Posted by SLS on June 13, 2005, at 8:52:06 [reposted on June 14, 2005, at 22:17:35 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Exercise for severe depression » linkadge, posted by SLS on June 13, 2005, at 8:27:16
After I exercise, I temporarily feel more energetic and upbeat. The same thing occurs when I become animated during a conversation that I am interested in. However, the magnitude of this effect is relatively small, and it is qualitatively NOT a TRUE antidepressant effect.
However, I find the following sentence misleading.
"There are quite a number of studies that show that exercise is very effective even in severe depression."
1. *quite* a number
2. *very* effective
3. *severe* depressionExercise should be particularly effectve for people whose depressions are situational or psychogenic. Not all "depression" involves a brain anomaly. MDD atypical type might be affected positively by exercise in a significant way if they tend to be mood reactive in the first place. However, if mood reactivity is absent, and they experience severe vegetative symptoms, I doubt exercise will be of much use to treat it.
Exercise is a good thing. I am hoping that it helps extend for me the life of a healthy body so that I will have more years ahead of me to enjoy a remission from my illness when that occurs. I am just beginning to exercise again. This has become possible because I am experiencing an improvement in anergia and vegetative symptoms. Without medication, regular exercise would not be possible. For severe anergic depression, exercising becomes a Catch-22 situation.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:512835
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20050411/msgs/512847.html