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Originally Posted by abaya
As for the OP!! What a wonderful thing to do... thank you for offering your knowledge and experience to the TFP world.  I actually have a rather banal question, but one I am curious about personally...
I have not been on any kind of meds, but have had depressive tendencies for a good set of years and have been going to counseling for 2+ years. That's helped, but I think what's really helped is that in the last 9-10 months I've been hitting the gym regularly (at least twice a week, up to five times a week). I am noticeably less negative and less prone to depressive bouts, particularly in the last half of those months.
I've heard that regular exercise can have the same effect on a person's depressive state as some medicines... but that it takes longer to see those effects (rather than just taking instant-acting drugs, you have to go to the gym for some 6 weeks or so?). Is this true? And if so, why don't more doctors prescribe regular exercise instead of drugs? Is it the instantaneous gratification thing, or does it really just not work as well? |
I recall seeing data showing that regular excercise has a benefit on depressed mood, and I would not necessarily doubt that it may have similar efficacy to psychtropic meds in individuals with mild depression/dysthymia (which sounds like the mood disturbance you experienced).
A good psych will recommend healthy life habits- including excercise, healthy diet, and regular social activities- as part of the treatment plan for a depressed patient. However, one of the symptoms of depression is that a patient loses motivation and energy, and just can't drag themselves to the gym, to a social event, etc.
As I mentioned in an earlier response, most psych's realize that the way someone lives their life, and the attitude or preconceived notions with which they live their life, contribute to depressive episodes. If fundamental changes are not made in the way they live their lives, they are likely to experience episodes of depression over and over (or will reside in a constant state of low-grade depression/dysthymia). We are social beings, and we need healthy social relationships to enable us to view ourselves in a healthy, positive light.
Going to the gym regularly is helpful in a variety of ways: it provides structure to our daily lives, relieves stress, provides regular social interaction, makes our bodies aesthetically pleasing, boosts our immune systems, and seems to have a positive impact on the balance of neurotransmittors in our brains. However, it is not a "cure all." I've known plenty of people who worked out regularly yet struggled with depression pretty regularly.
Unfortunately, there is no panacea for depression. As such, it would be irresponsible for a physician to withhold a reliably effective treatment (i.e., anti-depressants) from our patients in the hope that maybe going to the gym, yoga, tango lessons, or bingo night at the local Catholic Church might do the trick.