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Today I ran for the first time in months
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After a really rough bipolar mixed episode and depression of a few months I’m starting to come out of it and thought today is a great day for me to start the new year fresh. I managed a 5k today and I got a break from my depression and anxiety doing my run and it’s the first time in months I’ve felt I’ve accomplished something. I hope 2023 will be a better year with good health and plenty of exercise and happy new year to you all.
| 100 |
We all knew it, social media causes children (and probably adults) to dislike their own bodies.
| null | 47 |
Well its 2023. Let's all hope things go better than 2022. Lots and lots of things for ourselves and others.
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I hope you all have a good year, and your friends, family, neighbours and just everyone in general have a good year.
| 48 |
Anyone can get mental health benefits from exercise.
| null | 46 |
how do you stay motivated in the moment?
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okay, so i'm making exercise a regular thing, i'm motivated enough to get to the gym, i have sort of a routine BUT today i'm halfway through jogging the mile i want to put in every workout and think 'ya ya, i get it already do i really have to finish this entire mile?' the answer is 'YES YOU DO' so i keep going but it's still hard to hear.
does anyone else lose motivation halfway through a set or exercise? how do you keep yourself from cutting corners and quitting early?
| 15 |
Does anyone have a complete block when it comes to exercise?
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I cannot get myself to do it. I am unsure if it’s anxiety related or depression related but no matter how much I know I should or how scared I am to think of the effects of not exercising when I’m old, I cannot do it. I literally started crying once when a therapist told me I should exercise. What’s this all about?
ETA- thank you all for your input! I think I’m gonna go do 5 planks…
| 34 |
Another study says serotonin is the key factor in depression. To be honest I don't know what to believe any more as there are so many competing "definitive studies" now. What do you all think?
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Using electrodes to "measure" depression and even to control depression - panacea or horror?
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Another thing to help people starting out. What are the common excuses you have for not exercising and how do you overcome them?
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For me its just plain lazyness. I have all I need to exercise here at home. A rowing machine, kettlebells, sandbag, resistance bands etc etc etc.
In order to overcome lazyness I have to give myself no other option but to work out. My wife has to get up earlier than me as she doesn't work from home so once she gets me out of bed at 7am what else is there to do but work out.
| 50 |
As many people will be starting EOOD in the next few days: What made you realise that exercise helps your mental health and why
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Personally I had always exercised off and on and my mental health problems come and go. Both of those things can last a few years at a time.
I was sitting at home going back over things in my life about 10 years ago and it dawned on me that when I was exercising generally speaking my mental health was better. Of course then I was exercising a lot and had a break down anyway... there has to be an exception to every rule.
The best times in my life were between the ages of 23 and 27 when I was playing a lot of rugby and cricket, had a very physical job and trained every single day and when I first met my wife when I was in my mid 40s and was spending a lot of time in the gym.
| 13 |
A lot of people will be starting exercising for the first time in a while soon with their New Year Resolutions. What are your pieces of advice for them? Bonus points for things you don't normally see but are important.
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As always the mantra of this sub is "Start as small as possible, build up slowly. Take baby steps".
I think the best thing to remember is if you are in a gym for the first time is that *everyone* in there is anxious to some degree. That huge guy benching some insane weight is anxious, the woman who appears to be made of titanium and carbon fibre running like the wind on the treadmill, she is anxious too.
Thats a good thing though. Everyone is so anxious about themselves that they have next to no time to pay any attention to anyone else. Thats why everyone has their headphones on and not making eye contact. You could strip naked, paint yourself bright purple and dance the funky chicken and no one would notice.
The other thing is people who have been into fitness for a long time tend to be the friendliest and most helpful people. That huge guy or titanium woman will help you... I can almost guarantee it.
| 71 |
Excited to find this sub!!
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I just stumbled on your sub. I’m hoping I can find some inspiration here! I used to workout regularly. In fact, three years ago I ran an ultramarathon (50k).
Then… I stopped. I tried to get started again, multiple times. Never sticks more than a few days. But lately I’ve actually had the urge to start again.
Add to this… in a few weeks, I start class for basic firefighter. Clearly I’m going to need some physical fitness for this.
And I know how much my brain benefits when I’m moving my body.
So. It’s time.
I’m glad to find you all.
| 20 |
Can I ask you all a favour at Xmas. Dave Rapp has posted here quite a lot of the years. He is a good guy going through a really, really tough time. Please give him some love if you can.
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Am I skinny fat? I think I am
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When I see my body I see an unattractive body with some belly fat and no muscle, is this correct? I think I'm "skinny fat" is this correct too? I've been struggling to find the difference between skinny and skinny fat.
https://imgur.com/a/nhQUUQ1
https://imgur.com/a/RpsXp6O
I do lift and am trying to gain weight slowly to put on muscle, but I might go back to losing weight soon since I want to look better. I'm down 60 lbs from 200lbs btw
| 0 |
I ate in McDonalds for the first time in years yesterday.
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TL;DR it was awful. No lets be honest, it was shit.
I used to eat a lot of burgers years ago. Back when I was a student and when I drove a truck for a while. I managed to wean myself off of them over time. Living in a very rural area helps. Its a 20 minute drive to the nearest fast food place and we can't get fast food delivered.
Yesterday I was in Southampton as I was looking at buying a new car. I was in a part of the city I didn't know well and it was lunch time and I was really hungry. I was driving down a road looking for somewhere to eat and there were the golden arches.
I ate a Big Mac, Large Fries and a Large Chocolate Milkshake. To be honest the only thing with anything approaching flavour was the slice of gherkin. I might as well have been eating styrofoam.
Then when I was done eating it I was *still hungry*. I walked down the road to a shop and bought more food and ate it straight away.
Yes I know I am lucky enough to be able to pick and choose what I eat. I can avoid junk food if I want. I don't have to rely on places like McDonalds to feed me as there is little else available.
I just know I won't be repeating that experience for a while. If I am going to eat unhealthy food at least its going to be tasty unhealthy food.
| 42 |
I combat bipolar and OCD with much help coming by way of jumping rope for an hour each morning
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feeling results
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i've never worked out as consistently or as intensely as i have for the past two months. sure, i've had physical jobs and have always loved being out in nature when i can but it's not the same. also, in the worst parts of my illness, i've had zero energy to spare for anything but the barest activities of life. feeling like i've worked through that (or just survived it), i've been taking back control over the past couple of years. i'm not in great shape and, considering i'd just accepted that i'd always be overweight and never enjoy good health and vitality, i'm shocked to learn that's not true.
along with this tacit acceptance of defeat, i'm used to not seeing results for my efforts, like there's just no winning. going into exercise with no expectations and actually feeling stronger and fitter from my workouts is so rewarding and surprising. i can feel such a difference. in the first week, my workout would take me almost two hours, mostly from recovery time. my jogging was at a speed on the treadmill so slow i can't even jog it anymore and i would take easily two or three minutes between sets with weights. the (basically) same workout now takes almost half the time because i'm able to recover more quickly.
i feel it outside the gym too. going up stairs, running across the road when there's a gap in traffic, just standing up from a familiar seat all feel different. i'm also missing body parts. in the shower, i'll go to grab some flab and find it's either less of a handful or just not there anymore. sometimes clothing feels weird touching parts of my body it usually doesn't.
barring serious catastrophe, this is for life.
| 6 |
A massive collection of resources on all kinds of mental health issues from the Royal College of Psychiatrists here in the UK
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Finding less joy in exercise after decreasing meds dose
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Hello! Recently I went from 10mg of Escitalopram, an SSRI, down to 5mg. One thing I’ve noticed, which I’m not sure is due to the meds or not, is that exercise feels much less rewarding than before, and much harder to push myself.
Typically before, I just enjoyed exercising. I would climb, run, cycle and do yoga, all as much as I could manage. I didn’t push myself as hard as I could each time, but would at least give it a fair go, and I always enjoyed some aspect of the “pain” of the exercise, the feeling of my body, and the unique highs that each form of exercise would produce afterwards.
Now I’m trying to maintain the same level of activity as before, and I’m not certain it’s the meds or if it’s something else, but now exercise is just so lacking in all of what made it enjoyable for me. Going climbing, or for a run, feels like a chore. Even when I’m feeling fresh and energised beforehand, I feel like I’m needing to push myself extremely hard just to operate at what was previously my normal capacity. What’s more, I barely get any kind of high afterwards, I just feel tired.
I’m hoping this is just some sort of withdrawal period and that things will even out over time, but it’s certainly frustrating not being able to rely on what was previously the one thing that would always make me feel less depressed. My sleep and diet are quite good too, and I’ve been on this dose for a couple of months at this point, so it seems strange that only now would I be seeing adverse effects from it.
Can anyone relate? Any advice?
| 11 |
How to have a good xmas when you are sober and everyone else is drinking. I think it might help some of us here, me included
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Having a plan to help deal with things with the holidays can be useful
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My wife and I are going back to Somerset for Xmas day. That means I get to see my family for the first time in about 6 weeks. Thats good as I get to see my father but it also means I get to see my mother and brother.
There is the problem. My mother will be a hot mess of anxiety, rushing around like a mother hen fussing over every last little thing. My brother will do anything he can to "help" my mother and that will make things worse.
So my plan is
1. Valium / diazepan
2. Just stand my ground
3. Primarily talk to my father
4. If all else fails just walk out the door
What are your plans?
| 18 |
This is a really tough time of year for many, many people. Here is a list of mental health crisis lines for as many countries as possible. Take time for yourself in the chaos and talk to someone if you need to.
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The agony aunts reply in this Guardian article makes an important point. Therapy won't work unless you engage with it. Neither will anything else including exercise.
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Does exercise simply not help symptoms like emotional blunting? Or what is needed?
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Question basically in the title. Theres so many articles on exercise and depression but I have not found any benefit at all. No matter how much I do it, my emotions are still blunted and this is my main symptom. I don’t feel excitement and passion like my old self. My mood is normal, just flat and maybe exercise may help a little with mood, but it does absolutely nothing for this symptom.
It makes me hopeless. What the hell are you supposed to do for emotional blunting symptpm?
And what I do at the gym is typically 5-6 sets of squats, bench press, LAT pulldown. Sometimes a 1 mile run.
Who has emotional blunting (or anhedonia) and does exercise help you with these specific symptoms? What do you do?
Note these symptoms are not the same as low mood which is what one typically thinks of as depression.
| 29 |
The Roman Stoic Philosopher Epictetus on how to win the Olympic games. More or less right today. We do this in a small way every single time we exercise as every work out is a challenge in itself.
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Any marathon or high volume runners here on Zoloft/Sertraline?
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I know this is probably a shot in the dark, but I’m curious to know if anyone here takes an ssri, and how it affects their running performance? I was recently prescribed a medication that I’ve been worried about starting because of some side affects, one being my running.
I run about 30-40 miles a week, but will be increasing my volume soon as I’m planning to run a half in the spring. Hoping to PR, (sub 1:30). I’ve been dealing with some mental health stuff that I won’t get into, what I’m concerned about is how medication (sertraline) might affect my running. Does anyone here run while taking any type of SSRI? Has it had a negative impact on your running?
| 4 |
You might want to think twice before signing up with an on line mental health service. Many of them send information to Facebook/Meta, Google and more.
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Even a single exercise session can help shift depression from Psyche Ideas
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Listening to your body
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A lot of "wellness influencer" types keep on banging on about "listening to yourself" but it is important. (who ever came up with the term "influencer" needs a good talking too, but thats another story)
Your body has a wonderful messaging system to tell you that you are things are not quite right with regards to exercise. It's called pain. Yes "no pain, no gain", "sweat is fat crying" and all that motivation stuff applies too but only up to a point.
We all know that if we are exercising and suddenly get crushing chest pains and/or pain shooting down our left arm we should stop right there and call the emergency services. Likewise if we are out running and turn an ankle its time to limp home, or get a bus or something.
It's easier to ignore the little niggling pains though. You know the type. "My left shoulder gets sore when I do overhead presses. "My hamstrings are a bit tight". "My elbow clicks when I do a sliced backhand". These little bits of pain can be ignored or you can work around them. If your shoulder gets sore when you do OHPs then don't do them. Change your tennis game to avoid that shot. That sort of thing.
The thing is with this low level pain is that its important *in the long run*. My shoulders are a mess of knotted muscles because I kept doing OHPs and kettlebell snatches when it was hurting a little. Sooner or later a lump of muscle fails and then it really hurts. Your elbow hurting when you play certain shots could be the start of tennis elbow. Hamstrings get tight before they fail.
The thing is low level pain is often easier to treat before it becomes a big problem. I can do some rotator cuff exercises to build up those little muscles that are hurting in my shoulders so they don't fail again. Stretch and warm up your hamstrings properly before you run. Get your elbow checked out and how you play that shot, wear a support. None of those are earth shattering or difficult but they save a lot of pain in the long run.
Paying attention to your body is a good thing mentally too. As Dr M.D. Bessel van der Kolk says [The Body Keeps The Score](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/7e484021-9136-4105-9294-322afa424a2e) People often find that they experience physical symptoms associated with mental health issues. Working on those physical symptoms can help you mentally. I know if I pay for a good deep tissue massage on my shoulders to ease out the tension there I will feel a hell of a lot better mentally as well as physically.
So listen carefully. Pay attention. Get better.
| 17 |
If you are thinking on starting exercise as a New Year Resolution DON'T DO IT. Read to the end....
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(Sorry, I hate those "watch to the end" video titles but couldn't help myself)
If you want to exercise RIGHT NOW then thats the perfect time to exercise. You are motivated, you are ready, what are you waiting for? Pull on some old clothes, or the nice workout clothes you bought ages ago and are saving for the new year, new you thing and do it now. It doesn't matter what you do even. Just get a bit hot and sweaty for about 10-15 minutes.
By the time 2013 gets here you will have eaten and/or drunk too much, had a really stressful time over the holidays dealing with friends and family, shopping etc and you almost certainly won't feel like exercising at all. What is more if you make a resolution and break it almost straight away you will feel bad about that too.
So if you want to exercise but not yet, do it now. Do it while you really want to.
| 5 |
Back at the gym after a year off
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I used to go gym everyday last year but I had a huge break up in January and since moving to a new flat that I didn’t enjoy, I stopped going to the gym. I just couldn’t face going and being around people. I felt so so low. I lost my home, didn’t like renting, felt so ugly and unwanted, fell into guys who were not so nice to me.
Last month I bought my own house. I signed up to the gym 15 mins walk up the road. I’ve been three times since Friday. I’m so happy to be back at it. It feels so good to both be in my own home and doing something that I love.
I’m hoping to build back up to the routine I used to do, while looking after myself. I missed those tours around beaches and forests while on the elliptical. I love learning random little facts about the places.
Just want to say if you’re in bad spot, and you feel like you’ll never get out - you will. It might be months, years, but you’ll get there. And when you do, it feels amazing. 😊💜
| 46 |
Helping others with their mental health issues helps us. Here is some good advice on how to deal with someone who showing symptoms of things like paranoia, delusions, aggression, lying and more
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Anybody here for eye floaters?
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I know it sounds benign and the response I will get is probably the usual “everyone has eye floaters, get over it!” But I seriously have to know.
For me personally I was an active gym goer, had a nice physique, and felt good about myself until 3-4 months ago. After taking a little break from the gym, I came back for the first time in about 3 weeks and was greeted after my workout by a bunch of these annoying little bastards. I was wracked with anxiety and fell into a mental pit, completely unable to exercise because I’m just too afraid of more eye floaters introducing themselves and making my eyes even more of a nuisance to look through than they already are.
Don’t get me wrong, I did the usual doctors checks and everything was fine, and I’ve done all the mind numbing self-assurance exercises to tell myself that I can work through this but seriously I hate even going outside anymore and I’m wondering if anybody has ever worked past eye floaters in particular with exercise.
And to clarify for those reading, when I say eye floaters I mean dark and bunch, occupying a lot of my visual field, not the transparent ones that go away on their own usually. For context I’m 20 years old.
| 18 |
Mental health is a political issue. The Australian government has halved access to counselling through its health system.
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Learning how to help others with their mental health helps us too. This is how to help someone having a panic attack.
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Jesse from Athlean-X talks about his journey with depression and exercise
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A really good article on strength training with plenty of good advice for beginners
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What’s a good “Trying to be Healthy” checklist for me if im having a bad day?
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Hello all you lovely, wonderful and fantastic people!
I’m trying to remember something I saw a loooong time ago about a kind of checklist of things to double check if you’re having a depression downswing during the day. I think it was something like:
- Did you eat poorly/eat processed carbs today?
- Have you had enough water to drink today?
- Did you exercise today?
- Did you sleep like crap last night?
Things to just think about and either fix (like, go drink some water or get up and move) or remind yourself of in case you feel helpless about your current situation (actually it’s just the pizza you ate, so no worries, grab a salad next meal and you’ll feel better).
Is that everything? Did I get anything wrong/am I missing anything to be added? Husband wants me to make note of this so if I’m in a bad way, he can be like, “Here’s some water, wanna go for a walk?” Which is very sweet and helpful of him!
| 65 |
sometimes you just physically can't
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one thing about being on antipsychotics for 15 years as a woman is that it messes with your period. it's very common to have really intense bleeding and to even bleed intermittently. it sucks. tmi but i could barely move today without spurting blood. i'd wanted to go to the gym or at least do some stretches and mobility exercises at home but instead i sat in a bathtub of lukewarm water for an hour to bleed out.
i did at least manage to make a nice stew for the rest of the week's dinners and call my doctor to get an appointment and have some bloodwork done. like i said, this has been happening to me for years but i still want to make sure there's not some other underlying issue.
| 16 |
Exercise is one of the best forms of self care.
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Self care is a big thing in the "wellness" industry. (Let's call it what it is) We are encourage to be kind to ourselves and treat ourselves (to expensive "wellness" products) as this will make us feel better.
Of course it works, for a given value of works. At other times it's total bullshit. Yes having a long hot soak in a bath with scented candles and soft music playing might work if you are feeling a bit blue and down. If you are in a crisis it's probably going to make you worse as when it doesn't lift your mood you feel even more of a failure.
For me at least exercise is self care. I can spend half an hour on my rowing machine and when I have finished, drank a load of water and had a cold shower I feel better. That's why I am writing this now.
What's more exercise is active not passive. So much "wellness" is passive. You buy the bath bombs and scented candles and you are meant to feel better. You don't actually do anything. You just lie in a bath and spend money. Exercise requires physical and mental effort. The mental effort is starting your work out in the first place and keeping not giving up halfway through.
With exercise you are in control. You are doing what you want to do because you know it will have an effect on you both physically and mentally. What is more you can track your physical progress. Faster times, heavier weights, more lengths of the pool, getting a new belt at the dojo. Whatever form of exercise you do there is almost certainly going to be a way to track your progress.
You can hopefully use your physical progress as a proxy for your mental progress. Being able to break a Personal Record takes mental strength as well as physical. You have developed that mental side as you get fitter, you have to in order to get fitter.
That is not to say wellness and self care do not have a place. For me self care is part of my back up plan. If I am injured or don't have capacity for exercise at the moment then self care becomes more important for a while. It picks up some of the slack left by not exercising. Generally when I am exercising I don't need the hot baths and wellness apps telling me to relax.
| 96 |
Some thoughts on setting goals for your exercise
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Many years ago I read a blog post about the difference between training and exercising. It comes down to training is when you are working towards a goal and exercise is when you are merely getting hot and sweaty regularly.
The blog said that training is preferable to exercise as you are focussed on the point in the future when you achieve your goal. I think exercise does this too as it shows us how we can improve ourselves both physically and mentally in terms of the determination, dedication, discipline, self-belief and more that it takes to exercise consistently. I guess the difference is in level of effect, if you have a goal in mind and are tracking progress towards it the effect *should* be greater.
So what is a good goal that you can train in order to achieve. If you work in IT you will have heard of [SMART Goals](https://www.atlassian.com/blog/productivity/how-to-write-smart-goals). SMART is an acronym for Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time-bound. Exercise / training fits well into this structure. You can set yourself a goal of benching 225lbs. That is specific and measurable, its relevant if you are weight training or wanting to build strength for say BJJ and if you say you want to do this in two months its time bound. Likewise if you goal is to finish C25k that fits the criteria.
For me the hard part is setting achievable goals. Its very easy to set yourself a goal you cannot possible achieve in the time frame you have given yourself. There is no way I could get fit enough to run the London Marathon next year. The race is on the 23rd of April and I haven't run more than 5k since covid. Likewise if you can't bench the bar yet saying you will bench two plates in a month is just pie in the sky.
If you set yourself goals that are unachievable then you are setting yourself up to fail. All that good exercise will be "wasted" as no matter what you do you can't achieve your goal. You are going to feel absolutely awful. Don't do that.
*However* there is a way to deal with massive, life changing goals. Break them down into smaller and smaller goals, sub goals, sub sub goals etc. This is what we do when we write code. The overarching goal is "write the app". That is broken down into often thousands of small tasks that can be achieved in a more or less known timescale.
This is what professional athletes do. Usain Bolt might have had the goal to break the 100m world record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but he and his coaches would have broken that down into many, many small goals, probably on a training session or weekly basis. Plus there are things like diet, down time etc all of which need careful control to perform at that level.
Achieving each little sub-sub-sub-sub goal still gives us a small boost. It's something to look forward to and to celebrate when you achieve it. Break things down enough and you can celebrate regularly. Just go easy on the celebratory pizza and beers, save them for when those two plates go down and back up and your spotter doesn't go near the bar.
I must admit that I am exercising not training at the moment. My only goal is to get on my rowing machine around 4 days per week. That is enough of a goal for me right now as I have a lot of shit happening in my life, anything more than that would be adding stress not helping.
That's an important point about setting goals, you have to be flexible. You might injure yourself, you might get ill, you might have to deal with all kinds of crises in your life. These will either mean you can't train as often as you like or stop you training altogether *for a while*. Just get back to it as soon as you can, re-evaluate your goals to account for what just happened and go again.
| 12 |
Making jokes about mental health can help make non-sufferers appreciate what we go through.
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How Do You Overcome Negative Speak?
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I like exercising… once I can become motivated enough to actually go to the gym. The trouble is that when I’m depressed I spend the whole day feeling purposeless and hopeless, like the “what’s the point” attitude, and talking myself out of exercising. How do you overcome the negativity to find a strong enough “why” to stay active?
| 48 |
I just started going to the gym two weeks ago.
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I don't really notice any physical changes yet, but I have noticed that I'm more calm, especially when it comes to anger. Yesterday, a package of mine was stolen again. Usually that causes a fit of rage that can get difficult to fully control. I never hurt anyone, but I start to scream and stuff. Except yesterday, I just cursed a bit, slammed a door shut, and that was it. I mean, I was still a little bit peeved, but there was no problem to control it. At all.
Even if I never get any physical improvements, which I probably will eventually, if it helps this much with my anger issues, it's definitely worth it.
| 55 |
anyone here have an eating disorder?
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If you feel comfortable enough sharing your experience, what are some things that have or have not worked for you?
Background: I have an incredibly under active appetite. Doctors have all told me to "try and eat on a schedule", however, that does not change the fact that even on a schedule, I am just not hungry. I've changed medications, tried meal prepping, diet changes, more intense exercise and nothings working.
I work in a hospital for 12 hour shifts 4-5 days a week. I get one 30 minite lunch break to eat (very little) during the day. When I'm at home, I tend to make food, eat maybe a quarter of it then feel full.
I guess what I'm asking is, how have you been able to encourage yourself to eat more when your body just doesn't want to.
Thank you all for the help. Thankful there's a community available that understands the nuances of depression and can still provide a positive environment to learn.
| 27 |
Breathing in polluted air can affect your brain. Those effects can include increased levels anxiety and depression
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A walk in the woods with a four legged friend is a great mental health tonic
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Ronan O'Gara and Roy Keane talk about anxiety they felt when playing their sports (rugby union and football). Both men were fantastic sportsmen. We all go through similar things in our own way though.
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A collection of exercise apps, youtube channels and podcasts. Not all free but mostly fairly cheap - From the Guardian.
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Finally Took the First Step
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I used to be a regular patron at my local Y, using EOOD as my motivation for it. I'd get up around 6 every morning and go exercise before work, and it felt good to have a routine and stick to it. In March 2020, that obviously went by the wayside, and I very quickly fell out of my habits and devolved into some really bad ones, namely my sugar consumption. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was having sometimes a pint of Ben and Jerry's a day, and on a weekly basis keeping a tub of ice cream in the freezer. I put on close to 20 pounds over the course of the pandemic, and stopped exercising entirely. I've been really wanting to make a change lately, and on Friday I made the decision to stop making excuses. There's a dairy farm where I grew up (Richardson's, for those of you in New England) that I love, and often have been going out of my way to go there. Starting with baby cones, moving up to smalls and then larges, sometimes a couple of times a week. This past Friday, I was out running errands and wanted to stop there, but knew I couldn't. Instead, I forced myself to go home and go to the gym, just for a half hour. I've been making time to go every day since, even if I don't do anything too strenuous.
I'd forgotten how much effect this had on my anxiety and how great I feel after. I've started cutting out added sugars entirely and trying to hold myself accountable to it, and today I had a chocolate chip cookie from Whole Foods and my heart rate sped up, and I thought "holy crap, this is how I've been feeling for the last THREE YEARS." I'm amazed at how normal I'd come to accept that as, and I wanted to thank this sub for helping me get back to feeling almost semi-normal
| 23 |
Anyone else recovering from cancer treatment?
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Hi, I’m not sure if this is the right sub for me but figured I’d give it a try.
I used to be so active. Through 2020 and 2021 I lost a lot of fitness due to what I thought was depression but ended up being fatigue from having fucking Lymphoma.
I just finished chemo and lost even more strength and fitness during those 6 months. I’m also starting to process the trauma of this whole thing and the mental health needle is pretty much on empty.
I want to get healthy and back into fitness. I also know that exercise will help me be stronger and will help my mental health.
I thought about going to join the gym the other day so I could use the treadmill indoors but talked myself out of it because it was cold outside.
I have apple fitness and am trying to focus on getting even a few 10 min workouts in each day. I’m frustrated because I’m so sad and some days I can’t tell if It’s sadness or physical fatigue holding me back.
| 49 |
When does it stop hurting so much?
|
I worked out yesterday for the first time in a while and I am just so sore, tired, and low today. I felt really good for an hour or two yesterday right after, but it doesn't feel worth it to then have a whole day where I am out of commission.. Should I start slower? But, then I don't get the endorphin rush afterwards.. any insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Edit: thank you so much everyone for the suggestions! It helps to not feel alone or like I am doing something wrong. Going to keep pushing forward, maybe just at 70% instead of 90%.
| 34 |
Dwayne Johnson talks about how work outs give him mental clarity and how if you are struggling the best thing you can do is reach out for help
| null | 121 |
What was your push factor?
|
I know exercise is good, but I can't start. People say things like "just walk once around the block" and my brain just goes nope its cold as fuck. Im sure a bunch of people can relate to knowing that exercise is good but not starting.
What was happening before you started exercising? Im not asking about motivation per se, but more what mindset change or just general changes led up to it? Like were you just researching exercise a lot and decided to stop being in denial, did you get a job that forced you to walk around more, did a make a comment on something and you decided to shift your mindset, were you browsing this subreddit a lot like what was happening beforehand?
| 17 |
Does EOOD help with anhedonia?
|
i'm curious if anyone struggled with anhedonia/emotional numbness and found EOOD helpful
| 10 |
TIL Asics (the running brand) is an acronym for "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano" which translated from Latin that means "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body"
|
[Juvenal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenal) was a Roman poet from the first century BCE who originally wrote the quote. The actual quote is [Mens sana in corpore sano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_sana_in_corpore_sano) which means ""a healthy mind in a healthy body".
We can quibble about the exact quote but its interesting that 2000 years ago people had made the connection between physical and mental health and that [ASICS](https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/asics-advice/sound-mind-sound-body.html) decide to name their brand like that.
| 135 |
My boyfriend made me feel bad about exercising.
|
I was telling my boyfriend about the benefits of exercising and how it might help me with my depression. He shut me up saying I know a lot of "gym bros" who only exercise the whole day but don't do anything else in life. Don't become like those people.
I felt gutted. But now I'm scared that exercise might also not help anymore. Am I overthinking? Is he right even though my feelings are telling me he is not? I stopped exercising after this incident. It has been 2 weeks and I am feeling more fatigued.
I'm sorry if this post is not allowed here. I'll delete it if it is not.
Edit : Thanks for the replies guys. I feel dumb for listening to him. Somewhere I guess I do try to appease him.
I'll get back to my routine. But he has been there and supportive mostly.
| 78 |
Exercise can reduce feelings of hopelessness among patients in suicide crisis, pilot study finds
| null | 139 |
A blog post I wrote about "Lifting your way out of depression"
| null | 6 |
On Monday I broke a PR, I haven't exercised since.
|
On Monday I woke up and got on my rowing machine. I started pulling hard to "get the ball rolling" and it felt so good I kept going. I normally aim to finish a 5000m row with an average output of 110W. On Monday I finished at 130W. To be honest I might have been able to push it harder. I felt great.
Since then shit has happened. Some of that was good shit. My brother in law and his wife have been visiting for a couple of days and that was great. On the other hand my job search hasn't gone as well as I was hoping it would and its killing my mood.
On the whole its good though. I can't set a PR every day after all. I have to roll with the punches too. Shit happens.
| 28 |
I've done yoga and/or some form of exercise consistently for the last week
|
The past 2 years I've been struggling to stay fit and lost about 15 lbs. of muscle. I told myself I had 2 months to get back to my routine and in shape before 2023. While it's not my normal early morning routine I used to enjoy, I've been trying to be more disciplined and exercise at some point in the day. I've made it full week!
It's a start in the right direction and I don't plan on stopping. I feel way better already. Going into 2023 strong and an improved me. If my body isn't strong, my mind isn't strong.
| 120 |
advice on cold weather running?
|
Anyone have any gear or tips for cold weather running? I want to keep running outside but curious what could help me with the incoming colder months where I live.
​
Thanks!
| 6 |
If so do the same two or three exercises a day will I see any difference?
|
Say I do lunges and planks maybe three sets a day 7 days a week, would I see a difference in my physique?
| 44 |
Scheduling Exercise in a busy day is hard. JOKE
| null | 14 |
Remember that study a couple of months ago that said there was no link between serotonin and depression. Now there is a new study to say there is a link ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
| null | 97 |
Two more things exercise teaches us. Patience and humility
|
You are not going to get stronger overnight. You are not going to get faster overnight. You are not going to get more bendy, agile or tougher overnight. You progress is going to be so slow at times it is going to be hard to notice anything happening at all.
Its going to **HURT** too. Your lungs will burn, your heart will feel likes its going to burst out of your chest, your muscles will hurt like hell while you exercise then ache for days. Then you pick up an injury and you are in an entirely different world of pain. Rehabilitation and adaption to new pain. Your progress stalls or goes backwards while you recover.
Mike Tyson famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth". Being punched in the mouth tells you the truth about yourself. So does not quite making that personal best or not finishing a workout or not even starting it at all. What really tells you the truth about yourself though is when you get up off the floor say, "good shot", touch gloves and go again. Thats what we do.
The effort you have to put in over **years** teaches you patience. The pain you endure makes you humble. When we push ourselves to our limits, which might mean just getting out of bed, we see ourselves as we really are. We **try to improve ourselves** and we acknowledge the time and the pain it takes to do that. That patience and humility we have learned through exercise helps to remake us into a better version of ourselves.
| 71 |
Another way for exercise to become a political issue. council run gyms, swimming pools and other facilities are closing here in the UK due to funding cuts. Others are closing as they cannot afford soaring energy bills
| null | 69 |
Injuries are the one weakness of EOOD. Here is Niall Breslin showing what coming back after an injury is like.
| null | 3 |
Self compassion and exercise
|
I don't know if this is allowed here, so I apologize if this post doesn't belong!
Yesterday, I met with my therapist. We've been talking about the inner critic and self-compassion, so I answered some questions to a [self-compassion quiz](https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-test/) during our session together. (Ironically, my thoughts to my answers were: I'm really bad at this self-compassion thing).
However, I think that exercise is helping me develop self-compassion. Not only is my relationship with my physical body better, but also I am practicing mindfulness and patience. I understand that building muscle takes time and that some days I need to reduce my workout intensity/rest.
If it helps, here's a [link](https://self-compassion.org/) to Dr. Kristin Neff's website on self-compassion.
| 23 |
The language we use when we talk about mental health, especially suicide is important. This is an excellent short twitter thread on this subject.
| null | 15 |
Suicidal Doesn't Always Look Suicidal
| null | 152 |
If you can't find a group to exercise with, start your own group up.
| null | 48 |
Frustrated Today
|
I'm a student, and I'm in the middle of a really stressful week of school and work. I woke up feeling really, really down today, and struggled to get out of bed, but did. I went to classes and got homework done with the incentive that if I finished everything efficiently, I'd be able to swim laps tonight. I finished everything just in time, and rushed over to my school's gym. Unfortunately, it turns out that my ID expired last week, and I couldn't get in on an expired ID.
I started actually sobbing once I realized what the problem was, and once I got outside I screamed--I feel bad that I didn't even hold it together until I got to my car, because if anyone heard me, I'm sure I sounded like someone who needed help.
It's Monday, and I can't do the next week and a half. I have other things that help with my mental health, but exercise is really the only one that feels like an immediate boost. I don't want to go take a new ID picture on a week like this one. My last one was taken freshman year, and I look hopeful and optimistic and put together, and it feels somehow symbolically terrible to take a picture on a week like this, where I don't have time to look nice. I don't want to have a picture that looks representative of how I felt tonight. I don't want to have a picture that looks like the sort of desperate person whose only preventative measure against sobbing and screaming in an empty parking lot is a half hour of cardio.
More practically, I don't think that I can get through the next week and a half semi-functionally without exercising.
It's Monday, and I can't do the next week and a half. I have to go into work tomorrow. I missed the past few shifts with a late (and inadequate) explanation. I actually like my job, when I am in the headspace to like anything, and I don't want to come in tomorrow, no excuse for leaving my coworkers out to dry, looking miserable and unenergetic.
I've been stressed to go back to work after missing, and I needed to swim today. I needed the release. I feel somehow both exhausted and full of nervous energy, and I still have homework due tonight, and I'm going to be both thoroughly tired and too wound up to sleep.
And it's Monday, and I can't get through the next week and a half.
| 13 |
Faced my fear of the gym!
|
I always had this fear of going into the gym as it made me feel so out of place.
Today I said **** it and went. Spent 1.5 hours there and I'm glad I did. I felt really anxious the whole time.
I still feel really low and don't feel any better, but I don't want to put any expectations on myself and it'll likely take a while before I start feeling my mood rise.
| 65 |
More on exercising in the (dark) evenings. Exercising after dark might have a negative effect on your cardiovascular health.
| null | 8 |
The nights are drawing in, in the Northern hemisphere anyway. This article has some great advice for men to follow to make outdoor exercise in the dark less intimidating for women.
| null | 87 |
I think the most important thing that EOOD gives us is Hope.
|
When we are exercising regularly we often have a goal in mind. That can be a very small goal like losing a pound or two or it can be huge like breaking a marathon personal best time.
Having a goal to work towards means you are planning for the future. Depression and other mental health conditions tell us we have no future or that we don't even deserve a future.
Working slowly and steadily towards a goal, with milestone goals along the way means we are thinking that we deserve a future. We are embracing our future. That gives us hope. Hope that we will succeed and hope we will get better physically and mentally.
Hope is a very, very powerful thing. Faith is supposed to move mountains but if you don't hope you can do it in the first place you won't even try. Keep trying. Keep hoping.
| 49 |
Don't stop walking because it's cold or raining. Exposure to winter cold, mud and wet environments can be good for your physical and mental health.
| null | 210 |
Exercise causes depression for me. Feels like a hopeless situation.
|
When I don’t exercise, I feel okay. I might still get low moods occasionally, but I’m fine for the most part throughout the week.
The moment I do any sort of light exercise, I feel fatigued, depressed, and have trouble falling asleep.
I’m at a loss for what to do next. I’ve been to the doctor to get blood work done. Everything seems fine on that end. He’s puzzled about it too. I just don’t get it anymore. I want to at least be able to do some light exercise daily, but I’m starting to feel like that may never be possible again.
Some other symptoms I forgot to mention, after exercising: body struggles to maintain proper body temperature (hot, then cold, then hot again), headaches, insomnia, loss of appetite, and zombie-like state of mind (really difficult to think).
| 15 |
Football fans here in the UK get a lot of criticism. Often rightly so. This article is all about how football fans do good for their communities. Any sports club supports its community, just another mental health benefit.
| null | 31 |
Starting to Run…Again
|
I used to be a competitive runner. My best 5k was around 23 minutes. I wasn’t Olympic material, but I won local races for my age division. I’m looking at couch to 5k but it seems too easy. Any other plans for not totally novice but out of shape? Thanks in advance!
| 24 |
Depression moving on to new phase
|
So you know how depression goes through different phases, and sometimes it is subtle the difference, and sometimes we do not notice when things shift and once we notice it’s like “huh, how did I get to this?”
Well, the good news is that now I am beginning to get better, and becoming more aware and more observant and taking note. And so I can tell that there has been a drastic shift in my depression recently over a short period of time: whereas for a few months now it had been mostly defined by a lack of motivation and apathy, now quite suddenly there is a lot of irritation and barely suppressed anger - a much more volatile phase, but hey at least I finally care again so yay.
I am hoping that meditation especially will over time help me overcome this. Trouble is so far I am having trouble focusing as I am distracted by thoughts of things that bother me - some of them trivial, others important. I need to overcome this, and I know I will at some point, I just hope this phase won’t last long because it kind of feels worse even though I logically think it is actually an improvement over the apathy.
How about you? Do you go through phases? And if so what kind of phase are you in? Did you notice last time your phase changed?
| 55 |
Using my social media as a form of therapy and a goal to help others, ADVICE
|
Hi everyone :) I wanted some advice on trying to use my social media acounts to help not only myself but also others with mental health and fitness. I'm not here to promote, I just want to get advice from the people I hope to one day inspire and help myself.
I am near the end of a certificate IV in personal training as well as having severe depression, anxiety as well as having just been on paid leave from work for for the past 8 week due to mental health concerns. I have a commited partner (not married) and 2 toddlers.
What I wanted to try and find out is what format and types of advice or insites poeple look for from someone they can relate to? I find myself getting the most out of my studies and workouts when I feel I can help others through understanding and as a judgment-free contact.
I've yo-yo'd myself from 110kg down to 75kg twice in the last 10yrs as well as losing almost all athletic ability (did muay thai to an almost amature fight-ready level before covid hit and I gained 35kg) and would like to share these stuggles with others without coming across as insensative or "woe is me"
| 6 |
is it too late for me to fix the poor circulation in my knees/legs/feet?
|
27 year old male
5'8
140 lbs
Graduated highschool and apart from going to work whenever is have a job I would sit on my ass, play video games & eat like crap.
Over the years of sitting & getting little to no exercise I guess I've developed poor circulation in my legs. My knees, calfs and feet are sometimes ice cold and it's such a bad feeling because I now I directly caused it myself.
Not to mention my cholesterol is about 170 ATM which I'm well aware is very high
One day about a month ago I said fuck it & decided to download Google fit to track my steps & I started walking every morning for 30 minutes.
About a week after that I bumped it up to 30 minutes after I eat dinner as well so two 30 minute walks every day for just about a month now.
I know this is good for me, and maybe I'm expecting results too fast, but here I am laying in bed with ice cold feet & it's depressing because like I said I know I caused this by sitting so much & gaming.
My Dr says it's pretty impossible that I'm developing PAD at my age but I'm almost certain the sitting combine with me having a high cholesterol level are the culprits to my cold legs.
My main question is am I on the right path ? I mean I spent years and years sitting a bunch so I imagine it'll take a lot of walking to reverse the damage I've done right?
I want to believe if I keep at this & I start eating better I can have normal temperature legs/feet again, right?
I plan to continue walking every day for 60 minutes total & eventually I'll bump it up to jogging or even bike riding.
Thanks in advance, im pretty sick of having ice for legs. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to reverse it
| 34 |
Any recommendations for helpful podcasts or YouTube videos?
| null | 5 |
Olfactory loss is a predisposing factor for depression, while olfactory enrichment is an effective treatment for depression - TL;DR waking up and smelling the roses might be a treatment for depression.
| null | 134 |
Legendary EOOD contributor u/blueshandler montage
| null | 26 |
Empty, heavy chest sensation.
|
Hey guys,
I was wondering those who suffer with depression, whether you get that hollow, empty feeling in your chest?
I'm finding it really tough at the moment.
I'm trying to work through my depression holistically right now. Going out to events, eating well, engaging socially when I can, trying to get good sleep, keeping good hygiene, forcing myself to do creative tasks, supplements etc.
Admittedly, I've not had the mindset to properly exercise other than going on long walks yet.
But this sensation in my chest is just so ****ING uncomfortable and is so hard to ignore.
For those who've had it, how did you deal with it?
Thank you,
| 40 |
The creation of a National Forest for Wales inspired this man to walk 300 miles and feel calm again
| null | 52 |
What made you think "This is it, this is the exercise I enjoy". Bonuses for more unusual forms of exercise
|
I never thought much about archery once I grew out of making a bow and arrow out of sticks in the woods, around about age 12 at best. I knew there was an archery range less than a mile from where I lived but never thought about having a go.
Then when my wife and I went on holiday one of the activities on offer was archery. To have something to do in the mornings we signed up. The hotel didn't have a left handed bow so I could barely hit the target at all as I had to shoot right handed. My wife really enjoyed it though and signed us up for a beginners course at the archery club when we returned home.
We did the six week course. My wife was a far better shot than me until the last week when were given different types of bows to try. I picked up a compound bow and suddenly it all clicked. I could hit what I was aiming at.
My wife decided not to join the club as there was only one woman in the club. (archery is very male dominated in my club but Hannah is working on that now). I bought a compound bow and signed up. There is a long story about slow improvement then switching to traditional wooden longbows instead of high tech compounds.
Archery for me is calming and relaxing. To shoot well I have to concentrate 100% on my body, my bow and the target. I can't let other thoughts into my mind. It provides a calm time in a stressful day.
The social side of meeting other archers on the shooting line is good too. Yesterday I was talking to someone I haven't seen shooting since before covid.
I have helped out with beginners courses, have a go days and more. I also volunteer to mow the grass at the range. It takes about 2.5 hours of going up and down. I can put a podcast on, enjoy the sunshine and relax. Its good to give back to the club.
| 70 |
Exercising outdoors after dark is a big problem for women.
| null | 157 |
Had to get out of swimming pool as I got intrusive thoughts and apathy
|
Hello
I thought I posted this, but it's not on the list of new ones, so I maybe didn't.
I started swimming as I have a long-term problem that I cannot do anything about, and it has caused me to become addicted to drugs in the past, I lost weight over it, and stopped socialising and hibernated, without getting dressed for several years.
I decided to start swimming, and on Wednesday I got intrusive thoughts and had to get out of the pool, which was very disappointing.
Since then I have been indoors, not dressed for three days, like a few years ago. I have got swimming booked for tomorrow and I am worried that I am going to postpone it because I'm fightened the same thing will happen again.
| 50 |
Antidepressant and sleeping pill - Wellbutrin, Prozac, diphenhydramine - interaction causing muscle weakness and muscle pain all over body?
|
Hey so I came on here looking for experiences, in people who take bupropion and fluoxetine, of extreme muscle weakness, aches, muscle knots, and a feeling like your body is dealing with multiple injuries.
I started Wellbutrin on the 6th of August and within 5 days started experiencing bad lower back pain. I didn’t think much of it since I’ve had it off and on and in any case I figured I might have overdone it with my barre exercises. But then over the course of the next month I accrued more pains: coccyx, neck, shoulders, between the shoulder blades, left piriformis (muscle between glute and hamstring), plantar fascia, middle of back, under my armpits/at the edge of my pecs where they join the armpit, hamstring, top front of thigh. It got so bad by mid-September that I couldn’t carry a handbag, and walking upstairs made my muscles seize up.
Now: when I went on the Wellbutrin (150mg SR per day) I was still on 10mg/day of Prozac, which I planned to phase out once the Wellbutrin had an effect. And I was taking diphenhydramine every night (30mg). My doctor says that my symptoms aren’t severe enough for this to be serotonin syndrome, but what I’m wondering is whether other people have experienced something like this without being diagnosed with full-on serotonin syndrome?
The best way I can describe it is like my muscles have wasted away, and there’s nothing left to hold me up (oh I also went from being able to lift 3kg weights to barely managing 1kg). And it’s bizarre since I was really, really in shape when this started. If you have experienced this, did it go away once you removed one of the meds? I tapered the Prozac for two weeks and now have been off it completely for four days. I’m desperate to find out whether the pain will go away once I’ve flushed the Prozac out of my system and my serotonin levels presumably recalibrate. Any help appreciated!
| 13 |
So what do we do when we don’t have time to workout? Do we become depressed again?
|
Like I need to find a new job and also moved recently so working out was not a priority. I just feel like I’m mentally ill without working out
| 51 |
Rest and Creativity Friday
|
We need rest too. Here is your space to share your efforts at resting, better sleep, etc. Alternatively or in addition, would you like to mention any creative activities you have engaged in this week or are planning to?
| 4 |
Crying while working out?
|
I’ve googled this a few times and there’s a few articles explaining this sensation but there’s a lot of outdated stuff, so I just wanted to confirm that it’s a fairly common experience?
I started taking spin classes at the end of August and I’ve been going about 5 times a week since then. When I first started I felt the urge to cry every class for the first week, then it subsided.
I just got back from a class after having the weekend off, and I basically sobbed the whole class. Thank god it’s dark in that room and I sweat so much you can’t really tell what’s going on with my face.
It felt simultaneously good and awful. A very visceral emotional experience. I understand the basic premise; endorphins released can release emotions as well. But I haven’t talked to anyone else who’s had this happen to them. Do other people have very strong emotions like this while working out? Do you let yourself feel it or try to push past it? Is it better to actually feel it? Is there something I can do during my workout to make the sadness go away?
Just hard not to feel shame while holding back tears after class.
| 61 |
I am thinking on adding this to the rules of the sub but I would like your thoughts first
|
Something along the lines of
>No qualified medical professional would dream of making a diagnosis with regards to any aspect of health from a few lines of text. Please ask anyone seeking advice as to what is wrong with them to contact a doctor where possible.
It's not for some liability thing or anything like that. A Doctor can run tests, ask the right questions and make a full and informed diagnosis, offer treatments and make a prognosis based on the treatments. Random internet strangers can't do that, all we can offer is sympathy, support and hope.
So if someone posts here saying I feel like x, y and z mentally then we advise them to see a doctor. If someone posts they have an injury and need advice on rehabilitating it we ask them to see a doctor.
Thats not to say we can't recommend anything at all. If someone want's to get into running then /r/c25k is great advice for them. If someone posts asking for a form check on their kettlebell swing we tell them that the good folks at /r/kettlebell and /r/kettlebells might be best to talk to. That sort of advice is all fine.
What do you all think?
| 34 |
Today is World Mental Health Day - whats the one change you would love to see with regards to the public perception of mental health?
|
For me its how mental health is perceived at work. You can't just put aside all your issues for eight hours, five times per week and be "normal" for work.
OK I am going to have two.... the whole "wellness" industry needs to jump in a lake. Yes if you are feeling a bit sad a hot bath or some relaxing music might help. If you are suffering long term chronic mental health problems its not going to help at all.
| 53 |
How do you get in the right headspace to go running?
|
Its ironic that the anxiety running really helps with can also make it hard to get started.
I just moved back to my hometown and have been struggling the last few weeks getting back to it, getting in my head/social anxiety. Last year I was good about looking at my feet and ignoring everyone but then a family member told me a lot of guys were checking me out. Also a guy I know once texted me he saw me. Now I keep looking up and checking if someone is checking me out, and I tense up and wonder if I look like a weirdo.
My strategy right now is just going to be to look at my feet and blasting music. Also keeping my mind on my weight goal. And wearing a cap maybe.
| 41 |
Dublin group creation
|
Hey all,
I'm looking to see if there are any residents of Dublin(Ireland) that are interested in forming a collaborative exercise group.
The main goal would be to support each other, and to keep each other accountable to one another. The social aspect is also hugely helpful to aid recovery.
Let me know if you're interested!
| 17 |
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