running away from depression

[dave]

Yesterday i went for a good run. i had set out to run 7kms along a course around our neighborhood that i measured a while ago. when i had completed about 5k i planned out a few potential routes that i could take which would make a longer run. i decided to take the longest path and the result was a run more than 11k. after completing the run and showering i went for a drive to measure the distance. i was elated to find out how far i had gone even though i have barely been running over the past year. the pace was nothing to get excited about but i've only run a few times this year and none of them were more than 5k. two years ago i completed a half marathon in the fall after a summer of long runs three or more times per week. i was manic most of the time and i dont think it would have been likely to have run that often or that far without the mania. my mania is mostly eliminated now by my medications but i hope to run on the few days i feel well and the days when my depression is less severe. hopefully this will help lessen the depression and give me more good days each week than bad

[Determined]

Hey Dave. I will keep this short for a change

[astronaut]

Great effort, Dave! Many people find that exercising helps them with their moods. I myself am a runner and I often do lots of cross training on the side (i.e. swimming, gym). I tend to maintain a fairly high level of fitness which has unfortunately never prevented me from going into a severe depression; however, there is a strong correlation between my depressions and my running injuries when I haven't been able to run or train competitively--even if I am still doing lots of cross training on the side. I am pretty sure that I would be worse off if I didn't exercise regularly.

Making running a habit is a great idea. I have been able to run or exercise through most of my severe depressions, even if I've had psychomotor retardation or severe drowsiness from drugs. Although it is important to exercise, I probably should have taken some days off during those times, the fact that I ran might point to why my last psychiatrist diagnosed me with "sub-clinical OCD"...

[paul m]

Good for you Dave and Thx for sharing what may work. Take Care. paul m

[Kaight]

Way to go Dave!! Isn't it fun when we surpass our expectations?!

[dave]

Well i did two short runs early last week which from a fitness standpoint was good but the running didn't prevent me from spending most of thursday, friday and saturday in bed with depression but i did take another long run yesterday. this one was 17kms and the last few kms were a real struggle but i was very happy about the distance even if the time (2hours, 15 minutes) was really slow. i will try to take two or three short runs this week and maybe another long one this weekend if my mood allows. maybe it takes a sustained fitness program to affect depression and you can't expect too much of a change in the first week

i see a new therapist today. maybe that will have some positive impact

[astronaut]

Hi Dave,

Good for you for getting out there to run when you can. I think you are right when you say that you probably can't expect to see too much of a change in mood from exercising for just one week.

For anyone reading this post who wants to know a little more about exercising, here are some observations I have made. Exercising can help your mood in several different ways and the more you can incorporate these things into your exercise regime, the more benefit you are likely to see. Here's the list:

1) Exercise can improve mood by releasing feel good endorphin hormones in the brain --this requires a certain amount of intensity of exercise
2) Exercise can improve our mood if we let it get us outdoors because the sunshine and fresh air can be uplifting
3) Exercise can improve our mood by getting us out of the house so we feel more part of the world
4) Exercise can improve our mood if we use it socially because working out with friends helps build better relationships and it is also a good motivator to keep exercising if you have someone to hold you accountable!
5) As people get into exercising, sometimes they will find that their sleep patterns get better which does loads of good for the mood!
6) Exercising can improve mood because it can boost our energy and low energy is often a very serious symptom of depression (as we all know).
7) Exercising can help for overall body health which can improve body image and self esteem
8) Exercising can help relieve tension and anxiety--and depending on the type of exercise, it can release tension in your muscles. Chronic, physical tension and pain can exacerbate our depression.

Okay, so those are all the potential benefits of exercising that I care to list right now. Not everyone will experience all of those benefits but the potential is there to receive many of these benefits from exercising. Exercising does effect your body in many ways that you can't necessarily detect consciously so it can take time to feel some of these benefits. By making exercise a very strict habit, results will show more quickly. Being an athlete myself I can say that exercising never cured me, got me out of a depression, or prevented me from going into a depression; HOWEVER, I think I would have been in a lot worse shape had I not continued to push myself to be active.

Of course, everything in moderation--over exercising can be dangerous too, but we'll save that for another post...

Good luck with the running, Dave, and good luck to all you other exercisers out there. The hardest part is getting started and making it into a routine habit. Once it is routine, it tends to get a little easier to do. Sadly, there will be days when exercising is an impossible task; but incorporating it when you have the strength to do so is really important. Start small and build up over time to prevent injury and burnout.

astronaut

[uni]

WTG Dave!

Astronaut, I love that list. I am not a runner, but a walker, and many of the same potential benefits apply. I have experienced almost all of them at one time or another. I will add that walking in brand new places on holidays is even better The bugaboo for me is

getting started and making it into a routine habit

but I continue to work at it.

[dave]

Haven't run in al long time, but ran last night, not to fast or too long. Didn't record distance or time but was happy that I ran. I noticed mild hypomanic symptom the rest of the evening but I can't determine if the hypomania was bepfore the run and it influenced my decision to run or if the hypomania was only after the run and it triggered the hypomania.

[astronaut]

OR, maybe it had nothing to do with hypomania at all but you had a little endorphin rush from the run...?

[dave]

Good piont, never considered that :-)

[KiraBoyd]

dave hi

I know exactly what you're going through and if you would read what I have to say I'd appreciate it.
Exercise, sports, fitness are the best way to deal with depression. I live in Vancouver and had the same condition. At some point I decided to make my fitness journey even more "serious" because I felt good (it's the truth). I starter training with a fitness trainer at home because do to the Covid 19 situation and of course my problem - was the best thing for me. His name is Ross Newton. He was the best choice for me. He made me feel so good and motivated that I couldn't stop training. Not to mention the great results after a few months hehe.

Do whatever it takes and do whatever you want to feel good! Try more things, not just running, because I think any type of training at this point will help you. That's my honest advice.

[Prycejosh1987]

Yesterday i went for a good run. i had set out to run 7kms along a course around our neighborhood that i measured a while ago. when i had completed about 5k i planned out a few potential routes that i could take which would make a longer run. i decided to take the longest path and the result was a run more than 11k. after completing the run and showering i went for a drive to measure the distance. i was elated to find out how far i had gone even though i have barely been running over the past year. the pace was nothing to get excited about but i've only run a few times this year and none of them were more than 5k. two years ago i completed a half marathon in the fall after a summer of long runs three or more times per week. i was manic most of the time and i dont think it would have been likely to have run that often or that far without the mania. my mania is mostly eliminated now by my medications but i hope to run on the few days i feel well and the days when my depression is less severe. hopefully this will help lessen the depression and give me more good days each week than bad

Running is good for depression. The best thing you can do is try other excises, they can help you be even fitter and healthier to run longer and create diversity in your fitness approach.