Hi anons, anybody with any stories/advice on how exercise has affected their depression/anxiety? 29yo here with both but taken up distance running (15k+) and climbing this year. Both make me feel great for a short while afterwards, and the weight loss and general fitness is an obvious bonus, but the old symptoms inevitably creep back in after a coupla hours. Taking meds for 18 months but it feels like that they only work up to a point. Answers muchly appreciated
^Trips so I guess things ain't so bad
^F me and again...
God wants you to be heard, but /fit/ refused to post.
But no, I'm in a similar boat - bipolar 2 depressive over here, but my personal creed on this sort of thing has always been that medication won't make a mental disease go away - all it can do is make it manageable.
It's likely, though, if you exercise, it'll push out your depression for more time as you regulate exercise in general - don't go out expecting too much, but just take the nice feels you get.
It can be really nice. (I personally get similar feels when I clean/do chores while depressed, so that's really my only testimony for you.)
Cheers anon, I agree with the idea that meds won't tackle this on their own - but it was mostly because of them that I felt motivated enough to get up and exercise in the first place.
>>35445048
This. The sense of routine and regimentation I get from exercise is one the main reasons I'm not so depressed anymore. It gives me a sense of purpose and a reason to get up and do something. Eventually you won't need the meds for that motivation. It will come naturally with more exercise.
Keep going bro. I hope it all gets better for you.
St. John's Wort if your depression is mild.
I'm deep in the shit but it still helps, I feel much more stable now that I take it.
And yes, it really works.
>>35444888
I caved in and went to a shrink. I also found friends with whom I could talk to about it. Don't keep it bottled in is all that I can say.
>>35446185
Thanks man. Tried withdrawing off the meds in the summer but went through a month of absolute shit (couldn't train, anxious as hell, mood swings). I suppose it was too early to come off them then, but it's good to hear from others that there will be improvement. Cheers
>>35446260
Lucky I have a close friend who suffers from Anxiety, but not as strong as mine. That does help; being able to talk about it.
>>35446244
This
Also roseroot can work wonders
>>35444888
well people treat you 100x better when you are fit
so that helped me feel better about myself
>>35444888
Get a gf or bf
>>35446386
Have you used it? I'd be up for trying other medication/remedies but the withdrawals from Sertraline (even when tapering off) are significant.
>>35446561
That could well help, but I'd still have Depression and Anxiety (which I'm trying to shift or at least make more tolerable)
>>35446725
II've used it for 5 months. It helps agains anxiety and depression (so it fits your needs), and also helps stabilize sleep patterns and give more energy. It has been compared to ginseng but has more uses. Strongly recommend it.
>>35446894
Sounds alot better than Sertraline (side effects: sleeplessness (even after hefty training sessions), loss of sex drive, drowsiness etc etc). I'll look into it some more but thanks for the advice!
