Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
I've been doing pretty well lately - it's been about 4 months since my last nasty episode, and thankfully even that one was pretty short-lived compared to most of my episodes (it lasted about 3 weeks... .typically they last anywhere from 1 to 3 months, depending on the severity and the situations I find myself in. The last one before that lasted almost 6 months!!)
I have decided that I really need to take advantage of my current state and begin working at becoming a healthier person all around. I strongly believe that our physical health is a major determinant not only in whether or not we experience another depressive episode in the first place, but also how well we are able to cope with, and pull out of, that episode when it does hit.
I am already generally a healthy eater, and I am a fairly active person - but I need to build a healthier routine. As it stands right now, I basically eat what I want to eat, it just so happens that I really LIKE fruits and veggies! When it comes to my activity level, this varies considerably - and this is something I want to change. Instead of just doing things when I feel like doing them I want to begin to make time in my daily routine for physical activity.
I am tired of falling down over and over again. I want to do something positive that will have a real and observable effect on my physical and emotional well being. They ARE interrelated. Regardless of where the depression results from, physical health is an important mitigating factor. Exercise releases endorphans, which greatly affect your brain chemistry in a positive way. And healthy foods increase your energy levels - and fatigue is typically one of the most observable symptoms (and I would argue causes) of depression.
So, what I have decided to do is this:
As of tomorrow, my hours are cut to 30/wk, and I now do not start work until 9:30am - and when the fall semester starts, my earliest class is 10:00am. This means that I no longer have ANY excuse not to go for a jog every morning. So I am going to start. I am on day 3 of daily jogging so far. And holy shit am I ever out of shape!!! hahahaa
I also play soccer once a week (Tuesday evenings). I love soccer so much! After this season ends I think I will sign up for a fall league, and then once that is over I will either join a fitness class or pick up an indoor sport like volleyball (I used to play in high school). I also snowboard about once a week in the winter so that is good too :)
Anyways, I just thought I would share my plans with you folks.
Anyone feel like joining me on this quest for a more holistically healthy self?
I have decided that I really need to take advantage of my current state and begin working at becoming a healthier person all around. I strongly believe that our physical health is a major determinant not only in whether or not we experience another depressive episode in the first place, but also how well we are able to cope with, and pull out of, that episode when it does hit.
I am already generally a healthy eater, and I am a fairly active person - but I need to build a healthier routine. As it stands right now, I basically eat what I want to eat, it just so happens that I really LIKE fruits and veggies! When it comes to my activity level, this varies considerably - and this is something I want to change. Instead of just doing things when I feel like doing them I want to begin to make time in my daily routine for physical activity.
I am tired of falling down over and over again. I want to do something positive that will have a real and observable effect on my physical and emotional well being. They ARE interrelated. Regardless of where the depression results from, physical health is an important mitigating factor. Exercise releases endorphans, which greatly affect your brain chemistry in a positive way. And healthy foods increase your energy levels - and fatigue is typically one of the most observable symptoms (and I would argue causes) of depression.
So, what I have decided to do is this:
As of tomorrow, my hours are cut to 30/wk, and I now do not start work until 9:30am - and when the fall semester starts, my earliest class is 10:00am. This means that I no longer have ANY excuse not to go for a jog every morning. So I am going to start. I am on day 3 of daily jogging so far. And holy shit am I ever out of shape!!! hahahaa
I also play soccer once a week (Tuesday evenings). I love soccer so much! After this season ends I think I will sign up for a fall league, and then once that is over I will either join a fitness class or pick up an indoor sport like volleyball (I used to play in high school). I also snowboard about once a week in the winter so that is good too :)
Anyways, I just thought I would share my plans with you folks.
Anyone feel like joining me on this quest for a more holistically healthy self?
I have a great little exercise bike that I need to hit more often. That's where I'll start.
I'm glad you're aware of when the temptation to smoke is there. That's half the battle. I wish you great success with that; quitting smoking is such a huge step towards getting healthier, overall!
(Hug!!)
I think I have every reason to be immensely proud of the fact that I managed to go from smoking almost a pack a day, and having smoked for 9 years, to being able to smoke occassionally without picking the daily habit back up again. However, it is time for me to take the next step, which is cutting them out of my life completely. At the very least, I need to cut them out completely for a significant amount of time, because I feel that I haven't given my lungs the oppourtunity to heal from the damage I inflicted on them for almost a decade.
I intend to get into yoga once this wrist is back to full capacity, but who knows when that will be :S Two of the girls I live with do yoga and I will join them when I can, but they have both warned me that I better wait til my wrist is all better since I will need to be able to hold my bodyweight with it...
I would really like to try tai-chi in the interim, because it is supposed to be very good for the mind and body, and will not be as stressful on my wrist, but there are no classes open at the moment at my U's fitness center, so I will have to wait til the fall semester begins.
I make smoothies quite a lot actually and I can notice a marked difference in my energy levels when I do / do not have one.
However, I have been told that you should eat a banana every other day - every day is too much I have been told. Our bodies do not require that much potassium - unless of course we have some kind of disorder, in which case it'll be a Dr telling you to eat more of them.
A really good sweat cleanses you too. Sometimes I'll feel great for a good hour after so I enjoy it emensely when it happens, doesn't always make me feel better but maybe it usually does for a normal person's body..? not sure.
Good rule of thumb - if you are thirsty you are not consuming enough of the H2O... the sensation of "thirst" is actually your body signalling to you that you are becoming dehydrated.
I keep a glass of water beside me at all times and sip at it constantly. I only ever feel thirsty when I am exerting myself and not being able to drink water (like when I am on the field during a soccer game). I notice it when I forget to bring a bottle of water with me somewhere.. I do not have the high levels of energy that I normally do.
Eating half a banana each morning is exactly what you should be doing Teddy - so keep it up :)
I find that cutting the sugar out also helps me maintain consistent energy levels. I rarely eat sugary treats and feel like utter crap when I do - it makes me tired and gives me a tummy ache.
I'm stoked that I actually managed to drag my ass out of bed for this!! haha
Man o man.... I wish the bear could be more motivated..
I only just started jogging again last week so it's gunna be a while before I'm fit enough to handle a real full on run!
SOCCER TONIGHT!!! woot!