A Wandering Soul

Exercise doesn’t help depression?

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:13:43 -0700

When I first saw the coverage of the article appear on Jezebel saying that exercise doesn’t help depression, I didn’t believe it. I read the press …

When I saw the article on my Tumblr feed stating that “Exercise does not lift depression“ I did a double take.

I have seen a lot of ridiculous articles telling the masses to stay calm and carry on with their unhealthy habits. I had to find a rebuttal to this article and found this one I linked above. I also wanted to talk about my own personal experiences with depression and exercise.

Exercise has helped me greatly. The people selected for this study had recently been diagnosed with depression. Some were on antidepressants and others were not.

Honestly when I first had my crash there was no way exercise could have helped me. I was doing so badly I wasn’t able to leave my bed for months at a time. I was insanely paranoid about people entering my space and had to leave even my bedroom doors shut. When I went outside I couldn’t even feel the sun on my skin.

My first experiences with antidepressants was not very pleasant. When I first started taking them I was over prescribed. The medication left me drooling occasionally. My arms were clenched up to my sides. My body was rock solid with tension and I was shaking contently. A new doctor and new medication at the right dose left me in better shape but it took a lot of experimentation with different types of medication in order to find one that didn’t have adverse side affects.

Even after finding a medication that seemed to be doing its job I was almost in a sedated state where I could not feel really happy or sad. I still had a underlying rage underneath it all that I could not get out. It was like the medication had sealed me in a plastic case and nothing could get out or in. After a suicide attempt I gave up on medication. ( I am not suggesting this to anyone this is just my personal story.) I felt like I wasn’t even myself any longer. I had no self preservation taking risks I would not normally take. I would say things I would not normally say. I felt crazy all the time.

The steps I took after dropping my medications were to find my spiritual connection, change my eating habits and start exercising. I dove into P90X. It was really really really hard to get up and do the workouts and I honestly had fits the first month where I just would cry and not do them that day. I finally had to make a video of myself after a work out telling myself how much better it made me feel and to just stick with it. I have completed the program twice. Though I have taken some time off from lifting weights and P90X in recent months I still hike almost every weekend and take walks around the block almost daily.

My mood is drastically better when I finish a workout. I feel the best after an outdoor excursion because the fresh air and light really help sweep away any dark nasty mood I have. Finishing P90X gave me such self confidence. I lost over 50 pounds and felt better then I did at 17. Yoga not only helps my mood but helps me get in touch with my spirituality. It helps me get out those angry sad feelings I often get trapped inside of me because of years of hiding my true feelings.

Looking good and being able to state my accomplishments helps my depression so much. I feel angry when I see articles like this because they just make people who feel lost feel even more hopeless. I am not a scientist, I do not have a team of scientists working for me but I promise that if a person just fights every day to accomplish their fitness and health goals they will feel better. Setting goals builds self esteem and helps a person rise up out of the darkness. Exercise does increase the “feel good” chemicals in the body and can really help. It helps you stay healthy and gets rid of aches and pains that can bring you down.

I felt it was really important for me to respond to this article so people did not read it and throw in the towel. Keep fighting the good fight and keep exercising!

A Wandering Nerd

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:05:00 -0700

A Wandering Nerd:

I needed a place where I could put all of my World of Warcraft screen shots, Game of Thrones gushing and other geeky posts with out interruption to my pretty pictures. Hope you like it. :D

A quick shot from my iPhone while I walked to get some coffee at...

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:44:00 -0700

A quick shot from my iPhone while I walked to get some coffee at BJ’s.

I try and photograph Forest Grove’s sidewalk art whenever...

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:49:00 -0700

I try and photograph Forest Grove’s sidewalk art whenever possible. How fantastic would it be if we all had photos of the chalk art we did as kids?

Maybe someday the kids who drew these will find my blog and say “Hey! I drew that!”

We have some budding artists out here. :D

Elkins my pretty kitty. :D

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:41:47 -0700

Elkins my pretty kitty. :D

Peonies

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:39:57 -0700

Peonies

App of the Week: Buycott

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:24:34 -0700

App of the Week: Buycott:

Buycott Inc. App Name: Buycott Price: Free Available Platforms: iOS What does this app do? Chances are you like to know what’s in the food you eat and where the money you pay to buy that food goes. For instance, those tomatoes from the grocery store may come from a manufacturer that supports genetically modified foods, and you may not want any part of that. Ivan Pardo, a 26-year-old Los Angeles-based developer, created Buycott, an app that helps consumers manage where their money goes by allowing them to scan products, learn about what brands and companies own those products, and determine…

I tried the Buycott App out today and it was awesome! w00t!

WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE USDA ORGANIC LABEL ALLOWS UP TO 5% OF NON-ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:37:20 -0700

whatshouldwecallpaleolife:

…Including GMO soy…

Inspired by [Peg]

Old Bones

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:58:56 -0700

Old Bones

Bend

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:56:04 -0700

Bend

Infinity (Taken last year at Crescent Beach, Oregon)

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:54:18 -0700

Infinity

(Taken last year at Crescent Beach, Oregon)

Today’s puzzles are from some photos I took June of last...

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:51:37 -0700

Today’s puzzles are from some photos I took June of last year. I had forgotten about these and they are some of my all time favorite photos. I thought I would re post them today for you. :)

No Hike Today...

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:40:16 -0700

This weekend we are getting ready for my husband’s job interview. I will try and get some around the block shots this week. :D

“The rain to the wind said,You push and I’ll...

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:46:00 -0700

“The rain to the wind said,
You push and I’ll pelt.’
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged—though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.”

― Robert Frost

New

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:36:29 -0700

New

Alive

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:35:00 -0700

Alive

After The Rain

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:33:24 -0700

After The Rain

Reply:

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:13:03 -0700

rickscheibner said: Hmmm…looks like Sherars Falls?

It is Devils Churn on US 101. Every Christmas we head to the Sea Lion Caves near Florence and stop by here and the Spouting Horn.

Don’t forget I post super awesome puzzles daily. I started...

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:35:02 -0700

Don’t forget I post super awesome puzzles daily. I started putting 150 piece puzzles in there for people who don’t want to go insane. hehe

Spring forest wildflowers are so fleeting and delicate I feel so...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:40:15 -0700

Spring forest wildflowers are so fleeting and delicate I feel so lucky whenever I get to see them.