melt anxiety away from every muscle in the body. If not swimming, do something outdoors in nature so that you get exercise and the spiritual beauty of being outside. I like to hike in Mendocino, CA surrounded by redwoods. It's very tranquil and hours will pass with me just thinking about things and I come back refreshed and relaxed.

Finally, a personal trick I use is that when I'm anxious, upset or angry about something, I ask myself: am I still going to be anxious upset or angry about this in an hour? day? month? If the answer is an hour or a day I let it go. I actually picture what I'm anxious about mentally drifting away from me. If the answer is a month or more, then I come up with an action plan to deal with it.

Good luck and please keep us posted with how things go for you!