title
stringlengths 1
300
| content
stringlengths 1
39k
⌀ | score
int64 0
6.38k
|
|---|---|---|
People who run to alleviate symptoms of depression, do the anti depressant effects you get from running start to diminish as you get more and more accustomed to running?
| null | 7 |
Well I was wrong about that user I warned you all about. It was scammer stealing their content.
|
You might have seen the post with the woman saying starting her second antidepressant has got her back to the gym.
I just checked the comments for that post. I try to read as many comments as I can for all the posts. The top rated post was a bot which identified the OP as a bot that posts scam links.
Out of curiosity I checked the OP profile to see Reddit has suspended it. The bot was right. I deleted the post.
This seems to fit the pattern I have seen lately. Quite well targeted posts from users with next to no post history posting relevant content in the form of images or video. Apparently this is a karma farming exercise. Once the bot has reached a threshold for karma it starts posting spam/scam links.
So be careful out there. If something looks suspicious then report it and I will deal with it.
| 30 |
Japan’s radical alternative to psychiatric diagnosis. - Aeon Essays. In some ways I think we do this here in EOOD.
| null | 10 |
I learned something today. The opposite of a trigger is a glimmer.
|
We all know what triggers are. Something that makes our mental health worse. A glimmer, as in glimmer of hope, is the opposite. Something that makes us feel better, even if its just for a short while.
So EOOD land, what are your glimmers and why?
I guess I get to go first.
* Breaking a Personal Best
* Saying or doing the right thing when it would be easy to let my mental health issues take over and doing something I will come to regret.
* Seeing someone else do the best they can
* learning something new
* making a connection between two bits of knowledge that gives me an insight
| 77 |
sudden excruciating muscle soreness
|
been working out for about 4 months now. did my usual routine. maybe even less. i just do body weight stuff like push ups, dips and pull ups. now all of the sudden it reminds of me the time i felt after a car accident. i can barely move and its been like this for about 4 days. what could have happened? im worried. i dont have any cold symptoms. just insane amount of bone and muscle pain.
update: i managed to push/dislocate my left rip cage forward out of its placement. my guess is due to heavy weight archery. (i pull around 80-130 lb) compounded with advanced push ups like planche lean push up.
careful guys. 🤦🏻
| 8 |
Thinking of giving up on working out because of eating
|
I've been doing calisthenics for about 2 years and it was fine for the first year, I wasn't enjoying that much at first but it was tolerable to do it 3 times a week and be done with it, as time got on I started liking it more and more, seeing my body change and become capable of doing exercises I never would have thought I will be able to. I didn't care about my food yet, I just ate however I ate before I started all this and thought to myself that I'll fix it later.
Second year came by and that's where I started adjusting my diet (or trying to). Considering that before this my appetite was non existant and I would usually spend all day in bed sleeping and barely getting two small meals a day almost before night sleep when I could force myself to do it, it was hell. I was trying to count calories and bulk up for the whole year but because of all this eating that I barely and inconsistantly could do I started losing motivation to workout, started skipping workouts and barely made any progress from the first year yet managed to grow lots of unecassary weight (and even so not enough for what I was suppose to gain in a year, because lack of consistancy on eating part as well). All day all I could think of is how am I gonna get all needed calories and I felt very anxious if I skipped the day without getting enough. I was losing sleep just to get calories in for some days.
I can't see myself doing this long term, even after cutting weight, I just cannot be sure if I will be able to just get consistantly get so many calories in with enough protein to gain or maintain the progress. Not sure what to do.
| 7 |
Research Study on Depression (repost; 18+, International, Past exp with depression - repost)
|
Hi everyone,
This may not apply to many folks on here, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. I am currently looking to recruit participants to complete my online research study that is part of my dissertation in clinical psychology. My research focuses on understanding the concept of Fear of Depression Recurrence, which captures fears that people who are remitted from depression may have about becoming depressed again. The goal of this online study is to gain a better understanding of the construct and validate the psychometric properties of a Fear of Depression Recurrence questionnaire. We hope that learning more about fear of depression recurrence may present a small window into understanding depression relapse and thus lead to better informed prevention efforts.
**Interested? Here is some more information about the study:**
***Were you ever diagnosed with depression? Do you feel better now?***
The ***Stress and Developmental Psychopathology Laboratory*** at Concordia University is currently recruiting English-speaking participants for a study investigating the potential fears that people who are no longer depressed may have about their depression returning. This ethically approved study involves completing online questionnaires that assess the fears you may have about your depression returning, as well as the severity, frequency, content, and triggers of these fears. It will also ask you for basic personal information (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, occupation) and questions about your current depressive symptoms, other mental health concerns, beliefs about depression, coping strategies, and quality of life.
The online survey will take approximately **1 hour** to complete. All components of this study can be completed remotely, in the comfort of your own home.
Participants who are eligible and complete our online survey will be entered in a draw to win one of **seven** $100 CAD Amazon Gift cards.
**If you are interested and you:**
✔ Are above the age of 18
✔ Have previously experienced an episode of depression
✔ Have no significant symptoms of depression during the last 2 months
Please click on the following link which will bring you to our pre-screening questionnaire to determine your eligibility. If eligible, you will be able to access our consent form and the online survey from this same link.
**Survey Link:** [https://concordiaccrh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV\_8v5TiIGO7rSk5kG](https://concordiaccrh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8v5TiIGO7rSk5kG)
| 0 |
finally back at the gym!
|
i got covid in march and, after a few weeks, tried going back to working out. i thought i'd fully recovered, but i started getting light-headed a lot and i was concerned so i stopped. a guy i worked with said he also got light-headed after covid but for him, it wasn't triggered by exercise, it was just another symptom. either way, i stopped pushing any intensity and stuck to walking for about an hour most mornings and stretching afterwards. it sucked because i'd made a lot of progress with my jogging and, even with walking, i know i'd be losing that. i wasn't happy about it but i also didn't want to mess with covid.
it's been like three months and finally, just yesterday, i threw caution to the wind and did a jog. ugh, so out of shape! BUT i wasn't light-headed all day! today was my first day back at the gym and thank god. not only for getting back in shape but for giving me something to do in my deadest hour of the day when i always want to snack.
the gym did kick my ass today, but i'll be back.
| 21 |
What are your views on subreddits going dark to protest Reddits changes and what do you think EOOD should do
|
Reddit's changes about charging third party apps etc are particularly nasty and just an attempt to monetise the "content" we generate. Things like ChatGTP have been "trained" using *all* the content on reddit and reddit want to make money from that.
Personally I think this is just another social network selling its users data. Facebook does it, Twitter does it, LinkedIn does it. It's how social media companies make money. The ads you see on social media don't actually generate enough money for the sites to keep running so they sell the content the users generate. I hate this business model as it doesn't pay the content creators i.e. **us**
Having said all that /r/EOOD is here to help people. Over the years I have been moderating this sub we have had people posting about all kinds of mental health problems and questions about how to make their lives better. I believe we have been able to help some of them at least.
I don't want to make /r/EOOD "dark" by making it impossible for people who are not subscribed to see the posts in the sub. [3000 plus subreddits](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jun/11/reddit-communities-to-go-dark-in-protest-over-third-party-app-charges) have done that today. I want people to be able to come to this sub and be helped.
However if others really want this sub to go dark I am open to doing that. The floor is open.
EDIT Better words.
| 25 |
Morning and evening routines
|
When I was more depressed, I used to endlessly watch these aspirational morning routine and evening routine videos on YouTube from gorgeous, perfectly fit influencers that made it seem like they had no problems at all.
I realized that is an unhealthy pastime and that no one’s life is as perfect as they make it seem in their posts.
I really love this subreddit as a positive, realistic community of people working towards mental and physical health. Curious if anyone has any routines to share that really work for you! Not to compare my life to and feel bad about, but to get some realistic and practical ideas from others who have dealt with similar things as me!
| 23 |
looking for female exercise instructors online video courses
|
I am following autumn calabrese 21 day fix series and loving it. I am looking for more such female instructors. If you know one please list down the instructor name and the course name. I tried following some female instructors on YouTube but they weren't up to the mark. I don't mind spending money on this courses as long as they are online.
| 11 |
It appears that a particularly odd person is back in the sub, or at least trying to be back
|
You may have seen a post by someone saying they were cycling whilst trying to lose enough weight to run with some fitbit graphs. You might have seen a post with a overweight guy Filipino guy shadowboxing. He claims someone starting humming the Rocky theme music into a megaphone but he didn't record that.
The user posting these normally goes by the name /u/Callusedthenics. They are notorious on Reddit (see [this reply to one of their many, many posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/homefitness/comments/mi51lv/lost_50lbs_so_far_this_year_all_at_home/hjipu13/))
They are also notorious for using alt accounts to boost their main one. Take a look at the [main thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/homefitness/comments/mi51lv/lost_50lbs_so_far_this_year_all_at_home/) from the above post to see what I mean. All the comments the OP poster replies to are some of his alts.
I am sure a lot of people will say "he is doing his best" and such like but the guy is a total fraud. He sometimes claims to be a kickboxing expert or something similar and that causes a lot of controversy and arguing.
He used to post fairly frequently here in /r/EOOD about 5 years ago until he got really annoying and attacked anyone who didn't cheer him. I personally banned him for his anti-social behaviour.
I have banned his new alt that posted his old shadow boxing video. (Ironically that was the video that caused a lot of ruckus and got him banned originally) I will ban any other alts as and when they appear. The account that posted the cycling stuff was suspended by reddit before I even banned it.
Yes the guy has mental health problems, yes he exercises but his mental health problems lead to antisocial behaviour. I want to avoid that again if I can help it.
Thanks for reading.
| 79 |
Trying not to be a blob
|
So I have clinical depression but I recently became unemployed, which is naturally making my depression worse. I’m stuck in a cycle of wanting to do things like exercise and look for jobs, but not having the discipline and/or motivation some days. I know I’ll probably feel better after working out and that will probably spur me to be more productive in finding employment. But I just cannot make myself do those things. I’m a blob and just lie in bed most of the day. I had labs done last year and I’m not deficient in anything, but my low energy has hit its peak. I normally love the sunshine but I hide in my apartment like a hermit. The only time I can enjoy myself is if I’m going somewhere or hanging out with my boyfriend. Any advice for dragging my ass out of bed? Thanks ❤️
| 8 |
For those of us living in area affected by high air pollution due to wildfires
|
Remember to move your workouts indoors, and if you are working out at home change the air filter on your home’s ventilation. Where I am at we are currently advised that the benefits of walking outdoors no longer outweigh the risks - even dog walkers are advised to only walk for 5 minutes at a time.
| 25 |
As its getting warmer in the Northern Hemisphere at least. Be careful with dehydration if you are on SSRI/SNRI medications
| null | 104 |
First days of running
|
Hello! After long time of not doing anything I'm trying to break out and started running. It's more walking since I can't run more than 40 seconds without brain spinning. How do you overcome that mentally. Feels like wall. I've been thinking well dreaming about running 5km. (Let's stop here, because when I start thinking about it more then I wish I could run marathon or even thriatlon) Just to prove myself that I could. But that beginning was reality check. I understand that sounds stupid. I know that I need to take little steps and do the work. Nothing surprising since I wasn't exercising at all earlier. But how when after first days I'm angry at myself and want to burn those shoes. Any ideas how to keep moving and be gentle with myself?
| 11 |
I have terrible tinnitus. When my mental health is bad my tinnitus gets worse and vice versa. Does anyone else have a similar experience?
| null | 23 |
Yet again the data of people seeking help for mental health problems online has been sold to Facebook and others. This time it's a raft of UK mental health charities. Be careful out there.
| null | 32 |
A Thought About Regrets
|
If you’re anything like me, your depression magnifies all of your regrets in life. Which sucks. However, as I lay in bed this morning contemplating skipping my workout, I was struck with this thought:
”Out of all the regrets in my life (and I have so, so many), I have NEVER regretted getting up and going to work out.”
This thought caused me to immediately get up and go to class, and I’m much better for it today.
I hope this might help or inspire someone else, so I thought I’d leave it here.
| 18 |
Vast improvements in my life: January 2023 versus now
|
In January 2023 I had been mildly to moderately depressed for about six months, and felt too little ability to get motivation to do self help efforts. Often the only thing that gave me a bit of pleasure was my flavored oatmeal. I would often eat a whole chocolate bar in a day. I did the minimum needed at work and often did not get done when I said I would - luckily my work is flexible. In mid January I finally got onto Zoloft because I realized that self help effort was not coming any time soon without help. Then I had two weeks in January where I had 3-4 days of extreme headaches in a row, which at first I thought were migraines but then realized I had dangerously high blood pressure. Got on blood pressure meds and my headaches stopped. My energy level plummeted so that I needed to rest after a half hour slow walk, and even that could bring my heart rate up too high. If I walked 10,000 steps one day I had to be almost entirely sedentary the next day to recuperate. I convinced myself and my doctor that I may have some serious underlying issues, so I did blood tests, CT scan of brain and EEG, plus two tests at cardiologist. Cardiologist found my heart to be strong, neurologist suggested that this all is almost entirely caused by anxiety and doubled my prescription for Zoloft and told me to increase walking and exercise - he was mostly right. Then I had a sleep study and it showed mild sleep apnea, neurologist said we can try CPAP though unsure whether it will help.
Fast forward to now: I am beginning to seek out more difficult exercise - switching yoga days to strength training days, and increasing cardio from dance to Focus T25 which is more vigorous - I workout for half an hour each morning on weekdays and am beginning to feel inspired to add a workout on weekends too - been working out regularly since mid March, plus I walk 12,000 to 14,000 steps many days and 10,000 steps most days. I am more social too, take a dance class on Tuesdays, go physically to the office on Wednesdays, and to church mostly for socializing on Sundays. I am enjoying life again, and being more creative and more productive at work. I have lost 10 pounds since April 10th, and am eating healthier, among others few sweets. My sleep has improved though still not as good as I want it, but in the past two weeks I had a total of four good nights, which is more than at any other time in 2023 - CPAP is definitely helping as is extended release melatonin. I feel much healthier and less anxious and more optimistic. My motivation and self discipline are now strong, oh and I have developed good morning and evening routines.
| 34 |
FreudenFreude - or sharing the joy - the opposite of Schadenfreude basically
|
You will probably have heard of Schadenfreude. Its a German word for something that doesn't have its own word in English. Wikipedia defines it as "The experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another." Freudenfreude is simpler to define. It is "taking pleasure, joy or self-satisfaction from others successes," to paraphrase Wikipedia. I came across it in Julia Baird's excellent book [Phosphorescence](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/ee09fd85-d645-4608-8ee8-d93ba8879476)
So what does this have to do with EOOD? Its what Success Sunday here in /r/EOOD is all about. Its what reading stories of [new scientific breakthroughs offering hope](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/01/schizophrenia-autoimmune-lupus-psychiatry/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjM1MTI3MzkiLCJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNjg1NTkyMDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNjg2ODg3OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE2ODU1OTIwMDAsImp0aSI6IjdlNTk0NzQwLTZhZDUtNDJjNS05ZWQwLTViNTJmMTQwODcxOSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93ZWxsbmVzcy8yMDIzLzA2LzAxL3NjaGl6b3BocmVuaWEtYXV0b2ltbXVuZS1sdXB1cy1wc3ljaGlhdHJ5LyJ9.AaaFEe05_OIMzmZNTU01wVlecg8aPS-HWhQjRta8jlY) is all about too. We see something that inspires us and makes us feel a little bit better as we know the other person is feeling better too.
So post your achievements. Don't limit them to Success Sunday. If you have done something you are proud of, anything at all, post it and make strangers feel a little bit better too.
| 23 |
There seems to be a link between auto-immune diseases and the most severe forms of mental health issues in some patients. Plus two good news case studies.
| null | 49 |
Anxiety after exercise
|
So basically I used to be really into fitness and in shape, then Covid hit and I gained a good amount of weight at least like 40 pounds and before I used to be really into mountain biking right before covid hit back in 2018/19 and early 2020 but I remember every time I went I noticed I'd get anxiety and anger, sometimes I could maintain it, but other times it got bad that I was really anxious and stressed over things, I didn't really have panic attacks but my mind would be racing and I'd get nervous about certain things, and after I gained weight from covid, I tried mountain biking a few times but obviously I was too exhausted and tired because of my weight gain, but I noticed I still got anxiety ever since I rode it again and I kinda just got unmotivated to do it, and I did lose a lot of weight after covid started to die down from dieting and lifting weights, but the thing is too is that I don't get really anxiety after lifting weights I lift a good amount but not to the point to where l'm overexerting myself and I heard that overexertion can lead to anxiety and other stuff like that, but I also went on a walk yesterday around my community for almost 2 hours and when I came back home I was really anxious and kinda angry, so I literally don't know what it is, I looked up on other posts if people go through the same thing and they do and people say in the comments it's usually overexertion but I still find it odd though, and ever since I went on my walk yesterday, I'm still anxious today, and I never get anxious like this, especially in a long time, I only get anxious when serious things happen but as of now my life is okay, so I really don't know what it is, it's really discouraging, if anyone can give me advice I would really appreciate it. Oh yeah I forgot to mention I used to have chronic brain fog and I feel like it would worsen it, everything besides the weightlifting.
| 12 |
Research recruitment: participate in a focus group for a £10 Amazon voucher
|
Posted with the mods permission. Thank you mods!
**Interested in a £10 Amazon voucher? If you fit the participant description detailed below, please consider taking part in the research project below by following THIS link:**
[**https://york.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV\_a4NTqYdawd0yLhs**](https://york.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4NTqYdawd0yLhs)
**Participant description:**
* identify as having an eating disorder
* identify as having a gastric disorder
* have no eating or gastric disorder
* Aged 18+
* Speak fluent English and live in the UK.
**What the study involves:**
Taking part involves completing an online expression of interest questionnaire and attending an online focus group exploring the gastric sensations you experience, how they relate to your body, and the food choices you make.
This research is being done under full ethical clearance from the University of York Psychology Department and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
| 6 |
I have lost all motivation to move
|
Since my thyroidectomy last year and getting diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis, I have lost all motivation to move and have been depressed a lot. Only times I tried to exercise was in February and March where I took up walking and a week of swimming for May. That's it. I feel like gaining weight is normal and I hate how I look but I feel apathetic. How do I start again? I just keep staring at my exercise apps but I really have lost all motivation. I don't know how to motivate myself again. I really find it tough to get up and move even for just 5 minutes. The spark is gone.
| 26 |
For many people exercise trackers are great for motivation. Sometimes they are the exact opposite. - from the Guardian
| null | 24 |
Where to start
|
Hey guys, life has become extraordinarily difficult this year and I'm being consumed by mental illness most of the time. I've used exercise here and there to try and cope, like occasional runs or lifting some weights but I can never be consistent. I tried going for a walk in the park after work and my mind just ruined it with the excessive negativity. Where did you all begin with this journey? Like how small did you start? I already see a therapist and am not any antidepressants and I want to keep it that way. I'm just so tired of living in this skull.
| 10 |
Closed rings out of sheer busy-ness with tasks and errands. Had a crummy time at work, walked/commuted because broke, and left dishes in the sink for a couple of days.
| null | 38 |
Depressive/anxious thoughts specifically during workouts
|
Hi everyone, looking for comments from those who can relate and advice. I'm (33M) someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety for a long time (therapy, medication, and the other common treatments are a part of how I deal with it). I have had stints of regular exercise in my life but nothing sustainable. Currently I'm on building a routine again by going to various fitness classes that my gym offers.
​
Something I struggle with is getting out of my own head during workouts. The voices in my head (mine, projections of others) will be berating me over how weak I am ("really, this is the best you can do? only a 5lb weight?"), how hard the workout is, how others are probably judging me for being fat/weak. The mental images in my head of being criticized for being weak will usually be specific people (ex. my father). I'll do my best to focus on the workout and power through to the end but this extra layer in mental difficulty really fucking sucks.
​
Is there anyone that can even tangentially relate to this or have any advice they can offer? I am fully aware these thoughts are irrational, wrong, and meaningless but from a practical standpoint they're still very disruptive and taxing.
| 14 |
I discovered another pair of running shoes that fit me well when I visited my local store & was checking out ASIC’s site. Cool to see them supporting mental health & running.
| null | 20 |
Over and over and over
|
Been working out for about 2.5 years now consistently with high intensity and I'm feeling less motivated now as I'm off antidepressants and feeling sort of anxious working out. Been feeling like I'm pushing myself more and more over and over again without ever stopping although stopping makes me feel way worse and no ammount of rest or even a whole week off working out seems to be able to help it. Any tips from similar experiences?
| 5 |
An on line course on autism and mental health - this might help someone.
| null | 13 |
Need help with consistency
|
Before we get into this; severe depression, PTSD, dysmorphie, medicated, actively been going to therapy for years. Only trying to exercise at home—no way I’m going to a gym.
I have been trying to get into exercising. I’m tired of the constant start/stop. Every time I attempt it, I hit a stint where it’s too hard to do it again for several days and I end up stopping altogether.
I want to not look like an anthropomorphic Walmart cupcake, and I absolutely hate how I look, but I can’t get myself to even exercise and it goes into circular logic.
How do you stay consistent?
| 11 |
Exercise can be boring. Apart from listening to music, audiobooks etc what else do you do to occupy your mind when you exercise?
|
I have seen people reading magazines whilst pedalling away on a stationary bike. Some gyms have TVs you can watch.
I read somewhere that the former womens marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe counts things like lamp posts, street signs, litter bins, red cars etc as she runs past them. Keeping four or five counts of different things going in her head at once keeps her mind occupied.
In this case though messing around on your phone between sets whilst hogging equipment doesn't count 😜
So fellow EOODers what do you do?
| 24 |
Physical pain
|
I exercise to maintain/hopefully improve my depression and I have for 3 years. I walk about 3 hours total per day, broken up into spurts. And I’m in the gym for ~90 minutes. I LOVE all cardio, yoga and light weights. But I am in so so so much pain.
I’m not new to exercise and I’ve lost 100 lbs over the last 3 years. Gained back 40 tho after my depression worsened this winter. I’m working at losing those 40 again. I stretch, use muscle rub, massage, turmeric supplements, bath soaks etc… and nothing is helping for more than a few hours at most. I don’t want to have to take Tylenol around the clock.
Previously I’ve had a fractured ankle, ankle tendinitis and plantar fasciitis in both ankles (this is 5+ years ago, high school soccer injury etc).
Anyone else have experience with this? It’s a vicious cycle! Exercise to relieve depression, only to be in SO much pain again that the depression hits harder and I can’t function optimally in the hours of the day that I’m not working out.
| 5 |
An Unbroken Journey: From Indoor Cycling to Run/Walking in Spain
|
Hello Everyone,
This is SoberYourselfUp, and I'm here to share my ongoing journey with exercise and mental health recovery. My story began in January when I made a commitment to indoor cycling every day. With grit and determination, I managed to virtually cycle not every day up until mid-March but I also indoor cycled the 900 miles across mainland Britain on my Peleton in just 3 weeks. It was a challenge but an incredibly rewarding one.
There was a time, not too long ago, when I tipped the scales at 250lbs. Those were some of the darkest days of my life. I felt incredibly unhealthy, trapped within my own body and mind, stuck in a place I felt I could never escape from. I spent weeks, sometimes even months, without ever leaving my house. I felt isolated and helpless, sinking further and further into a hole of despair.
It was a bleak time, but the story doesn't end there. I decided to take a step, just one step, towards a better life. That single step led to another and another, leading me down a path of self-improvement that I never thought was possible.
Fast forward to today, I have managed to shed over half of that weight (clothes are drastically looser, I still have the overhang which I'm working on). I'm not sure of the exact figure, but what I do know is that I feel better than I have in years. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't quick, but it was worth every moment of struggle and every drop of sweat.
It all started by closing my Apple Watch rings, 60 minutes of exercise, 10 hours of standing and 500 calories each day.
Since then, I've made a big move to Spain, where I've been run/walking daily for 9 weeks. Last week, I hit a new milestone - 100 miles in a single week, a feat I hadn't achieved even in my prime running days. It's been a journey of self-discovery and constant evolution, finding new ways to push myself and redefine what I thought was possible.
I admit, I don't have everything together at the minute, but I'm thankful for the support from a Facebook running community I set up back in 2012. I feel a pang of guilt for having neglected them in the past, but I've come to realise that by neglecting them, I was neglecting myself through a lack of accountability.
My dream now is to devote my life wholly to recovery, tech, apps, and the gamification of exercise, recovery, and mental health. I'm passionate about exploring how technology can be used as a tool for improving physical and mental wellbeing, and I believe this can be an incredible journey for all of us.
Every step, every mile, every bead of sweat, has brought me closer to a healthier state of mind. I wanted to share this here because I believe in the power of our shared experiences. No matter where you are in your journey, remember that each step you take is a step towards healing.
Keep moving forward. We've got this!
| 17 |
Words and metaphors to describe mental health problems are important.
|
You often in the media read about people "battling their demons" when they are suffering from mental health issues. You can even see reports of people "losing the fight with their inner demons" to describe someone taking their own life. That language is medieval if not biblical.
Now we say things like "Your mental illness does not define who you are as a person" and "Your negative or intrusive thoughts are not who you are".
Both of these types of wording are using essentially the same metaphor but expressed with different wording. We turn the mental illness into something that is *external* to the person and something that has to be overturned.
The old language was very violent, we "battled", "fought with", "wrestled with" and hopefully "defeated", "conquered" and "vanquished" our demons. Importantly the demons were attacking us and we had to fight back.
The more modern language is far more sympathetic. We acknowledge that something bad is happening to a person and they are struggling. Its not seen as a battle though. In fact if we recognise someone is struggling the advice they are give is for them is to wait things out, the problems they are experiencing **will change** and hopefully diminish if you give them time. We try to cope with our mental health while we wait. We know from the rest of our lives that often ignoring things tend to make them go away if we wait long enough.
Arlo Parks says in her song [Black Dog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOu0Ht0-D4M)
> It's cruel what your mind does to you for no reason.
All we can do is be kind to people whose minds are being cruel to them for no reason. The language we use is a big part of that kindness.
| 19 |
Three weeks of closing my activity rings — celebrating this before I downshift this week due to PMDD
| null | 93 |
Running therapy has effects on depression and anxiety symptoms comparable to antidepressants, but provides additional health benefits
| null | 6 |
Interesting podcast on exercise and mental health.
|
Exercise & Mental Health 2023 Update https://player.fm/1BWVqBg
| 3 |
Some people say Mental Health is not political. If someone says that to you show them these two articles.
|
[A child locked in solitary confinement for 2 months and not even allowed out of the room/cell](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/21/children-locked-away-in-modern-bedlam-must-stop-before-more-die)
[Sufferers forced to travel hundreds of miles for in patient treatment](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/20/mental-crisis-patients-forced-to-travel-hundreds-of-miles-for-treatment-despite-government-pledge)
OK these are both from the UK but I think many countries are in similar situation
| 12 |
I was going to rant here but instead I will try to turn it into something useful and helpful. What do people do to really annoy you when you are exercising and what do you do to tell them to (politely) shut up and go away
|
Myself and four or five other archers just had a perfectly good afternoon at the archery range ruined by one of the other club memebers being in a foul mood and deciding to criticise everything and everyone. We just packed up and left him there on his own. I did have a few not very polite words on the way to the car park. I don't give a fuck if I piss him off.
I am sure we have all come across people that put us off exercising for one reason or another, sometimes it can be inadvertent and people don't even realise they are being a pain in the arse.
So here is my quick list in no particular order
* **The expert** no matter what you are doing you are doing it wrong because you are not doing it exactly like them.
* /r/curlsinthesquatrack just go there... you will know what I mean
* **Posers** selfie people in gyms and the like
* **The equipment hog** someone who needs 4 machines, 6 sets of dumb bells and a bench as "I am doing supersets"
* **People who don't clean up and put away equipment after themselves** A special circle of hell is reserved for them
* **Runners who push slower runners out of the way** Surprisingly common. Another circle of hell is needed for them
* **All the gear and no idea** People who spend a fortune on the best equipment known to mankind, have no idea how to use it and then blame anyone but themselves. They also make sure everyone gets to hear them complain too.
* **Creeps / sex pests** enough said
Feel free to add to my list in your comments. Bonus worthless internet points if you come up with creative ways of telling these sorts of people exactly what you think of them and where you would like them to go / put their opinions.
| 2 |
Well this has been a bummer. Due to the insane but much needed rain we’ve had, pollen counts have been insane. I was ok by taking my Allerflo since early this year, but a bike ride last week kicked my allergies into high gear. Better today, but I’m still wary of spending too much time outdoors.
| null | 36 |
Me irl
| null | 68 |
Overconfidence can be just as bad as anxiety about starting
|
This might be just me here but here goes.
When I first try a new way to exercise and have a few goes at it I get really overconfident. I remember thinking that one day I will be finishing a 5k parkrun and going round for another lap to make it a nice round 10k.
When I took up kettlebell lifting I had ambitions of entering the British Championships. I was going to be a t'ai chi master, a competition archer, a professional rugby player, enter rowing competitions, all kinds of things.
Then of course reality bites. Often it bites really hard.
When I started kettlebell lifting I was trying to do [girevoy](http://www.girevoysportsunion.com/) kettlebell lifting. In competition instead of "how much can you lift?" its "how many reps can you do in 10 minutes?" I thought I was doing pretty well. Guys in the gym were seriously impressed. Then I looked at the previous few years results. Boy oh boy was I wrong. Then to cap it off I found a youtube video of a 20 year old Russian woman swinging a kettlebell twice as heavy as mine absolutely crushing it.
Experiences like this can put you off exercising. Your ego deflates and you suddenly feel negative about yourself. Pride comes before a fall and all that.
**BUT**
Just because you don't reach the dizzy height you dream about doesn't mean you can't enjoy your exercise. Ultimately exercise is just about you and what you are doing. If you enjoy it you don't have anything to prove to anyone. Everybody can't be the champion and most people never come close to that. Who cares though. Its called a personal best for a reason. You don't have to prove anything to anyone else. If you are happy when you exercise that's all that matters.
I still enjoy lifting kettlebells, I still enjoy rowing, running and archery. I really must get into t'ai chi again. I am too old for rugby and cricket now.
One day I will be like this [crazy Russian](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IzNfoXsOWs) even if I don't win anything. I don't think we will get snow like that in Southern England ever again though.
| 31 |
An enchanted forest for 10,000 antidepressant steps 🌷🌷🌷
| null | 92 |
Exercise in nature is my favorite antidepressant
| null | 39 |
A lethargic period
|
How do you handle a period where there’s much more brain fog and everything seems so difficult to do? Just push through it? The thing is I’m not sure what’s causing things to feel that way now.. what helps (but is unhealthy) is sugar because I at least get a boost for a few hours to tackle a few things but after that it’s back to “thrudging through mud”.
I have a feeling like I’ve had before that it’s hard for me to derive pleasure from things, activities.
| 10 |
Better approach for day after insomnia?
|
So I figure I am not the only one here suffering from sleep issues. And maybe one of you has already experimented with it more.
Some nights I have more trouble sleeping than others. And I wonder what the best approach for the day after is.
One possible approach I have tried recently is to basically take a rest day the day after, and just do some yoga and walking and take it easier to conserve the limited energy.
Another approach I am actually thinking of trying today is to do cardio workout in the morning anyway, and plan to nap after lunch if my energy is too low. One of the perks of working from home with flexible hours is that I can do that when needed.
An approach that I am reluctant to do but would try if others recommend it: tire myself out and avoid napping in hope of reaching a state of such exhaustion by night time that I will be “bound to” sleep. The problem with this approach is that I do not trust that I will necessarily sleep any better even when exhausted, and I do need to have enough energy to function tomorrow.
What is your experience? What works best for you for day after not enough sleep?
| 4 |
ever since catching covid, i feel weak and tired
|
i got covid in march, right around my birthday and i feel like it's just amplified every physical problem i've had since (my first period after covid was a nightmare). i want to keep working out and especially jogging but it's not a good idea. i've tried a couple of times to get back to it, but each time ended up out of commission for a couple of days. i'm finally giving it up and will have to settle for just an early morning walk as daily exercise.
this is the first time i've had a lingering physical illness and i hate it. i get light headed easily and get physically overwhelmed by simple things. i slept all day and all night yesterday from overeating on friday night. i ate too much before going to sleep, threw up twice saturday morning and had to stay in bed all day. i slept all day, woke up around five in the afternoon, had an apple and something to drink, went back to bed and slept until six this morning. i'm talking like twenty hours of sleep here just because i overloaded my body with food. even today i've mostly been in bed and i still feel sick. i feel like i'm falling apart and my body can't handle anything.
| 2 |
Making public spaces safer for women helps encourage them to exercise. Its a win-win situation.
| null | 9 |
Been working out a ton, but still a mess mentally because it's my life that makes me upset
|
It's just so disappointing. I really thought it would help me a lot. But like, literally I'll get up, go do an hour long workout class that's the hardest I've ever worked out, and come home and take a depression nap that afternoon because I can't stand to be awake. I've been on a good exercise roll for weeks now! But I wouldn't say my mood has improved at all. I'm too stressed out by other things going on in my life and my long-standing issues.
Just a vent, thanks for reading.
| 55 |
Advice on soreness?
|
I’ve been working out a lot more lately, and in general it is helping my mood, especially when I exercise in the morning! However, I am getting SO sore. I get bad delayed muscle soreness, so by the time my next workout is I’m still sore. While it’s just muscle soreness, not injury, it still bums me out and being in any kind of pain most days is still not enjoyable.
Do any of you still get super sore? Any remedies or prevention tips?
| 6 |
Please help out your friendly neighbourhood mods
|
If you see something that is spam, suspicious, dangerous, vile etc please feel free to report it. That way its quickly brought to the mods attention and things run a tiny bit more smoothly.
Of course that doesn't mean "report anyone who very slightly disagrees with my point of view". We don't get many massive arguments here in /r/EOOD anyway but you all know what I mean.
| 27 |
Need advice for getting back into routine
|
I had a really great routine going as far as workouts and also starting eating much healthier about a year ago.
A couple months ago I had a really stressful time that included moving three times in 2 months, overseeing a complete renovation of our house due to an insurance claim, it felt like constant arguing with insurance, contractor etc. I fell out of my routine and started stress eating, I have been stuffing myself with sugar like crazy. Luckily enough my body hasn’t changed much (yet 😬) but I feel disgusting but can’t seem to pull myself out of the crazy stress and get back into my routine. I KNOW it sounds crazy because exercise and healthy foods made me feel incredible…but I’ve just fallen into a bad cycle and need help getting out.
What are your go to ways to get out of this funk and get back to taking care of yourself after you’ve unfortunately taken a hiatus 😩?
| 17 |
Peloton Recall: ‘Immediately Stop Using’ 2.2 Million Bikes - be careful
| null | 29 |
The Wellcome Trust here in the UK have announced they are funding 12 new mental health studies including one that will try to get to the bottom of how exercise helps with mental health issues
| null | 5 |
what do you do to get your endorphin when its your rest day?
|
im having almost an anxiety attack because i want to work out so bad on my rest day. i need this endorphin or whatever it does to keep my mind off of my self hatred. the weather here has been complete shit for the last two weeks so i cant even really go out. well my knee is injured anyway. i even wonder if punching myself can help. i mean theres a some pain at least.
what can i do? video game isnt even fun for me. cant wait for tomorrow morning so i can work out…..
| 10 |
Week 2 of closing my activity rings — I’m still feeling low, worried about not having a proper workout routine yet, but just glad to stay on track so far
| null | 97 |
Hard to feel depressed in such a beautiful maze! Last weekend's antidepressant.
| null | 45 |
Favourite workout music?
|
We haven't done this in a while.
Faithless - Insomnia got me through my rowing this morning.
I have known the biggest toughest guys listen to the soppiest ballads and the most feminine women listen to Scandinavian Doom Metal when they work out.
Whats your go to work out tracks?
| 5 |
I’ve been trying to get into meditation, yoga & more slow movement & stretching type activities to balance out my lift/cardio. This was a nice soothing class.
| null | 31 |
Research Study on Depression (repost; 18+, International, Past exp with depression)
|
Hi everyone,
This may not apply to many folks on here, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. I am currently looking to recruit participants to complete my online research study that is part of my dissertation in clinical psychology. My research focuses on understanding the concept of Fear of Depression Recurrence, which captures fears that people who are remitted from depression may have about becoming depressed again. The goal of this online study is to gain a better understanding of the construct and validate the psychometric properties of a Fear of Depression Recurrence questionnaire. We hope that learning more about fear of depression recurrence may present a small window into understanding depression relapse and thus lead to better informed prevention efforts.
**Interested? Here is some more information about the study:**
***Were you ever diagnosed with depression? Do you feel better now?***
The ***Stress and Developmental Psychopathology Laboratory*** at Concordia University is currently recruiting English-speaking participants for a study investigating the potential fears that people who are no longer depressed may have about their depression returning. This ethically approved study involves completing online questionnaires that assess the fears you may have about your depression returning, as well as the severity, frequency, content, and triggers of these fears. It will also ask you for basic personal information (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, occupation) and questions about your current depressive symptoms, other mental health concerns, beliefs about depression, coping strategies, and quality of life.
The online survey will take approximately **1 hour** to complete. All components of this study can be completed remotely, in the comfort of your own home.
Participants who are eligible and complete our online survey will be entered in a draw to win one of **seven** $100 CAD Amazon Gift cards.
**If you are interested and you:**
✔ Are above the age of 18
✔ Have previously experienced an episode of depression
✔ Have no significant symptoms of depression during the last 2 months
Please click on the following link which will bring you to our pre-screening questionnaire to determine your eligibility. If eligible, you will be able to access our consent form and the online survey from this same link.
**Survey Link:** [https://concordiaccrh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV\_8v5TiIGO7rSk5kG](https://concordiaccrh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8v5TiIGO7rSk5kG)
| 0 |
Feeling depressed after the move
|
I went to gym daily for months. Then I moved at the beginning of the month. No gym. Feeling very sad. Why can't I get to the gym? 1. Car broke down. Car in the shop. 2. I could only get to the closest gym on Sunday. The gym is closed on Sunday. 3. I don't know how to enjoy gym at home or weights alone. I fear starting then stopping a minute in because moving my body because I said I must move my body...sounds stupid. Why would I listen to myself, this depressed guy? 4. I haven't found food close to home. I'm involuntary intermittent fasting. It's helping me lose weight.
I did do a 5K morning parkrun. On the beach!!! It felt amazing to go to something familiar, with a group.
| 23 |
Low mood after exercising
|
I've been trying to claw my way back to regular fitness for a while. I ride a bike to work I've put a weight bench in the garage, I've got things happening. What I've found though is that if I push myself a little, or do any real cardio, my mood plummets and i get really fatigued. It usually lasts a couple hours unless I really push myself and it can be longer. I'm struggling a little with general fatigue but every time I speak to a doctor about it they put me on a sedative to help my sleep and I get more fatigued.
Reasons I've thought of:
1) I'm nowhere near the level of fitness I was 3 years ago and it could be the comparison to what I think I should be able to do. I'm not convinced though as I'm not really thinking of that at the time.
2) I was vegan for several years and there may be a something relating to diet. I changed to an omnivore diet earlier this year in a desperate attempt to improve my mental health.
3) I have pretty high anxiety and high cardio or heart rate could trigger that feeling and response. I sometimes get the same thing if I'm ever excited.
A lot of my self worth is in my ability to move, my flexibility, and unfortunately how I look. I'm finding it really hard to get out of this hole.
Has anybody had similar experiences or can offer any advice?
| 15 |
I tried out another class. This was interesting & challenging as well. Not too intense cardio wise, but holding poses definitely got me warmed up. Love my regular lifting & cardio, but I’m also always trying to keep things fresh & finding inspiration.
| null | 38 |
can a personal trainer help me with motivation? how do I pick a good professional for my needs?
|
hi everyone!
i have been depressed for more than 2 years. i used to be exercise on a daily basis before quarantine. i really liked it, weightlifting used to make me feel mentally and physically better. it used to improve my sleep, my energy, me self esteem. i used to feel truly bummed if i had to skip gym for a day.
well, covid happened, i never liked to workout at home, so i didn't. with that, my mood started to decrease and i have been binge eating ever since. i went from a happy healthy person to a sad obese sedentary one. only recently, after having suicidal thoughts, i realized how bad my mental state is.
i recently started treatment, but i don't think meds are the only solution. they are helpful to fix my brain chemical imbalance, but i know i need to work on myself and do my best to adopt health habits.
although i used to love working out, i am having problems with motivation. i know it's important and i want to want to do it. since i always enjoyed weightlifting, i am thinking about getting a personal trainer. I've never have worked out with a trainer so i don't know what to expect, but i feel like it would be helpful for two reasons: i put up a lot of weight, so i fear not having enough support could lead to injuries. also a trainer could help with motivation by giving me emotional support. i would feel more comfortable working with someone who is aware and emphasize with my mental struggles, that my main goal right now isn't to lose weight, but to feel better. i have ADHD and motivation to do things i don't want has always been a issue for me. with depression, it is 5x worse.
as i never worked with a trainer, i don't know how to pick one. my goals are different from what people usually seek. what would be the best way to find a trainer who can relate to my current state and is able to provide what i need? i don't wanna be invasive and ask the gym if they have a trainer with a history of mental issues lol. but i also don't want to open up and trust someone who won't give me what i need.
(English is not my first language)
| 14 |
How much exercise do I need at this time?
|
The answer to that is a very personal one, especially for those of us with mental health issues.
One “standard” guideline at least here in the USA is the recommendation by the American Heart Association to exercise either 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week (example brisk walking) or 75 minutes of intense cardio per week. Another recommendation we often hear is 10,000 steps per day - although those who first recommended this admit that this was just a ballpark guess and not based on any scientific benchmark.
Research studies have shown that ANY amount of exercise can be of health benefit, so even if we exercise only for 5 or 10 minutes per day that is better for our health than no exercise at all.
For many of us who suffer from mental health issues, especially when it gets bad, the standard recommendations are out of reach, and many of us give up because we cannot meet the goals. One thing we often recommend here on r/EOOD is starting with baby steps and gradually progressing from that over time.
When I first started to EOOD my husband was skeptical whether the small amount of exercise I did would make a positive difference. I started with fitness games, which were more entertainment than exercise frankly, but they were fun and they got me moving, and even with that there were many days where at the beginning I did only 10 minutes a day or less. But I kept up the habit regularly, and improved very gradually, and this progressed to a point where my husband admitted his skepticism had been wrong, and even more importantly I myself could no longer deny my progress — in my case the first time I did this it took me about 2 months of daily exercising to no longer be able to deny that I was progressing, but your milage may vary.
So once we get going with exercising out of depression and gradually increase, are the “standard” guidelines for most healthy adults applicable to those of us with mental issues? Not necessarily. Some of it depends on how much out of shape we are / were, but also mental health. Some people may need less exercise and may not be able to handle the full amount and that is ok, but I would argue that a lot of us with mental health issues may ultimately need more exercise than the recommendations for healthy adults. Mental health takes a lot of effort to correct, and in my case for example 150 minutes weekly of moderate exercise is not enough for me nowadays to keep depression managed - but 75 minutes weekly of vigorous exercise is more than I can handle :). I do mostly moderate level exercise but I feel like I need to do more of it for my mental health than the recommendation for the average adult which is primarily geared at cardiac health.
What do you think? What is your experience? Remember, I said at the beginning that I believe this differs a lot from individual to individual, and also it changes over time for same individual.
| 6 |
The secret to why exercise is so good for mental health? ‘Hope molecules’ (4 May 2023)
| null | 6 |
A happy 🦆 family while on my outdoor hike. Get outside for some movement, fresh air and nature if you can!
| null | 102 |
Amazing science bit that I came across today
|
At the moment I am doing some reading on how exercise can help depression, and I am coming across so much interesting info.
So there is a ton of human and animal evidence that depression is associated with actual structural abnormalities of the brain, like smaller hippocampus regions (an area associated with emotional processing and stress regulation) and other regions.
And guess what.
Regular exercise, through neuroplasticity, can actually counteract some of these structural changes. It can actually so to say, rebuild brain structure.
I just wanted to share, and I will be sharing more interesting stuff I read if you like to hear about it:).
Also please comment more info on the topic:D
| 45 |
How to avoid letting injury derail me
|
Recently I've been doing really well with walking. So many places I used to drive to I now walk. This has lead to more motivation doing exercises at home as well.
Well, I now think I might have stress fractures in my foot. This is self diagnosed, I haven't gone to the doctor because they are probably just going to say I need to rest it. So that's what I'm doing (have ice on it atm) but how do I avoid a lethargic depressive decline? I do have a bike though I'm not sure if that would be considered resting the foot.
If you can't tell I'm not great at doing nothing, partly because my brain tells me I'm useless if I'm not actively doing something. I would truly appreciate any advice.
| 13 |
progress report (april 1-30)
|
starting weight
195/88kg
-workout
1min hollow body plank
10 push ups
6-8 50-120lb resistance band dip
6 50-120lb resistance pull up
20 squats
x3 every day
final weight
200lb/91 kg
-work out
walk/run 40 min
1 min hollow body plank
12 ring push ups-found out i can do 26 regular push ups
6 ring dips
3 dead hang pulls ups-6 standing pull ups
6-8 chin ups
10 leg raise
8-10 inverted rows
10 squats with 50lb weight
10 15lb lateral raise
x3 every day
i started counting calories towards the end because i plateued. i thought it was too soon for it to happen and i was constantly fatigued despite walking and working out everyday. i thought that would increase my general stamina.
i found out i was consistently under 1000-1500 kcal and my body was basically going under hibernation mode, dropping my neat dramatically by forcing me to sleep constantly.
i got down to 85kg but with my last 5 days of refeed and high carb diet, i went back up to 91kg. i feel much better and will go back to deficit starting tomorrow but not so drastically.
my last inbody check showed me i lost about 3% of body fat and gained 4 lb of muscle.
starting tomorrow ill do push pull leg routine because my current routine takes too long and doesnt seem to give good amount of recovery.
| 4 |
Walking is very hard
|
Hello everyone, I'm 23 and been sedentary for years. I mean legit barely moving at all aside from the occasional go to the store or something/ make food for myself. I'm not fat by any means, 180 6'2 male, but when I recently decided to start going for walks I get out of breath very quickly. I usually go for 30 minutes but during that time I'm very winded and my heart rate is very high at about around 140. I got things like ekg, nuclear stress test for this sort of thing years back but nothing ever came of it besides that I have tachycardia for whatever reason/high blood pressure. Could this be because I'm severely out of shape? I've lived this lifestyle pretty much since high school. I'm almost worried that doctors missed something becuase of how out of breath I feel when I try to go for walks, but maybe its just because I'm super out of shape. I guess I'm just wonondering if this is normal for people extremely sedentary like myself.
| 36 |
Does anyone know of good Core exercise directions with pics that show exactly what to do?
| null | 20 |
Ability to Accept Change Gracefully / to Adapt
|
I think one of the things that we can do that has one of the biggest impacts for mental health is to cultivate the ability to accept change gracefully, the ability to adapt. It is a very difficult skill to develop and yet very important. Depression and anxiety are often exacerbated by negative reactions to change, and let’s face it: life is full of changes for almost all of us.
Among the changes that affected me most over time have been changes that affect my workout routine. Obviously injury and sickness, and how to adapt to them without going into depression are a big challenge. But less obviously changes such as when Xbox decided to discontinue their program XBox Fitness which I was relying on heavily for my workouts at the time, I guess it felt a bit as if my home gym had closed, and I had to find a new one. Right now I needed to get a new fitness tracker because the old one is no longer able to hold battery charge, and I decided to go with competitor instead of continue with a new model - I am sure that will take some adjustment but I had my reasons for choosing this change, and change by own choice is of course usually easier than change which we have no or little control over.
The thing is the ability to adapt gracefully to change can really help with mental health. Meditation is one good tool for helping with this. So is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). It really helps not being too worried about change and staying calm in the face of change or even embracing and appreciating change - since for those of us who have depression change is actually our friend because without change there would be no hope of getting better. Some changes of course still are annoying, and not letting those spoil our day or week is a difficult skill to master.
| 9 |
Advice for managing antidepressants which affect cardio performance please!
|
Hi. I started on Lofepramine (a tri-cyclic antidepressant) not long after I started jogging and going to the gym regularly. Unfortunately, my cardio health has been steadily decreasing since then (currently estimated 20 vo2max, according to my watch). My heartrate and breathing are getting higher than I'd expect when exercising and I often get dizzy when I stand up.
Apparently this is a known side effect of tri-cyclics. What I can't find, however, is advice on how to manage it. Should I go harder to try and improve my cardio? Only do gentle exercise to protect my heart? I have no idea and can't get a medication review until next week. To complicate matters further, my gym membership is actually a limited time prescription and I don't want to waste it! Any advice is appreciated, thank you.
| 19 |
Identity, self-worth, mental illness and exercise.
|
Mental illness is a liar and a thief. It steals from us things like confidence, determination, sociability and more. It lies to us about the things it cannot steal. It tells you that you are worthless and will never get anything right just for starters.
When you are being beaten down like this its almost impossible to maintain a sense of who you are and that you have self-worth. Instead of being a son, friend, wife, colleague, father, neighbour or any other good positive parts of your personality you are just a mentally ill person who is worthless.
[Viktor Frankl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Frankl) that our primary motivation is to find meaning in our lives. [Sigmund Freud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud) said our primary motivation is pleasure and [Alfred Adler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Adler) said our motivation was power. When we are mentally ill nothing has meaning, nothing good is pleasurable and we are powerless in the grip of our illness.
Exercise if nothing else gives us something to do when we are ill but its more than a hot and sweaty way to pass the time. It shows us that we can get better at something. It gives us power over our mental illness. It gives us some form of pleasure one way or another whether that is the runners high or the simple pleasure of moving and not feeling short of breath. It gives us meaning in our lives. Instead of being a 'mentally ill person' we are a runner, a swimmer, a lifter, a yogi, whatever.
When we start to recover from our mental illness or at least cope with it better we can start to resume our other identities and motivations. Become a loving partner once more. Get back to work. Be a 'normal' person.
Doing something as simple as going for a walk regularly can give you all this help. If you can do more, then do more. Do what you can when you can. You got this. You can do it.
| 51 |
Antidepressant scene from the weekend... first hike in a long time and it felt amazing
| null | 188 |
Reminder that there is hope that things will get better
|
I just saw a fox on my morning walk in my neighborhood.
It reminded me of one day during the worst depression of my life in early 2014. It was a particularly difficult day for me, and I was standing in my living room and I sent a silent prayer asking for a sign that things will get better, to not give up hope. And I looked out my window into the backyard, and there was a fox staring back at me. I took it as my sign.
Ever since then whenever I see a fox it reminds me that there is hope, that things will get better.
Do you have any such reminders?
Note: it helps that I live in a neighborhood where fox sightings are not rare. A fox might not work as well for someone who lives somewhere where there are few or no foxes. :) Also it helps that foxes are more commonly seen here in springtime, and while my depression is not strictly seasonal, but it does tend to get worse in the fall and better in the spring so foxes are around for me usually when I am ready to improve. Although during seasons where there are fewer fox sighting sometimes I seek out books or images with foxes in them, such as the book The Little Prince.
Note2: even though in my case this involved a prayer this is not really about religion, it is a reminder to have hope. So as such it could work for anyone whether religious or not.
| 21 |
Been exercising for a while, but my depression has now got so bad I'm struggling to do it anymore
|
I managed to go the gym at least once a week (usually around 3-4 times tho) every week for six months, plus regular hikes and daily dog walks. It wasn't helping much, but it kept me in shape and gave me something to do.
In the last few weeks, my depression has worsened to the point I'm struggling to get out of bed, eat, shower, get dressed, etc and have been threatened with being hospitalised due to worsening suicidal ideation. Getting dressed and leaving the house in particular has been really hard.
I know I could just go for walks in my pyjamas, but I feel too ashamed. I live in a small flat with creaky floors, so any at home workout with jumping would annoy my neighbours. There's also not much room and my family have to be around 24/7 to watch me at the moment which makes it more difficult.
I've been managing to get 10,000 steps a day by pacing up and down, as well as short walks when I can get myself up to do it. I'd prefer to be able to go back to my old routine though.
Anyone have any tips on how to exercise when you can't get yourself up to leave the house?
Any help at all is appreciated, thanks.
Edit: I managed to get up and go to the gym this morning. I only did 15 minutes on the treadmill, but I'm glad I managed to go at all
| 14 |
How to deal with mental health when you can't exercise?
|
Recently got a minor ankle injury and was advised to not exercise much because it might never heal otherwise. I took some time off and already feel more tired, depressed, anxious - you know it. I can do some weight training but need cardio to survive - any tips? And what do you do in situations where you really can't exercise at all, e.g. major injury or illness?
| 9 |
Graham Obree is one of the greatest cyclists of all time. In this video he talks at length about mental health and exercise and his relationship with cycling and how it is entwined with his self worth.
| null | 2 |
Antidepressant scene from the weekend (sound on!)
| null | 85 |
Something silly seen on the net today.
| null | 126 |
Exercise helps
|
I hardly ever want to go to the gym. Same with taking a walk. It almost always seems pointless.
"It´s not going to help, my depression will never leave me anyway, it´s all just fake anyways because even if I feel better for a day or so I´m still gonna go back to being depressed when the effect wears off, it´s all meaningless."
Those are the kind of thoughts my brain tells me. And the brain is very convincing.
And my exhausted body agrees, it just wants sleep and rest, food and Netflix.
And my paralysing anxiety does not help.
The last couple of months it has been harder than usual to get out.
But this weekend I managed to go to the gym twice, and to take a walk twice.
And it really helped. I feel better now. It was worth it.
I don´t know what I wanted to say with this. Just that exercise helps.
| 35 |
If you are in the USA there is a new national Suicide Prevention Hotline. Call or Text 988 anytime.
| null | 15 |
be more like dave
| null | 6 |
A new study says the DSM-V classification and diagnosis system that many doctors around the world use is 'Scientifically Meaningless'. Its just one study etc.
| null | 4 |
Yet another online counselling service selling its users data and pressuring them to give up data.
| null | 48 |
Engaging with exercise, or anything else that will hopefully help your mental health.
|
As well as the widely known placebo effect there is the [nocebo effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocebo) which is defined as
> A nocebo effect is said to occur when negative expectations of the patient regarding a treatment cause the treatment to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would have
Just like the placebo effect the nocebo effect is very powerful which makes it difficult for medical professionals to study. Shall we say less ethical doctors in the past have forced subjects to take a sugar pill which they have told them is highly poisonous and the subjects became very ill indeed with the symptoms of the poison despite the pill being totally begin.
So what does that have to do with EOOD? Exercise is a known way of helping cope with all kinds of mental health problems. There are studies everywhere you look to that effect. Doctors are quick to suggest exercise perhaps with other treatments but sometimes on its own. However if you think that exercise won't work for you then it probably won't.
For me the best way to illustrate this is not to use exercise as an example but instead use my personal experience of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Quite a few years ago I came across an article on line about Stoic philosophy which got my attention. I have always enjoyed stretching my mind and philosophy is a good way of doing that. I read a couple of books which were the "pop-sci" equivalent on Stoicism and they both mentioned that Albert Ellis who was one of the originators of CBT based a lot of CBT practice on Stoicism. To be honest I didn't think much about it and carried on learning about the philosophy.
Fast forward a few years and I spent some time on a psych ward after a breakdown. When I left the ward the NHS here in the UK sent me on a short program of six sessions of CBT as a follow up. The people running the sessions must have hated me as I was a complete dick. I said things like "I know all about this stuff already" and quoted Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus at them. I told them that I know all the theory and I still wound up on a ward so how was CBT going to help me. Of course what I didn't realize then and know now is that I knew the philosophy is the theory and CBT is putting that theory into practice. I dismissed CBT out of hand and what do you know, it didn't work for me.
How does exercise fit this pattern? Well if you hated PE at school as you were an uncoordinated teen who wasn't that great at sports and far more interested in something else. Last to be picked for a team, the PE teacher making fun of your failures, all that sort of thing its highly likely that you won't even attempt regular exercise. If you do it brings back such unhappy memories that it puts you off when you do try. You might find that exercise triggers memories of serious injuries. You might think exercise is a waste of your time and you should be devoting yourself to more cerebral matters. You don't like getting hot and sweaty. You have problems with self esteem and body image. There are hundreds of reasons for hating exercise. If you even start exercising you will most likely see zero benefits mental or physical benefits. I also believe that if you just chase the runners high as a short term fix you are missing out on many other mental benefits such as better determination, dedication, self-discipline and more which mental health problems steal from us.
All I can say is if you are starting out on any treatment for your mental health, exercise or anything else, then approach it with an open mind. Start taking the medication, start therapy, go for a walk. Just let it happen, don't dismiss anything. Don't look for a huge difference in how you feel right from the start. Mental health treatments take time to give you the full effect, exercise included.
As Nike are fond of saying Just Do It.
| 33 |
30 ways to make exercise more fun - From the Guardian
| null | 19 |
If you are wondering what would be the ideal clothing to wear for the weather where you are dressmyrun.com has you covered.
| null | 22 |
My happy place is on a deserted trail with just my pups. Seeing them so happy makes me even happier.
| null | 138 |
How do I force myself to exercise if I hate exercising?
|
In the past I've tried:
walking
running
cycling
dancing
yoga
soccer
basketball
volleyball
tennis
swimming
skipping
archery
hiking
lifting weights
skateboarding
and I despised all of them.
Right now I don't have any friends of family and even if I had them it wouldn't help because I hate any group activity. I'm in a bad financial situation so I can't afford to buy anything. Nothing brings me any enjoyment. I've tried over a dozen antidepressants and a few therapists and nothing worked. Is there any way I can force myself to exercise?
| 41 |
Routine
|
I find that a routine can help tremendously with overcoming depression and also with ensuring that even when motivation is gone, one is more likely to keep doing what one always does in same order, and if this order includes exercise and other useful things then that helps.
Here is my current morning routine. I try to stick to it as closely as possible on weekdays - on weekends it is a bit more loose. And while I do adjust this routine periodically but for now most mornings for me look like this:
6am get up and cross the room to turn off alarm, go to the bathroom where I have the option of weighing myself as well (not every morning), return to bedroom and measure my morning blood pressure and take my morning medicines and supplements, turn on SAD lamp near couch, go to fridge to grab my oats overnight and sit near SAD lamp eating my breakfast, review my keyword journal from day before and add anything I left out and feel should be there plus assess day overall and add an emoji that reflects my overall assessment of that day (smiley, frowney, etc), make matcha tea and eat a banana, drink matcha near SAD lamp and log my food intake for breakfast in MyFitnessPal (also near SAD lamp interact with r/EOOD and facebook group about oats, turn off SAD lamp, feed the cats, fill my 75oz water bottle for the day, go upstairs and dress in exercise clothes, procrastinate some on starting to exercise - spend some time persuading self to start sometimes that is done with SAD lamp again and often some more on reddit or facebook, exercise for 20-30 minutes, shower and get dressed, go for walk, return and start working from home. On Wednesdays this routine needs to be a bit more hurried with less procrastination because I go into the office, and I do not do the morning walk near home but rather walk from the metro to the office.
Do you have a routine currently? If so, care to share it with us in a comment?
| 20 |
Walking friends’ chats are depressing
|
Has anyone else experienced this? It seems that many of the friends I walk with separately, like to talk about personal things and problems in their lives.
Why is walking with a friend more like a therapy session? Many of the conversations leave me drained and depressed. And then I start doing the same thing during walks.
I’m not unempathetic and I am a good listener. But I have enough of my own things to sort out, and I thought walking for exercise with a friend would be a positive experience.
| 55 |
I did it: Back to 10,000 steps every day for a week!
|
I don’t know when exactly my depression started this time but I can sort of figure it out since I stopped keeping a daily journal toward the end of June 2022 and starting in July 2022 I never had an average monthly step count of 10,000 steps, something I used to do regularly. According to my Fitbit app in January of 2023 I exceeded 10,000 steps per day five times. But I felt miserable the next day so I had to be sedentary to recover. In January I got on anti-depressant Zoloft, something I wish I had decided to do earlier. But I was convinced that my physical symptoms were due to physical issues, and my doctor agreed that I needed to get all kinds of tests including a cardiac stress test etc. On February 6th during a follow up doctor’s visit my doctor suggested that I reduce my daily step goal to 7,000 steps, and even that I could not successfully meet every day.
The breakthrough happened after a whole bunch of tests and several different doctors when the neurologist finally decided that most of my issues had their root cause in depression and anxiety, increased my Zoloft, told me to walk more again and exercise in other ways as well. This happened on March 13th.
Now one month later I am feeling much much better. I would say I am about 80-90% back to normal. And today I finally did it: I have 7 consecutive days of over 10,000 steps every day, and my step average for April 2023 is over 10,000 steps so far as well. I feel like I am back to being myself finally, not just in this but in so many ways. I have been doing so much better at work also. Getting so much more satisfaction out of life. Yay
| 76 |
Insomnia
|
Has anyone in this group cured or improved their insomnia by doing aerobic exercise? I find that aerobic exercise helps my sleep - but only the same day that I do the exercise. The day after my sleep is bad again, unless I do cardio again. Would being consistent with an aerobic exercise routine improve my insomnia long term? I have personally never been consistent with it, because I dont want to do cardio every single day.
I think my problem is low serotonin levels - I have insomnia, crazy carb cravings, depression, pms++
Would regular aerobic exercise (3-4 times a week) raise my baseline serotonin levels in the long run? Or do I need to do aerobic exercise everyday, just to be able to get some good sleep? :/
| 16 |
How do you exercise out of depression if the depression is so debilitating you are bedbound?
| null | 73 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.