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One thing that's helping me manage my anxiety....
Posted Friday 5 August 2011
Guest post from Katy on how she uses exercise to manage her depressionA post by the blogger purplepersuasion entitled 'Ten things not to say to a depressed person' generated a fair amount of discussion after Mind flagged it up on their Facebook page earlier this week, with plenty of people suggesting more "things not to say to a depressed person”. One of those, which was suggested in various forms, was “get out and do some exercise”.
The criticism of that off-hand comment is valid: it belittles the scale of the problem, it ignores the difficulties presented by mental illness (agoraphobia, lack of motivation, panicking in crowds…) in getting out and doing anything, and people making the suggestion may be well meaning but are also felt to be patronising, ignorant or unsympathetic. They’re also (whisper it)… right.
Now, I don’t for a moment suggest that exercise is a cure-all, or that it’s something that a depressed person can just get up and do. What I do wholeheartedly believe is that it has been a major factor in my recovery, and that it’s the most powerful tool I have for managing my anxiety.
Medication and therapy got me into (and is helping me to stay in) a place where I am able to think about doing other things. Exercise gave me my life back.
I always knew that I felt better – more relaxed, more in control – after exercise. I just couldn’t convince myself that now was a good time to get up and do some, when I was feeling low. It took a fair amount of recovery before I was up to joining a gym. Since then, I’ve not looked back.
My anxiety comes with a lot of physical symptoms. I spent years fighting dizziness, nausea, headaches, stomach upsets, tinnitus and more, feeling like I was constantly fighting a losing battle with my body. Yoga classes have helped to give me confidence in my physical abilities, and to trust my body again. I play racket sports with colleagues. I swim and cycle. But the best thing I do is run.
I started running on the treadmill in the gym. Once I convinced myself that I could, in fact, do it, I went outside. I entered a race. I went (with my partner, for support) and I completed it. Since then, I’ve gone to races on my own, I’ve travelled to parts of London I’ve not seen before, I’ve set off running with just a vague route and an Oyster card. I’ve entered 5 and 10k races, trail runs and orienteering events.
I’m preparing for my first aquathlon, my first day trail running on my own and my first adventure race. I will use running the Great South Run in October for Mind as a way of opening up to my colleagues about my illness. I have more confidence, I’m excited about trying new things, I feel like I’ve got wings.
So, now, when I feel low, I don’t (often) reach for the duvet, I reach for my trainers. Go on. When you feel up to it, when you’re ready, but as soon as you can – give it a go. Get out and do some exercise.
Katy
Katy's post is in response to a blog post by purplepersuasion, called Ten things not to say to a depressed person.
The same blogger later published the related post, Ten supportive things I'm glad somebody said to me.
8 Comments
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Great blog, Katy. It's incredibly difficult mentally, and takes a long time to get yourself to the place where you can face doing it, but once you do it, running really is powerful. It makes me feel invincible, powerful, like I could do anything. Which is an amazing after years of feeling like I could do nothing!
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Hi Katy,
Thanks so much for reading my post and mentioning me in your blog :) There have been times in the depths of acute depression when the suggestion that I "get out there and exercise" has been utterly impossible to follow. Getting out of bed/off the sofa at all seems like a huge physical challenge! But when not at that extreme, I also find exercise a massive help for dealing with my symptoms, and for trying to avoid relapse. Last year I took up running, and completed a charity 10k, and I found the regular training really useful for dealing with stress. This year in the times when I haven't felt I had enough energy to do anything quite so strenous, I have become a fan of gentler "green exercise" - from a stroll round my local park on a bad day, to a 6 or 7 mile guided walk through London's open spaces (I blogged about it here: http://purplepersuasion.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/the-great-urban-outdoors/). It's really important to me that, as with running, it's something I do outdoors. Like you, I have found running and hiking have introduced me to parts of London with which I was totally unfamiliar, and has made me see my own borough from completely new angles.
I'm not naturally athletic at all, and I don't think I will ever be able to run as much or as far as you do - I really admire you! Good luck for the Great South Run!
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Thank you - that is what I said had really helped me and it was not well received.
For me it was initially walking and then I started out door swimming.
As you say motivation can be hard to find and sometimes one has to push through feelings of anxiety etc.
Now I would not be without my swimming - it really lifts my mood and it also induces a wonderful feeling of calm and serenity.
Being able to see the sky whilst swimming is wonderful.
The exercise has had the added bonus of helping me lose weight which in turn has led me to feel more like 'me'.
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Thanks, everyone. I'm really glad other people have found exercise as helpful as I find it. Ruby Tuesday - I agree, swimming outside is really relaxing. It's not something I do often, but when I do it's a real holiday feeling!
I must admit, when I was first told by a professional that this would help, my reaction was more than sceptical - I lumped it alongside breathing exercises in the "you want me to do what?! Do you realise how big and scary this anxiety thing is?! How's that going to help?" pile. Fortunately, I gave it (and breathing!) a go, and I've been amazed at how powerful something so simple can be.
Katy
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Hey, this is a double barrowed thing. I'm not up to running, swimming or other strenouis excercises. I's like to do yoga, but my social issues prevent this, I'm not ready for that yet! However I can sometimes with a huge shove, and a hell of a lot of will power go for walks. These help me, as much for the excersise as a physical release for whatever, but a change of scenery and a different view. Somewhere that isn't home. It does help me at the time, when I'm up to it and able to go out.
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now th at I'v e got ME as well I wonder if the 'pacing' guidelines might be useful for mental health too.
they recommend 4 rests a day lasting a half hour each. I don't manage anything like that of course but I try to stop what I'm doing 4 times a day for a bit. And then theres this 'graded exercise' thing, building things up very very slowly.
Actually I feel Im not really doing enough exercise now because of concentrating on the rests, but its an 'expletive' thing to get right, it really is! I used to do more exercise to get the buzz but feel more manic with it
sheesh!
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I too would love to exercise (or perhaps 'exorcise') my depression away but at 54 years old (almost 55) I suffer from chronic back pain and have recently also been diagnosed with asthma/COPD (lung disease). I have suffered from rapid cycling bipolar for almost 20 years and managed to 'tough out' the 1st 10 years working but then had a complete breakdown resulting in 3 months of inpatient treatment including 12 sessions of ECT which totally wiped out 2 years of my memory and also made it impossible for me to work again as it also affected my short term memory. I became agoraphobic to the extreme even going only to my G.P. when absolutely necessary, can't use public transport and my list of meds. is ever increasing despite the fact that quite a few of them interact but have just watched a 3 hour DVD called 'the marketing of madness' on the damage that a lot of the so called 'safe psychotropic meds. with few side effects' can have.
Following on from this DVD I am determined to confront my psychiatrist with these newly found facts and request that I be weaned off as many if not all my medication. -
Hello Katy!
I think you did a wonderful job in fighting this out with exercise! I should do this too; you have inspired me greatly. Studies have shown that a more active lifestyle increases the happy hormone levels in our bodies! Keep it up! We need to be sure, however. I will count upon counselling to verify this matter. Thank you for this. :)
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