To combat a severe depression after my sister died, I forced myself to go out and look for beauty in the great outdoors. My heart and soul were filled with such sadness, darkness and anger and I couldn't take it. Whether it was 10 degrees or 90 degrees ,I'd grab my camera and head to the woods and open fields. That is where I found my solace. To everyone struggling I wish you peace ,sweet peace.
@@ckris4446 I completely understand and i wish peace of mind, heart and soul for you. It's a long hard road but you're going to make it through this. I promise you.
Cool that you found some solace. I just lost my husband roughly 3 weeks ago to liver cancer that was caught late. He was in pain too many times and went from one doctor and hospital to the other over the years. No finding anything and all that was done was more and more medications. I can barely deal with it day to day and still full of anger, darkness and sadness. I got out more skeptical of the pharma industrial complex than I ever was before. Am an artist and still can barely bring myself to pick up a paintbrush to this day. Easier to understand if people are in the same shoes.
@@BythepeopleForthepeople203 How heartbreaking for you and I want you to know I share your feelings about Big pharma. My sister died from oral cancer and I swear the drugs and treatments were worse than the disease. I don't think I could bear losing my husband. My heart goes out to you.❤️
Ok I can do 20 to 30 min of walking fast daily. I like being alone so I dont care to be with anyone. Being outside is the best. I love it. And I live near a reserve.
Animals, dogs, cats have saved me from trauma in my childhood. They are the Very best and most loving relationships I've had, and probably will always be. All love, no judgment, just love and understanding. I miss them all.
I think it is important, for the introverts to say that if you hate being with other people and having to socialize while you are working out, you don't have to do it with other people. Also for people like me who hate being looked at and are easily over stimulated, it is OK to do yoga in a dark room with flameless candles and nothing going on except some singing bowls humming in the background. It doesn't have to be super exciting. It can be solitary and meditative, furthermore if you do it mindfully and meditatively you get the benefits of mindfulness and meditation as well which doubles the benefits.
totally agree, as an introvert I find that exercising with other people can be really distracting and I'm not focused on my body as much which may even be harmful especially for those who haven't had a lot of physical activity prior to that, you need to be very attentive and gentle with your body in order to feel good during the workout and afterwards.
As in introvert I feel that finding a physical activity I like and a place to do it with like-minded people makes it all the more uplifting. I do ballet and the people I see there are much of the joy of doing it. And yes, I often find other people extremely exhausting, but the "right" people actually makes things better. But I agree, you don't need to be around other people to engage in physical activity. I find taking a walk alone to be very helpful for my anxiety and overall well-being.
I’m sorry but can you explain more how the candles and bowls are « a physical activity »? Especially that yoga isn’t sport it’s the Hindu prayer and way to worship Brahman. And yoga poses are worshiping the sun, the moon and other things?
@@NourolHuda You don't have to use the bowls and candles. You can use LED lights and listen to ethereal music with a good set of earbuds instead. Whatever relaxes you and helps you release your emotions from your body. There are yoga practices that don't use the positions used to worship things like Hindu gods. Look up yoga for Christians on UA-cam :)
My daughter has issues and has not found a cure. I have sent her a number of your videos that I think address her needs well. Thanks. Keep up the good work helping people with a very difficult life.
Exercise includes taking a walk, in the countryside, great way to be mindful and better than the gym especially if you are very self-conscious plus it doesn't involve a monthly subscription! If you live in a town or city, walk around the block - having a change of scene is really medicinal for the brain too.
This is SO true. There was a time in my life when hiked with a group of friends and then started doing CrossFit(lite) out a trainer. It was the best period of my life. I felt strong mentally and physically. Then Covid happened and a total hip replacement then a divorce. I’ve been trying to dig myself out since 2020.
Is it really a secret though? Every psychologist I have seen, this has been one of the first things that they say. Every GP you see recommends this before meditation (unless it’s an emergency). All the free information on the internet about mental health recommends this. I’m not from America though so maybe it’s just not a thing there?
It's not a secret, everyone knows that exercise can be good for your mood. It just doesn't work for everyone. There was a point in time where I went for walks everyday. For an hour or more. I go for walks every now and then these days, among doing other things. I'm much better than I was back then.
Preach! Physical activity is my go to, sometimes I still have to absolutely make myself, but even just a 10 minute walk outside(my other mood booster) can change my whole day!
To understand & accept your feelings is also mighty helpful. It is not so much the feelings, but the rejection of our feelings that causes the problem.
New sub here. You’ve kept my eyes watering up but with a smile in my heart for several hours so far today listening to you. I know I can do a fitness routine the way you described it. And I know you can help in many other areas too because you aren’t limited to only ‘what you were taught in school’ but WHAT you learned in your own life and others lives. Thank you
This guy is so on my level it makes me wanna cry. I almost know what he's gonna say in advance. And man, how I wish I could communicate half as well as him! I've never known anybody who's able to convey so much positivity in a relatively short space of time. Serious kudos, buddy!
Just my experience, but I do find much greater relief from very intense exercise. I've got severe depersonalization. I run and do little workouts at home sometimes, in which I'm still sweating and working pretty hard, but they don't feel like they do much for my sense of connection in the short term. I also do jiu jitsu and kickboxing about 4 days a week, which are absolutely gruelling. I know that's not for everyone, but leaving the gym utterly exhausted is often the only time I feel real relief from my symptoms.
That’s really rough. I have it now and then, and it feels like I’m losing my grip on reality completely. Also like you’re in a kind of dystopian world while other people walk around in the normal world. I hope you don’t still have it constantly?
Even if your workout is indoors, find something that gets you outdoors regularly anyway. Outdoors is good. Real light is good. Space is good. Scenery is good. Being in, and noticing all the sensations we are deprived of indoors is super good.
I cant. I have a very physical heavy job and am tired when finally done. Just happy to sit down after also home chores are done. And when the weekend finally arrived I am most time that exhausted and my body hurts, that I dont get up the whole saturday. Or if I get myself up and out fishing or hiking with my dogs saturday, I am crushed at sunday. But mybe my work counts already as workout, and I take at least my dogs every morning for a walk before leaving them…
It sounds like you're getting your exercise. Plus, you work, have dogs, and do leisure activities like fishing and hiking. You're doing much better than most of us.
I'm going to start walking my dogs more regularly, and count that. The big one is a lot of exercise! I'm thinking you could imagine further working out, and that might help. It builds muscle, so why not changes in mood?
That's great that you take your dogs out every morning! It definitely counts. It's very understandable that you are tired from work, especially if it's physically demanding. I would suggest that you could try some gentle Yoga on the weekends anyways, it can be relaxing and actually gives you more energy back, it can also help a lot with your achy body. Yoga can just relieve so much built up tension. The start is the hardest, but there are lots of great, easy to follow instructional videos on UA-cam. I would recommend Yoga to anyone who feels too tired for other exercise, it is so beneficial for mind and body and very recharging.
Jobs that are physically strenuous are EXERCISE. There is a term called ' Blue Collar Athletes'. Most likely crashing on Saturday IS what your body needs. It's called RECUPERATION. I use to be a competitive female bodybuilder back in the 80s. If possible make sure your diet is as healthy as can be so your muscles and mind can reap the rewards of a labor intensive occupation. Good luck.
I'm starting at zero and zero, but your attitude and presentation around this plan offer hope that something in my life is actually doable. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement!
This feels really achievable. Even though I am extremely time poor, you broke this down into steps that made it feel less insurmountable. Given medication hasn’t worked and therapy is completely inaccessible, this seems like a practical way to improve my ability to cope with the crap my brain throws at me. Thank you for sharing your experience and your knowledge.
I like the pace of your video today, Doc. Especially when you address the disability issue. I needed to hear it, again. And to shift my focus from looking hot to feeling comfortable and more resilient emotionally and physically .
It’s so helpful to know that I really only need to shoot for 20-30 minutes at a time. Wish there were fitness therapists covered by insurance. I really need consistent help with this particular activity/task from someone who is trauma informed, compassionate and paitient.
I don't understand. Surely you can put on some sneakers and go for a walk in your neighborhood without a fitness therapist guiding you? That is the beauty of walking: nearly anybody can do it, and it's free. If you mark on the calendar each time you walk, you will love seeing your progress and consistency. 🙂
@ I appreciate you saying you don’t understand. I’m going to assume that you probably don’t understand what it feels like to have complex-trauma and what it feels like to work through that grueling process and how hard it can be to even go for a walk. Learning about complex-trauma and what I need to do to heal is an incredible amount of work and time. 1000’s of hours I’ve spent on this aspect of my personal growth and development on top of working two jobs. I don’t also have time yet to learn more about the ins and outs of fitness and cooking. I do my best, but I’m just one person and it would be incredible to have some help with some things.
@@LG-nn4tr I hope above all that you don't think I was being unkind in my comments. I have my mental health struggles, but it sounds like you have dealt with a lot in life. Hearing that you work 2 jobs, I assume you are able to walk? The hardest part is starting. Once you get that ball rolling, momentum works in your favor. I just didn't understand needing a therapist's guidance to walk for exercise. I understand you might need it for talk therapy, etc. As for cooking, I went plant-based 8 years ago and it was one of the most life-changing, beneficial improvements ever. But alas, I know many can't face the thought of cutting out meat/dairy/eggs. I really wish you the best. I actually am getting ready now to bundle up (it's 35 degrees right now in CT, brr!) to take my 30 min. walk through the cemetery.
It saddens me to say this because you were so gently persuasive and it is hard to say I can’t. I have ME and at one time graded exercise therapy was thought to be beneficial. It turned out it would make people feel greatly worse and NICE finally took it off their recommendations. Trust me to have one of the few illnesses that don’t benefit from exercise! I’ve been trying to find all your videos and use them where appropriate to try and make them work so I AM trying. Not that watching you is any hardship, I find it very therapeutic. I have finally been booked up for some therapy - I just hope I don’t come out with “ but Scott says so and so is better”! I shall probably get more out of the sessions because thanks to you I have a much clearer idea where they’ll be coming from. Still wish I lived in America in whichever state you are in but here I am in southern England but can still benefit from your very valuable videos. ❤
I can relate to this. I have FM, and though I do need more exercise than I'm getting, I have a short limit to it, and a house to take care of. I'm trying to at least get out and walk, like I used to. I don't remember that it helped that much, but since I've gotten much worse since I don't walk regularly, then maybe it did something. Problem is, the cheating event that started this worst and longest depression is tied into my walks. Put the ex of 10 yrs out 7 months ago, but his mistress moved a block from me. So I have to see her going by sometimes. Then she has a look alike that I can barely tell apart, who moved just a few doors down, so I see them both. The other day it was 3 times. I know I need to find a way to not let it get to me, but so far I haven't been able to. It's brutal to have that reminder that I can bump into at any time.
I'm glad you mentioned this. As someone who has struggled with chronic fatigue and pain, it can be really hard to engage in any sort of exercise routine. I used to hate exercise when I could do it, and now that I can't do it, or only in limited amounts, I miss it. It's true, you really don't know what you've got til it's gone. That said, the exercise prescription is still a great one for many if not most people. I will say that when I'm feeling really down or especially a surfeit of anxiety, it can help me to move, even if it's just to get up from the couch and walk into a different room. I engage in activities that require movement but we don't call exercise. A shower for me is a full body workout. I can't always do it every day, but it feels refreshing when I can. And yeah, sometimes I need a nap after my shower. That's just how life is with chronic fatigue!
I'm wondering if either one of you ladies can offer me some advice on how to maybe jedi mind trick myself on how to deal w/ getting out more, w/ what is my biggest impediment lately. My ex's mistress walks up my block often enough. I might have been able to deal w/ that, but then when her double moved even closer, I can see them up to 3 times a day. I live near a corner and that's where my 2 living room corner windows are. I've tried a number of methods to try and lesson the impact of this, but it's like trying to heal a torn shoulder when people keep wacking into you.
Me too, the fatigue, chronic pain, and other disease processes contribute to the depression and anxiety. Movement is painful. I feel trapped in this body. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be healthy Pre-ordering, picking up, and putting away groceries is exhausting and my only activity. No energy for social interaction, no family of my own, and minimal contact with my siblings. I often wonder why bother to continue like this. The sense of desperation and isolation is overwhelming.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 If you have a car, you could go somewhere else to walk. A different neighborhood, a park, etc. Or you could do a different kind of exercise that doesn't require leaving the house.
Great transparent convo, thanks. I relate to going to the gym at first and feeling discouraged, some days I would just get there and walk straight out because I was too anxious and setting very high expectations. Then I changed up my work out routines, doing exercises I enjoyed instead, that lead me to get in shape over time. It's important to do exercises and things you enjoy, not what other people are doing for their enjoyment. I also read mindfulness books like "30 Days to Reduce Anxiety" by Harper Daniels that taught me basic mindfulness meditation skills that surprisingly worked well for me. Thanks again
I really appreciate the evidence-based approach you seem to take and the clarity of your presentations. Obviously you bring more than that to your content, but this resonates with me. Thanks. ♥
Come to think of it, when I use to exercise regularly my depressive episodes where far and in-between and when I did have them they were less intense and didn't last as long! Thanks so much for reminding me of how good I felt when I did this! I am starting back on a routine today!! 😊
I cannot, thank you enough for putting out real straight up true content. You’re literally the only one that I have found so far that is being real with this kind of information and not just trying to scam people.🙏❤
Godbless you and thank you, I’m zero at the moment. Tomorrow I’m really try to get out my front door. Love your channel you give me hope. Greetings from Ireland ❤️❤️❤️🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️
I cannot live without working out anymore. My syptoms get so much worse when I don't, even going on vacation for a week and relaxing has me more depressed than if I'm at home working out >< However, it's not always enough. Right now, it's not enough. But it's definitely a huge component in what I need to stay on this earth
I'm reading your comment a year later. How are you doing? I was in the habit of hiking for over an hour in nearby woods several times a week, and I didn't realize how much it was helping me until I stopped. I am starting up now in the new year.
@@snu3877 I'm still working out at least 4 times a week, and it's still critical for me to do. Been having a week off now for Christmas, and depression just creeps right in, so getting back to it next week will be much needed
WOW! Yes so so TRUE!!! I have Bipolar 2 and CPTSD - and I am Diabetic Type 2 ( Horrid ) So I was walking daily to get My Sugar Levels down!!! for a few months I felt WONDERFUL -- I lost 35 Lbs -- and My Mood was so GOOD!! Then I Injured My Knee When you get around my age 56 going into your 50's your knees are not good LOLLL - But When I do get out and walk some I can't as much -- I feel really GOOD!!!! No Bawling Anxiety - Depression Raging Angry --- ETC Thanks Love your channel NEW SUB
I love running, I have always loved running. Weights not so much. We are opposites Dr. Scott. I do have a treadmill in my house with a TV in front of it where I will watch programs while I run. I am learning French right now so I will throw a french TV show on with subtitles and get my listening and comprehension in while I exercise. My preference is to run outdoors, especially trail running in the woods, but I live in Canada and running here in the winter can be downright dangerous, if not impossible. I would agree the treadmill is a far second best choice, but certainly better than injuries or just not exercising all winter. I am for the record engaging in all three main treatments for depression/burnout. I exercise 4-5/week, I take medication (for about 5 months now) and I have been in therapy for a long time. What I can definitely say is when I was in the depths of my depression and total shutdown early this year is my therapy didn't really make any difference and was in fact just one more thing I felt like I was failing at. I got a puppy around that time and the great thing with that was I had to walk the dog and take her outside. That is what started getting me moving and outdoors and talking to people in my neighbourhood. I just walked for 20-45 minutes per day (most days) for several months and that was enough to get the recovery ball rolling.
Hi Dr., I appreciate this video, it has helped me feel more motivated to make myself exercise. I get a little bit now, since I have a dog, but not a lot. I was an over-the-road truck driver for 13 years and between that and unresolved emotional trauma, my health has taken a hit, but I am still blessed with better health than many. Just writing that made it hit home how much I've been taking that fact for granted. My mother is one for whom exercise has become very difficult. She used to go for walks to cope with her depression and anxiety. Now she has osteoporosis and has had a number of foot fractures and she is afraid to go walking because of it. Her anxiety continues to worsen, and she rarely leaves the house. My grandmother was also a shut-in when I was a child, and had fractures due to osteoporosis. I want to break this generational cycle. I do not have kids, but I don't want to end up in a similar situation when I'm older.
Thanks for this advice. I've been diagnosed with burnout, but I don't want to take medication, so I'll definitely give it a try to exercise. Thank you!❤
This is absolutely true. I started a progressive walking program a couple years ago, and I nearly instantly started to get significant relief from my depression/anxiety. I was up to 10k steps a day and had never been so happy and functional in my life. Then, last year I got sudden, severe arthritis in my hips and spine from an autoimmune disorder, and it has effectively crippled me. I can barely walk. I can't even do water aerobics, so there's no form of aerobic exercise I can do. Since I stopped exercising, I've never been more depressed in my life.
Maybe you can do arm exercises while watching TV? I get up during commercials and use 5 lb. hand weights. It makes me feel less guilty about watching TV, too! The arms respond pretty quickly to weight training. Even 1 lb. weights are fine.
This myth about physical activity healing depression is soo common, it makes me very frustrated. I hear it everywhere, usually from “experts” who don’t have depression. Exercises are wonderful for health and staying fit, they don’t do much for people with depression. They may improve your mood for couple hours max, after this the depression is back along with the feeling of failure.
Exercise while providing an increase in neurochemistry will only be temporary, and may cause a worsening of symptoms long term.. In fact, I would go as far as to say that you should limit exercise..
I have issues with pain, and my therapist suggested walking. I love walking, but I have bone spurs in my hip and no cartilage. It's very painful 💔 I try to get outside and do some yard work for exercise because I live in a rural area. The nearest gym is 45 miles away.
I understand where you're coming from, but I respectfully disagree with you. First of all, if you watch almost any of Dr. Scott's other videos, you'll find that he's struggled with severe depression and anxiety for many years. I personally find it very encouraging that someone who has had as hard of a time (if not harder) with his mental illnesses as myself was able to push through it and improve. The fact that he specifically is saying this proves to me that it's possible to recover and function to some degree, despite my struggles. Second of all, while it's true that exercising once isn't going to cure you forever, that doesn't mean it doesn't help at all. And yes, using this tool by itself won't necessarily be enough either, even if you make regular exercise a habit. You'll get the best results if you use it in conjunction with other treatments. Depression won't go away after exercising, but it can lighten the load a little for a few reasons. It feels good to do something right and celebrating any little victory in your day can improve your mood. Working on having a healthy relationship with your body is also helpful. And exercise is just plain scientifically proven to increase dopamine levels. Along the same lines, it very clearly isn't a myth according to science. As he said, there are THOUSANDS of studies that show the good effects of exercise on our mental health. So many people, online and offline, have expressed how it's helped them. There will always be outliers and minorities, and there's nothing in this world that works for everyone. So it's okay that it doesn't work for you. But that doesn't mean that it's a myth, that people who claim this are lying to you, or that they don't know what they're talking about. I'm sorry that you've had such a hard time. I hope you can find something that does work for you and that you can be happy and at peace sometime in the future. Have a good day :)
@@rjay7019 Perhaps non-weight-bearing pool exercise or movement may be helpful? Not necessarily laps or water aerobics classes, just get in the water and move at your own pace. I use an aqua jogging belt to suspend myself in deep water. When my hips were going downhill (I have had both left and right hips replaced) I found moving in water to be much less painful than walking or other weight-bearing exercise.
I go to comic book/anime conventions and haven't had the best experiences when it comes to socializing. Those experiences follow me on top of the depression I deal with everyday. I realized when I do exercise before convention starts I tend to walk with confidence throughout the day. I feel a sense that I accomplished something and it gets me on a creative how I can go through my day. Even walking can do wonders. Starting is never easy, even for me who has done many yrs of martial arts training and going to gyms but once it's done, it gets easier.
I have tried starting to exercise many times, and I have been successful a few times, but eventually, life gets so damned busy that I feel like I shouldn't use the exercise time for exercise, but instead should use it to get work done. I realize that this is self-defeating, yet it is still SO HARD to get myself to start again. In addition, I have a chronic illness, so exercising indoors without a mask is unwise. I also prefer to swim, so the safest time for me to swim is early in the morning when the pool opens. Now that it's cooler out, maybe I'll start walking in the morning, and/or after lunch, to get back into the habit. And at first, I'll only focus on building the habit.
Over the years of therapy I have taken many pills that They thought I needed. I finally stopped taking it because I never felt better and They wouldn't listen to me when I said that it wasn't working. Got depressed taking depression medication and all They wanted to do was up the meds. It wasn't working. Doctors stopped listening to their patients .
Doctor Scott, I would have to agree with you about physical activity as I have started a regiment for the past month . I'm now going to a physical therapist because of my past physical disabilities and operations , 8 in the last ten years especially on my shoulders and I have to tell you I started this because I needed to create a habit to get myself motivated and continue working out and walking the dogs 2 miles per day, which has made a huge impact on my mental well being.
I’m starting karate and I’m terrified, but I’m more terrified of being on meds for the rest of my life and not leaving the house. So, I have been stressing about driving a whole four miles to karate! Yep! I used to drive round trip 30 miles for a language lesson just four years ago. My long term work from home has me depressed, scared to leave the house, my social skills are shit, but I’m going to go to karate class, and I’m going to fight my way though this because I’m fighting for my freedom and the rest of my life. Good luck with your practice! I would deffo become a patient!
Kudos for taking up such an exciting challenge. Your mood and self-confidence will improve so much from the exercise and social interaction. Wishing you courage and determination x
Yes, I can do this. I even enjoy working out, especially weight training. I found an option for doing cardio indoors that’s not boring, at least for me. There’s a relatively inexpensive climbing machine (“maxi-climber”) that you manipulate using only your body weight. So you can focus on using legs more, or arms, keeping it even between sides of your body, etc. This engages additional brain activity that keeps it interesting, and maximizes the variety of physical activity within the timeframe of your workout. Thank you a million times over for this information, Dr. Scott. ❤
From my own experience exercise works immediately. Any aerobics you can sustain for 10 to 20 minutes. At 15 to 20 min I start feeling relief from my anxiety and often alleviated from my depression as well., at least for a while. I can’t comment on the continuous use of exercise for relieving depression, but I believe that is possible. Yet for me the instantaneous benefit of exercises is great! I just dance by the way, it’s easy, you can do it! ❤️
I think there's no question exercise helps, but it's not the panacea it's made out to be with depression. For some, who are coming from minimal-to-nil exercise, it can be a life changer. For others like me who have been exercising for 20 years, it's certainly not making things any worse, but also isnt really changing anything either. MOST people, especially depressed people, dont exercise habitually. That's why they feel such a difference.
I have ME/CFS and I went from a mild state to a severe one, lost my career, social circles, etc... All of that because I listened to doctors who thought I was depressed and needed exercise. Turns out that exercise worsens ME/CFS. (It's been proven by research.) 😓 NOW, after 10 years of no improvement, I truly am depressed... I would do anything to just be able to take a 10 min walk without having a post exertion malaise that lasts several days, sometimes weeks.
In 2007, we had to write a similar paper for Capstone in Psychology in our last term before graduation. I did mine on treatments for children on the Autism Spectrum.
Just chiming in here as someone with a chronic illness or three, who struggles with Functional Movement Disorder, extreme chronic pain, and extreme chronic fatigue amongst other things, telling you that you saying "ANYONE" can exercise at moderate intensity (to a point where they are starting to sweat and feel their heart rate) is maybe a tad bit disingenuous. Some people suffer from both physical and mental ailments, and just physically don't have the capability to do that kind of intensity.
I have a depression and anxiety for years. I exercised before, it helped me a little bit, but not enough to live normally, so i stopped. Exercising was like a form of torture. I hired a motivating coach, chose a nice gym, etc etc but just the feeling of my heart pumping was soo uncomfortable and exhausting... My body just wanted to stop it immediately and lay down and rest. I'm on meds, but I still just want to lay down in bed mostly. I dream of life where I have a home on a tropical beach so I can wake up every day, lay on a beautiful beach all day watching the waves, then go back at night, eat and sleep. Is it strange? I don't know. I just don't feel the energy or capability to achieve anything else in this life. I'm drained...and my body truly hates exercise 😢
Same here, drained… just don’t have the energy to put in all the effort and get no reward feeling anyway. At least you have a dream life that you can potentially work towards some day when you feel like, and sounds like laying down in bed is a less painful option for you at the moment. Nothing wrong with doing that now, eat sleep and wait till you gather the energy to work just one tiny step closer to your dream life maybe.
I was a dancer in early life and still had anxiety and depression. A few years ago I made sure to exercise every single day to prevent a relapse but I relapsed anyway. Severely. Exercise has never worked better for me than medicine
Wait this is so true, I’ve done so many different fitness routines for a month or 2 at a time. The biggest mood boost by far was when I was doing 5 days a week “no pain”/minimal pain workouts meaning 30 min walk on the treadmill and 20 min of low intensity body weight Pilates. Most of my other routines were more intense than that and I didn’t notice nearly as much of a boost, probably because I was dealing with so much pain and tiredness
I'm introvert and one of the few places I feel comfortable being around people is the gym, they are there but I don't have to interact with them. I go regularly to the gym (3-5 days a week) but it doesn't make my depression any less, but I'm sure without the gym it would be even worse.
Commenting for accountability, going to try this until New Year. This is really helpful. Whenever a health professional has told me that exercise will help my mental health, they've always leapt from my 0 and 0 directly to a full-on workout routine that was far more than I had the capacity for. With exercise being and output and not an input for me, the advice of "do an indeterminate amount of physical exercise that will almost certainly be very unpleasant with no ramp up at all" was quite unhelpful, and I'd become quite dismissive of it.
I'm just tired of looking for a good therapist... the last couple I had were really phoning it in. They knew I was suicidal ideation most days of the week, they knew that I self harmed in the form of heating a lighter and pressing it against my arm when I was having panic/rage attacks. One of them said I wasn't high risk enough, the other told me to snap a rubberband against my writs instead and try to imagine butterflies on my chest........ I may have gotten a bit snooty with the 2nd one after the rubberband comment because I asked her if that worked better than the lighter. I didn't go back and they refunded me that one.
I agree it does help I live 5 mins from the sea yet I still go back to what is wrong with me😞been for a walk todsy it did help them this popped up so was meant to be so i promise im going to try even if i do 10 mins thank you everything you say makes sense
I also pursued weight lifting and disliked cardio. I ended up buying a treadmill table, put it on the gym treadmill, and do whatever on a laptop. Associating treadmill with PC time makes it easy and time flies by for me.
Actually the fastest way to treat depression is with psychedelics which works almost immediately. Of course this must be done in a controlled environment with a licenced therapist. I just commented on another one of DR Scott's videos that I am going to start Ketamine treatment again which I did about 4 years ago and it worked almost instantaneously. Even better these $600 sessions were covered by my insurance and only cost me $37.50 a session. If you are reading this and have tried SSRIs which did not help I suggest you speak to a DR about Ketamine infusions/injections. And as far as exercise , Dr Scott is 100% spot on the money. I used to ride my ebike 20 miles everyday and listen to an audio podcast or video like this one through my speakers so Iit made exercise fun. Plus having the sun in my face and getting hit with a megadose of vitamin D made me feel so much better which is why I always exercised outside when possible. I have not been on my ebike in two years and any day now I am going to start a regular exercise routine again. Yes, I also suffer with procrastination which sucks.
For me, weight training specifically, was the best treatment. But I mean pretty serious training, involving progressive overload, and really challenging myself. I still go to therapy, but I was going to therapy for a long time before I began seriously lifting weights, and I didn’t experience dramatic improvements until I’d been weight training for a little while. I think it helped me in many ways, because it also made it feel tangible and real to me that I have influence-I can build and change things. And I started to feel so much better about my body, too. And I felt like I had accomplished something worthwhile. Also, I really enjoy weight training. I look forward to my workout, I’m annoyed if I have to skip it. It’s satisfying.
Hi, Dr. Scott. I was diagnosed with low-grade depression about 20 years ago. I was put on medication, but it stopped me feeling anything, so I quit. Could you make a video about this diagnosis? I find it really frustrating because I can be doing really well, but a voice in my head will say that it's not going to last, and it will usually be correct. Kinda ruins my joy, even before anything negative enters my life. It's also frustrating because most people don't think it's a big deal. When I talk to medical professionals about it, they want me to take medication. That doesn't work for me. Is there hope that this voice will ever go away? I'm watching all your videos and following your advice: exercise, sleep hygiene, fixing distorted thinking patterns, investing time in things that bring me joy. I'm feeling much better, but the voice is still there. Thanks for reading this!💖
Unfortunately, I have become addicted (if you will) to Prozac. I’ve taken it since it was invented. I’ve tried to stop. Mentally I’m ok but physically I’m truly scared I’m going to die. So I’m stuck with it. Btw! I swim every morning for about 2 hours. I feel great. But the Prozac is going to be a fixture. I’m so happy it’s cheap now.
I’ve taken these antidepressants since I was 10 year old, and I think my brain chemistry is forever ruined. Actually I feel screwed up coz I never developed the skills needed to combat life and handle emotions. I stopped it altogether few months ago coz I’m too fed up, and first week physically was quite terrible with withdrawal symptoms but mentally I’m so relieved for the first time in my life. Physically it just took a couple weeks for all the symptoms to go, luckily in my case despite that I’ve taken them for almost 20 years non-stop. Started to feel bland a while after stopping though. And then now I’m depressed again but well, I’m depressed sometimes even with the meds so it’s all the same. If you want to stop it be sure to get antiemetics and all sort of meds ready coz it’s real, but it will go away some day. Although if you’re feeling all good, just keep taking it for life shouldn’t be a big problem either.
Scott Maybe you could discuss this current trend of "experts" saying Do not isolate ,or We all need social/ human contact I think that we are all different and some people need more social contact than others. I am in my eighties and I find I have less social contact than before I would find helpful if someone could advise me on how to improve my aloneness skills than making me feel guilty about being alone. Your offering are very helpful . Pity you can't beam me up!!
It does take discipline but I agree..my wife and I are in our 70s and get regular exercise most days…we have little depression and sleep,well generally. The nit depressants are need by people but can have side effects..I’ve found gym exercise actually very addictive.
I like physical activity and feeling strong and manual labor. The problem I run into with maintaining physical activity is the nature of some of my traumas. I have CPTSD from childhood molestation, one of whom was a gym bro. An invalidating father who commented on my weight and body and made me work out, and later was assaulted in the Navy on more than two separate occasions, a job in which my ability to perform as a woman was questioned and doubted. Which leads me to the question: how to I decouple all of these feelings of failure, danger, inadequacy, patriarchy, etc. From the concept of physical activity? I already do a lot of labor in the form of housekeeping and stay at home parenting of three kids, but it's repetative and I hate almost all of it (I listen to audio books to get through most of it). I've considered adding a chicken coop at the other end of the yard, but I'm worried that would become repetative too. Thoughts?
We've known it for 30 years and there are oodles of studies, but it's more uncommon to for it to be stressed during treatment (and sadly in the profit driven arenas it's probably because it actually works).
Chronic fatigue, pain, and other severe illnesses have affected my ability to be active. I love your channel,but I can’t watch this knowing I can’t exercise. If you’re still young and relatively healthy, give exercise a try before your body gives out completely.
I’ve been doing intense exercise 3-4 days per week for the last ~6 months and no improvement. In fact, my mood prevents me from exercising because I feel so lethargic.
I've been struggling with clinical depression for most of my life. When I was growing up I begged my parents for help, and they just told me it was normal so they didn't have to deal with it. Now I think about suicide at least once a day. Medications didn't work, don't have time for therapy, and I get more exercise at work in one day than most men my age get in a week, and it does NOTHING to help.
causes of depression and anxiety. In most of the cases due to low serotonin levels you will get depression and anxiety. Don't use antidepressants during anxiety and depression. It won't permanently fix depression and anxiety. It just increase serotonin levels for certain amount of time. first we need to increase serotonin levels to decrease anxiety and depression. Tips to increase serotonin levels: 1.Sun light 2.Exercies, walking, running, swimming 3. foods that increase serotonin: eggs, Milk, Peanuts, bananas, grapes, oats, chicken, chocolate, sunlight, pineapple, oats, nuts, badam, kaju, soy beans, liver symptoms: not able to concentrate, feeling low mood, not able to talk to people, negative thoughts, feeling sad for small reason 4. use vitamin D tablets if you have low vitamin d levels. If you stop using antidepressants suddenly you will get insomnia, digestion problems, gas trouble, negative thoughts, causes of depression and anxiety: staying inside a house, not getting enough sunlight, improper diet, not moving your body
Yoga isn’t sport it’s the Hindu prayer worshipping Brahman. Idk how people still practice it when they are not religious Hindus. I mean they wouldn’t pray like Muslims do for example and say «I’m just working out ». Also, I’ve read a scientific study about the danger of doing yoga and meditation on mental health, it turned out that after one year it makes people more depressed and having the sui… thoughts. Thought I’d share this to help someone out there and you may Dr Scott since you’re an expert on this field study it more and maybe do a video about it? Stay safe and healthy everyone❤
Thank you for saying this! Yoga is absolutely Hindu god worship! Very dangerous. You are literally messing with Demons (jinns, shayateen) when you do yoga.
After I exercise I always crash completely and have a whole rehab day, which is a shame because it's mostly on good days that I do it, thinking it will give me a push in the right direction. Ive even regretted training a couple of times. What is wrong with me?
It’s not likely that there’s anything wrong with you, just that your situation is probably compounded based on how long it’s been that you’ve been away from physical exercise, and your age could have something to contribute to this as well. The farther you are along in either of those areas, the more difficult getting back to things it’s going to be.
❤You may want to go to the Dr and have him do some in depth lab work . I have exercise intolerance from auto immune disease. There are other reasons so don't beat yourself up. Nutrition, supplements, and finding how much activity you can do without crashing. Look all this up which is the start of becoming more knowledgable and help make your life better!❤
I used to be a really fit avid distance runner. It was definitely beneficial to my mental health. I ended up breaking my sacrum, not related to running and also going through some hard times. I don’t know why I can’t get back at it even though it was some thing I could never live without before. Any advice? Maybe I feel I’m so far from where I used to be it feels unsurmountable
Why not try something gentle and mindful like yoga, Tai chi or qi gong. I have done them all for years but qi gong is my favourite. The movements are flowing and circular and feel very natural while exercising all your muscles and joints and improving body awareness. The eight brocades is a great daily routine. Take a look at Mimi Kuo Deemer's UA-cam channel, she's lovely
i have trouble motivating to goto the gym. you should start à networking system of depressed ppl who need workout buddies or a support system for getting to and working out. this would probably go over well in manhattan.
No no, exercise works ONLY IF the patient CAN get up and exercise. Chronically ill people cannot go on long walks for a couple of weeks and be all better. Depression may be so debilitating the patient cannot engage in the activities that would improve their condition. That’s a huge problem. Many people with serious depression cannot leave their bed and take a shower, let alone go do some cardio. The tremendous advantage of medication is that it can jump start you. It will get you well enough to be able to do all the things you need to do for your recovery. Exercise will work for people with milder symptoms, seasonal depression, or depression followed by a traumatic life event. People whose condition is persistent over the years and has a physiological basis, need meds, no way around it. It’s important to always discuss the spectrum of any mental illnesses when exploring treatments. Depression runs on a spectrum wide as the sky, it’s essential to point out what treatment matches which area.
To combat a severe depression after my sister died, I forced myself to go out and look for beauty in the great outdoors. My heart and soul were filled with such sadness, darkness and anger and I couldn't take it. Whether it was 10 degrees or 90 degrees ,I'd grab my camera and head to the woods and open fields. That is where I found my solace. To everyone struggling I wish you peace ,sweet peace.
@@ckris4446 I'm so sorry. It's so hard.
@@ckris4446 I completely understand and i wish peace of mind, heart and soul for you. It's a long hard road but you're going to make it through this. I promise you.
Cool that you found some solace.
I just lost my husband roughly 3 weeks ago to liver cancer that was caught late. He was in pain too many times and went from one doctor and hospital to the other over the years. No finding anything and all that was done was more and more medications. I can barely deal with it day to day and still full of anger, darkness and sadness. I got out more skeptical of the pharma industrial complex than I ever was before.
Am an artist and still can barely bring myself to pick up a paintbrush to this day.
Easier to understand if people are in the same shoes.
@@BythepeopleForthepeople203 How heartbreaking for you and I want you to know I share your feelings about Big pharma. My sister died from oral cancer and I swear the drugs and treatments were worse than the disease. I don't think I could bear losing my husband. My heart goes out to you.❤️
@@glowgirl8171
Thanks , that's appreciated 👍.
More than what people that call themselves 'family' have done.
Ok I can do 20 to 30 min of walking fast daily. I like being alone so I dont care to be with anyone. Being outside is the best. I love it. And I live near a reserve.
Animals, dogs, cats have saved me from trauma in my childhood.
They are the Very best and most loving relationships I've had, and probably will always be.
All love, no judgment, just love and understanding.
I miss them all.
Me too. Dog gets me walking every day.
I think it is important, for the introverts to say that if you hate being with other people and having to socialize while you are working out, you don't have to do it with other people. Also for people like me who hate being looked at and are easily over stimulated, it is OK to do yoga in a dark room with flameless candles and nothing going on except some singing bowls humming in the background. It doesn't have to be super exciting. It can be solitary and meditative, furthermore if you do it mindfully and meditatively you get the benefits of mindfulness and meditation as well which doubles the benefits.
totally agree, as an introvert I find that exercising with other people can be really distracting and I'm not focused on my body as much which may even be harmful especially for those who haven't had a lot of physical activity prior to that, you need to be very attentive and gentle with your body in order to feel good during the workout and afterwards.
As in introvert I feel that finding a physical activity I like and a place to do it with like-minded people makes it all the more uplifting. I do ballet and the people I see there are much of the joy of doing it. And yes, I often find other people extremely exhausting, but the "right" people actually makes things better. But I agree, you don't need to be around other people to engage in physical activity. I find taking a walk alone to be very helpful for my anxiety and overall well-being.
I’m sorry but can you explain more how the candles and bowls are « a physical activity »? Especially that yoga isn’t sport it’s the Hindu prayer and way to worship Brahman. And yoga poses are worshiping the sun, the moon and other things?
YES! ❤
@@NourolHuda You don't have to use the bowls and candles. You can use LED lights and listen to ethereal music with a good set of earbuds instead. Whatever relaxes you and helps you release your emotions from your body. There are yoga practices that don't use the positions used to worship things like Hindu gods. Look up yoga for Christians on UA-cam :)
My daughter has issues and has not found a cure. I have sent her a number of your videos that I think address her needs well.
Thanks. Keep up the good work helping people with a very difficult life.
Exercise includes taking a walk, in the countryside, great way to be mindful and better than the gym especially if you are very self-conscious plus it doesn't involve a monthly subscription!
If you live in a town or city, walk around the block - having a change of scene is really medicinal for the brain too.
Absolutely!
This is SO true. There was a time in my life when hiked with a group of friends and then started doing CrossFit(lite) out a trainer. It was the best period of my life. I felt strong mentally and physically. Then Covid happened and a total hip replacement then a divorce. I’ve been trying to dig myself out since 2020.
Covid really did cause a lot of divorces, so sad.
I think it is awesome that you are increasing awareness about this. This is the best-kept secret that shouldn't be a secret.
Is it really a secret though? Every psychologist I have seen, this has been one of the first things that they say. Every GP you see recommends this before meditation (unless it’s an emergency). All the free information on the internet about mental health recommends this. I’m not from America though so maybe it’s just not a thing there?
It's not a secret, everyone knows that exercise can be good for your mood. It just doesn't work for everyone. There was a point in time where I went for walks everyday. For an hour or more. I go for walks every now and then these days, among doing other things. I'm much better than I was back then.
Preach! Physical activity is my go to, sometimes I still have to absolutely make myself, but even just a 10 minute walk outside(my other mood booster) can change my whole day!
To understand & accept your feelings is also mighty helpful. It is not so much the feelings, but the rejection of our feelings that causes the problem.
New sub here. You’ve kept my eyes watering up but with a smile in my heart for several hours so far today listening to you. I know I can do a fitness routine the way you described it. And I know you can help in many other areas too because you aren’t limited to only ‘what you were taught in school’ but WHAT you learned in your own life and others lives. Thank you
Wow, thank you
Same as Kathryn....yes same...gratitude xx n
This guy is so on my level it makes me wanna cry. I almost know what he's gonna say in advance.
And man, how I wish I could communicate half as well as him! I've never known anybody who's able to convey so much positivity in a relatively short space of time. Serious kudos, buddy!
Just coming out of a very bad spiral, I love your videos, i suffer severely from depression anxiety & ptsd, you are inspiring
Just my experience, but I do find much greater relief from very intense exercise. I've got severe depersonalization. I run and do little workouts at home sometimes, in which I'm still sweating and working pretty hard, but they don't feel like they do much for my sense of connection in the short term. I also do jiu jitsu and kickboxing about 4 days a week, which are absolutely gruelling. I know that's not for everyone, but leaving the gym utterly exhausted is often the only time I feel real relief from my symptoms.
I find that I have to do between moderate and intense exercise minimum to get the benefits too
That’s really rough. I have it now and then, and it feels like I’m losing my grip on reality completely. Also like you’re in a kind of dystopian world while other people walk around in the normal world.
I hope you don’t still have it constantly?
Even if your workout is indoors, find something that gets you outdoors regularly anyway. Outdoors is good. Real light is good. Space is good. Scenery is good. Being in, and noticing all the sensations we are deprived of indoors is super good.
I cant. I have a very physical heavy job and am tired when finally done. Just happy to sit down after also home chores are done. And when the weekend finally arrived I am most time that exhausted and my body hurts, that I dont get up the whole saturday. Or if I get myself up and out fishing or hiking with my dogs saturday, I am crushed at sunday. But mybe my work counts already as workout, and I take at least my dogs every morning for a walk before leaving them…
It sounds like you're getting your exercise. Plus, you work, have dogs, and do leisure activities like fishing and hiking. You're doing much better than most of us.
I'm going to start walking my dogs more regularly, and count that. The big one is a lot of exercise! I'm thinking you could imagine further working out, and that might help. It builds muscle, so why not changes in mood?
That's great that you take your dogs out every morning! It definitely counts. It's very understandable that you are tired from work, especially if it's physically demanding.
I would suggest that you could try some gentle Yoga on the weekends anyways, it can be relaxing and actually gives you more energy back, it can also help a lot with your achy body. Yoga can just relieve so much built up tension.
The start is the hardest, but there are lots of great, easy to follow instructional videos on UA-cam. I would recommend Yoga to anyone who feels too tired for other exercise, it is so beneficial for mind and body and very recharging.
Jobs that are physically strenuous are EXERCISE. There is a term called ' Blue Collar Athletes'.
Most likely crashing on Saturday IS what your body needs. It's called RECUPERATION.
I use to be a competitive female bodybuilder back in the 80s.
If possible make sure your diet is as healthy as can be so your muscles and mind can reap the rewards of a labor intensive occupation.
Good luck.
I'm starting at zero and zero, but your attitude and presentation around this plan offer hope that something in my life is actually doable. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement!
This feels really achievable. Even though I am extremely time poor, you broke this down into steps that made it feel less insurmountable. Given medication hasn’t worked and therapy is completely inaccessible, this seems like a practical way to improve my ability to cope with the crap my brain throws at me. Thank you for sharing your experience and your knowledge.
I like the pace of your video today, Doc. Especially when you address the disability issue. I needed to hear it, again. And to shift my focus from looking hot to feeling comfortable and more resilient emotionally and physically .
It’s so helpful to know that I really only need to shoot for 20-30 minutes at a time. Wish there were fitness therapists covered by insurance. I really need consistent help with this particular activity/task from someone who is trauma informed, compassionate and paitient.
I don't understand. Surely you can put on some sneakers and go for a walk in your neighborhood without a fitness therapist guiding you? That is the beauty of walking: nearly anybody can do it, and it's free. If you mark on the calendar each time you walk, you will love seeing your progress and consistency. 🙂
@ I appreciate you saying you don’t understand. I’m going to assume that you probably don’t understand what it feels like to have complex-trauma and what it feels like to work through that grueling process and how hard it can be to even go for a walk. Learning about complex-trauma and what I need to do to heal is an incredible amount of work and time. 1000’s of hours I’ve spent on this aspect of my personal growth and development on top of working two jobs. I don’t also have time yet to learn more about the ins and outs of fitness and cooking. I do my best, but I’m just one person and it would be incredible to have some help with some things.
@@LG-nn4tr I hope above all that you don't think I was being unkind in my comments. I have my mental health struggles, but it sounds like you have dealt with a lot in life. Hearing that you work 2 jobs, I assume you are able to walk? The hardest part is starting. Once you get that ball rolling, momentum works in your favor. I just didn't understand needing a therapist's guidance to walk for exercise. I understand you might need it for talk therapy, etc. As for cooking, I went plant-based 8 years ago and it was one of the most life-changing, beneficial improvements ever. But alas, I know many can't face the thought of cutting out meat/dairy/eggs. I really wish you the best. I actually am getting ready now to bundle up (it's 35 degrees right now in CT, brr!) to take my 30 min. walk through the cemetery.
It saddens me to say this because you were so gently persuasive and it is hard to say I can’t. I have ME and at one time graded exercise therapy was thought to be beneficial. It turned out it would make people feel greatly worse and NICE finally took it off their recommendations. Trust me to have one of the few illnesses that don’t benefit from exercise! I’ve been trying to find all your videos and use them where appropriate to try and make them work so I AM trying. Not that watching you is any hardship, I find it very therapeutic. I have finally been booked up for some therapy - I just hope I don’t come out with “ but Scott says so and so is better”! I shall probably get more out of the sessions because thanks to you I have a much clearer idea where they’ll be coming from. Still wish I lived in America in whichever state you are in but here I am in southern England but can still benefit from your very valuable videos. ❤
I can relate to this. I have FM, and though I do need more exercise than I'm getting, I have a short limit to it, and a house to take care of. I'm trying to at least get out and walk, like I used to. I don't remember that it helped that much, but since I've gotten much worse since I don't walk regularly, then maybe it did something. Problem is, the cheating event that started this worst and longest depression is tied into my walks. Put the ex of 10 yrs out 7 months ago, but his mistress moved a block from me. So I have to see her going by sometimes. Then she has a look alike that I can barely tell apart, who moved just a few doors down, so I see them both. The other day it was 3 times. I know I need to find a way to not let it get to me, but so far I haven't been able to. It's brutal to have that reminder that I can bump into at any time.
I'm glad you mentioned this. As someone who has struggled with chronic fatigue and pain, it can be really hard to engage in any sort of exercise routine. I used to hate exercise when I could do it, and now that I can't do it, or only in limited amounts, I miss it. It's true, you really don't know what you've got til it's gone.
That said, the exercise prescription is still a great one for many if not most people. I will say that when I'm feeling really down or especially a surfeit of anxiety, it can help me to move, even if it's just to get up from the couch and walk into a different room. I engage in activities that require movement but we don't call exercise. A shower for me is a full body workout. I can't always do it every day, but it feels refreshing when I can. And yeah, sometimes I need a nap after my shower. That's just how life is with chronic fatigue!
I'm wondering if either one of you ladies can offer me some advice on how to maybe jedi mind trick myself on how to deal w/ getting out more, w/ what is my biggest impediment lately. My ex's mistress walks up my block often enough. I might have been able to deal w/ that, but then when her double moved even closer, I can see them up to 3 times a day. I live near a corner and that's where my 2 living room corner windows are. I've tried a number of methods to try and lesson the impact of this, but it's like trying to heal a torn shoulder when people keep wacking into you.
Me too, the fatigue, chronic pain, and other disease processes contribute to the depression and anxiety. Movement is painful. I feel trapped in this body. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be healthy Pre-ordering, picking up, and putting away groceries is exhausting and my only activity. No energy for social interaction, no family of my own, and minimal contact with my siblings. I often wonder why bother to continue like this. The sense of desperation and isolation is overwhelming.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 If you have a car, you could go somewhere else to walk. A different neighborhood, a park, etc. Or you could do a different kind of exercise that doesn't require leaving the house.
You’re so down to earth. So glad I came across your website!
Great transparent convo, thanks. I relate to going to the gym at first and feeling discouraged, some days I would just get there and walk straight out because I was too anxious and setting very high expectations. Then I changed up my work out routines, doing exercises I enjoyed instead, that lead me to get in shape over time. It's important to do exercises and things you enjoy, not what other people are doing for their enjoyment. I also read mindfulness books like "30 Days to Reduce Anxiety" by Harper Daniels that taught me basic mindfulness meditation skills that surprisingly worked well for me. Thanks again
I really appreciate the evidence-based approach you seem to take and the clarity of your presentations. Obviously you bring more than that to your content, but this resonates with me. Thanks. ♥
I appreciate that!
Come to think of it, when I use to exercise regularly my depressive episodes where far and in-between and when I did have them they were less intense and didn't last as long! Thanks so much for reminding me of how good I felt when I did this! I am starting back on a routine today!! 😊
I cannot, thank you enough for putting out real straight up true content. You’re literally the only one that I have found so far that is being real with this kind of information and not just trying to scam people.🙏❤
Godbless you and thank you, I’m zero at the moment. Tomorrow I’m really try to get out my front door. Love your channel you give me hope. Greetings from Ireland ❤️❤️❤️🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️
I cannot live without working out anymore. My syptoms get so much worse when I don't, even going on vacation for a week and relaxing has me more depressed than if I'm at home working out >< However, it's not always enough. Right now, it's not enough. But it's definitely a huge component in what I need to stay on this earth
I'm reading your comment a year later. How are you doing? I was in the habit of hiking for over an hour in nearby woods several times a week, and I didn't realize how much it was helping me until I stopped. I am starting up now in the new year.
@@snu3877 I'm still working out at least 4 times a week, and it's still critical for me to do. Been having a week off now for Christmas, and depression just creeps right in, so getting back to it next week will be much needed
WOW! Yes so so TRUE!!! I have Bipolar 2 and CPTSD - and I am Diabetic Type 2 ( Horrid ) So I was walking daily to get My Sugar Levels down!!! for a few months I felt WONDERFUL -- I lost 35 Lbs -- and My Mood was so GOOD!! Then I Injured My Knee When you get around my age 56 going into your 50's your knees are not good LOLLL - But When I do get out and walk some I can't as much -- I feel really GOOD!!!! No Bawling Anxiety - Depression Raging Angry --- ETC Thanks Love your channel NEW SUB
I love running, I have always loved running. Weights not so much. We are opposites Dr. Scott. I do have a treadmill in my house with a TV in front of it where I will watch programs while I run. I am learning French right now so I will throw a french TV show on with subtitles and get my listening and comprehension in while I exercise. My preference is to run outdoors, especially trail running in the woods, but I live in Canada and running here in the winter can be downright dangerous, if not impossible. I would agree the treadmill is a far second best choice, but certainly better than injuries or just not exercising all winter.
I am for the record engaging in all three main treatments for depression/burnout. I exercise 4-5/week, I take medication (for about 5 months now) and I have been in therapy for a long time. What I can definitely say is when I was in the depths of my depression and total shutdown early this year is my therapy didn't really make any difference and was in fact just one more thing I felt like I was failing at.
I got a puppy around that time and the great thing with that was I had to walk the dog and take her outside. That is what started getting me moving and outdoors and talking to people in my neighbourhood. I just walked for 20-45 minutes per day (most days) for several months and that was enough to get the recovery ball rolling.
Hi Dr., I appreciate this video, it has helped me feel more motivated to make myself exercise. I get a little bit now, since I have a dog, but not a lot. I was an over-the-road truck driver for 13 years and between that and unresolved emotional trauma, my health has taken a hit, but I am still blessed with better health than many. Just writing that made it hit home how much I've been taking that fact for granted.
My mother is one for whom exercise has become very difficult. She used to go for walks to cope with her depression and anxiety. Now she has osteoporosis and has had a number of foot fractures and she is afraid to go walking because of it. Her anxiety continues to worsen, and she rarely leaves the house. My grandmother was also a shut-in when I was a child, and had fractures due to osteoporosis. I want to break this generational cycle. I do not have kids, but I don't want to end up in a similar situation when I'm older.
Thanks for this advice. I've been diagnosed with burnout, but I don't want to take medication, so I'll definitely give it a try to exercise. Thank you!❤
Hi Patty, did you try it? I am experiencing anxiety, depression and burnout. I used to be very active, but not anymore...
I totally agree with this from my own experience. I'm 72.
This is absolutely true. I started a progressive walking program a couple years ago, and I nearly instantly started to get significant relief from my depression/anxiety. I was up to 10k steps a day and had never been so happy and functional in my life.
Then, last year I got sudden, severe arthritis in my hips and spine from an autoimmune disorder, and it has effectively crippled me. I can barely walk. I can't even do water aerobics, so there's no form of aerobic exercise I can do. Since I stopped exercising, I've never been more depressed in my life.
I'm really sorry to hear that, that's terrible.
Maybe you can do arm exercises while watching TV? I get up during commercials and use 5 lb. hand weights. It makes me feel less guilty about watching TV, too! The arms respond pretty quickly to weight training. Even 1 lb. weights are fine.
This myth about physical activity healing depression is soo common, it makes me very frustrated. I hear it everywhere, usually from “experts” who don’t have depression. Exercises are wonderful for health and staying fit, they don’t do much for people with depression. They may improve your mood for couple hours max, after this the depression is back along with the feeling of failure.
Exercise while providing an increase in neurochemistry will only be temporary, and may cause a worsening of symptoms long term..
In fact, I would go as far as to say that you should limit exercise..
I have issues with pain, and my therapist suggested walking. I love walking, but I have bone spurs in my hip and no cartilage. It's very painful 💔 I try to get outside and do some yard work for exercise because I live in a rural area. The nearest gym is 45 miles away.
I understand where you're coming from, but I respectfully disagree with you. First of all, if you watch almost any of Dr. Scott's other videos, you'll find that he's struggled with severe depression and anxiety for many years. I personally find it very encouraging that someone who has had as hard of a time (if not harder) with his mental illnesses as myself was able to push through it and improve. The fact that he specifically is saying this proves to me that it's possible to recover and function to some degree, despite my struggles.
Second of all, while it's true that exercising once isn't going to cure you forever, that doesn't mean it doesn't help at all. And yes, using this tool by itself won't necessarily be enough either, even if you make regular exercise a habit. You'll get the best results if you use it in conjunction with other treatments. Depression won't go away after exercising, but it can lighten the load a little for a few reasons. It feels good to do something right and celebrating any little victory in your day can improve your mood. Working on having a healthy relationship with your body is also helpful. And exercise is just plain scientifically proven to increase dopamine levels.
Along the same lines, it very clearly isn't a myth according to science. As he said, there are THOUSANDS of studies that show the good effects of exercise on our mental health. So many people, online and offline, have expressed how it's helped them. There will always be outliers and minorities, and there's nothing in this world that works for everyone. So it's okay that it doesn't work for you. But that doesn't mean that it's a myth, that people who claim this are lying to you, or that they don't know what they're talking about.
I'm sorry that you've had such a hard time. I hope you can find something that does work for you and that you can be happy and at peace sometime in the future. Have a good day :)
@@rjay7019 Perhaps non-weight-bearing pool exercise or movement may be helpful? Not necessarily laps or water aerobics classes, just get in the water and move at your own pace. I use an aqua jogging belt to suspend myself in deep water. When my hips were going downhill (I have had both left and right hips replaced) I found moving in water to be much less painful than walking or other weight-bearing exercise.
@barbarakrall4331 I've actually bought a small pool so I can do this.
Scott, your chanel is so helpful :) Keep it up!
Yes! Physical Activity truly works. Especially the great outdoors!
I think I can start with a stretching routine and build from there. Thanks for the encouragement and data driven info. You're a pretty cool guy.👍
Yay for severe chronic pain brought on by physical activity! 😢
listening to it during my pull-up/chin-up/core workout
I go to comic book/anime conventions and haven't had the best experiences when it comes to socializing. Those experiences follow me on top of the depression I deal with everyday. I realized when I do exercise before convention starts I tend to walk with confidence throughout the day. I feel a sense that I accomplished something and it gets me on a creative how I can go through my day. Even walking can do wonders. Starting is never easy, even for me who has done many yrs of martial arts training and going to gyms but once it's done, it gets easier.
Dr. Scott, answering truthfully. Thank you, again.
I have tried starting to exercise many times, and I have been successful a few times, but eventually, life gets so damned busy that I feel like I shouldn't use the exercise time for exercise, but instead should use it to get work done.
I realize that this is self-defeating, yet it is still SO HARD to get myself to start again.
In addition, I have a chronic illness, so exercising indoors without a mask is unwise. I also prefer to swim, so the safest time for me to swim is early in the morning when the pool opens.
Now that it's cooler out, maybe I'll start walking in the morning, and/or after lunch, to get back into the habit.
And at first, I'll only focus on building the habit.
Thanks for what you're doing,this life changing stuff,the common denominator is everybody thinks they are alone in this, nobody else is going thru it
Over the years of therapy I have taken many pills that They thought I needed. I finally stopped taking it because I never felt better and They wouldn't listen to me when I said that it wasn't working. Got depressed taking depression medication and all They wanted to do was up the meds. It wasn't working. Doctors stopped listening to their patients .
Doctor Scott, I would have to agree with you about physical activity as I have started a regiment for the past month . I'm now going to a physical therapist because of my past physical disabilities and operations , 8 in the last ten years especially on my shoulders and I have to tell you I started this because I needed to create a habit to get myself motivated and continue working out and walking the dogs 2 miles per day, which has made a huge impact on my mental well being.
I’m starting karate and I’m terrified, but I’m more terrified of being on meds for the rest of my life and not leaving the house. So, I have been stressing about driving a whole four miles to karate! Yep! I used to drive round trip 30 miles for a language lesson just four years ago. My long term work from home has me depressed, scared to leave the house, my social skills are shit, but I’m going to go to karate class, and I’m going to fight my way though this because I’m fighting for my freedom and the rest of my life. Good luck with your practice! I would deffo become a patient!
Kudos for taking up such an exciting challenge. Your mood and self-confidence will improve so much from the exercise and social interaction. Wishing you courage and determination x
Yes, I can do this. I even enjoy working out, especially weight training.
I found an option for doing cardio indoors that’s not boring, at least for me. There’s a relatively inexpensive climbing machine (“maxi-climber”) that you manipulate using only your body weight. So you can focus on using legs more, or arms, keeping it even between sides of your body, etc. This engages additional brain activity that keeps it interesting, and maximizes the variety of physical activity within the timeframe of your workout.
Thank you a million times over for this information, Dr. Scott. ❤
Thank you, Dr. Eilers. 😊
Thanks. Appreciate your positive energy.🕊
No one said helpful things like this 40years ago😮
From my own experience exercise works immediately. Any aerobics you can sustain for 10 to 20 minutes. At 15 to 20 min I start feeling relief from my anxiety and often alleviated from my depression as well., at least for a while.
I can’t comment on the continuous use of exercise for relieving depression, but I believe that is possible.
Yet for me the instantaneous benefit of exercises is great!
I just dance by the way, it’s easy, you can do it! ❤️
I think there's no question exercise helps, but it's not the panacea it's made out to be with depression. For some, who are coming from minimal-to-nil exercise, it can be a life changer. For others like me who have been exercising for 20 years, it's certainly not making things any worse, but also isnt really changing anything either. MOST people, especially depressed people, dont exercise habitually. That's why they feel such a difference.
Maybe it won't remove depression completely, but man, it sure does help. Particularly when you're outdoors in nature.
I have ME/CFS and I went from a mild state to a severe one, lost my career, social circles, etc... All of that because I listened to doctors who thought I was depressed and needed exercise. Turns out that exercise worsens ME/CFS. (It's been proven by research.) 😓 NOW, after 10 years of no improvement, I truly am depressed... I would do anything to just be able to take a 10 min walk without having a post exertion malaise that lasts several days, sometimes weeks.
In 2007, we had to write a similar paper for Capstone in Psychology in our last term before graduation. I did mine on treatments for children on the Autism Spectrum.
Just chiming in here as someone with a chronic illness or three, who struggles with Functional Movement Disorder, extreme chronic pain, and extreme chronic fatigue amongst other things, telling you that you saying "ANYONE" can exercise at moderate intensity (to a point where they are starting to sweat and feel their heart rate) is maybe a tad bit disingenuous. Some people suffer from both physical and mental ailments, and just physically don't have the capability to do that kind of intensity.
I have a depression and anxiety for years. I exercised before, it helped me a little bit, but not enough to live normally, so i stopped. Exercising was like a form of torture. I hired a motivating coach, chose a nice gym, etc etc but just the feeling of my heart pumping was soo uncomfortable and exhausting... My body just wanted to stop it immediately and lay down and rest. I'm on meds, but I still just want to lay down in bed mostly. I dream of life where I have a home on a tropical beach so I can wake up every day, lay on a beautiful beach all day watching the waves, then go back at night, eat and sleep. Is it strange? I don't know. I just don't feel the energy or capability to achieve anything else in this life. I'm drained...and my body truly hates exercise 😢
Same here, drained… just don’t have the energy to put in all the effort and get no reward feeling anyway.
At least you have a dream life that you can potentially work towards some day when you feel like, and sounds like laying down in bed is a less painful option for you at the moment. Nothing wrong with doing that now, eat sleep and wait till you gather the energy to work just one tiny step closer to your dream life maybe.
I have found walking barefoot helpful. It is called earthing now, and it can improve your mood a lot.
I was a dancer in early life and still had anxiety and depression. A few years ago I made sure to exercise every single day to prevent a relapse but I relapsed anyway. Severely. Exercise has never worked better for me than medicine
Good advice. By the way resistance training is also cardio. Your resistance training and walking will get the job done.
Wait this is so true, I’ve done so many different fitness routines for a month or 2 at a time. The biggest mood boost by far was when I was doing 5 days a week “no pain”/minimal pain workouts meaning 30 min walk on the treadmill and 20 min of low intensity body weight Pilates. Most of my other routines were more intense than that and I didn’t notice nearly as much of a boost, probably because I was dealing with so much pain and tiredness
I'm introvert and one of the few places I feel comfortable being around people is the gym, they are there but I don't have to interact with them. I go regularly to the gym (3-5 days a week) but it doesn't make my depression any less, but I'm sure without the gym it would be even worse.
Watching you is free therapy 😊
Commenting for accountability, going to try this until New Year. This is really helpful. Whenever a health professional has told me that exercise will help my mental health, they've always leapt from my 0 and 0 directly to a full-on workout routine that was far more than I had the capacity for. With exercise being and output and not an input for me, the advice of "do an indeterminate amount of physical exercise that will almost certainly be very unpleasant with no ramp up at all" was quite unhelpful, and I'd become quite dismissive of it.
I'm just tired of looking for a good therapist... the last couple I had were really phoning it in. They knew I was suicidal ideation most days of the week, they knew that I self harmed in the form of heating a lighter and pressing it against my arm when I was having panic/rage attacks.
One of them said I wasn't high risk enough, the other told me to snap a rubberband against my writs instead and try to imagine butterflies on my chest........ I may have gotten a bit snooty with the 2nd one after the rubberband comment because I asked her if that worked better than the lighter. I didn't go back and they refunded me that one.
I did do exercise. I was jogging ~4 times a week for around 2 months. Nothing freaking changed
Good advice. Got to do it. Thank you. 😊
I agree it does help I live 5 mins from the sea yet I still go back to what is wrong with me😞been for a walk todsy it did help them this popped up so was meant to be so i promise im going to try even if i do 10 mins thank you everything you say makes sense
I can do this! ❤ Thank you so much for thispost!
I also pursued weight lifting and disliked cardio. I ended up buying a treadmill table, put it on the gym treadmill, and do whatever on a laptop.
Associating treadmill with PC time makes it easy and time flies by for me.
Actually the fastest way to treat depression is with psychedelics which works almost immediately. Of course this must be done in a controlled environment with a licenced therapist. I just commented on another one of DR Scott's videos that I am going to start Ketamine treatment again which I did about 4 years ago and it worked almost instantaneously. Even better these $600 sessions were covered by my insurance and only cost me $37.50 a session. If you are reading this and have tried SSRIs which did not help I suggest you speak to a DR about Ketamine infusions/injections. And as far as exercise , Dr Scott is 100% spot on the money. I used to ride my ebike 20 miles everyday and listen to an audio podcast or video like this one through my speakers so Iit made exercise fun. Plus having the sun in my face and getting hit with a megadose of vitamin D made me feel so much better which is why I always exercised outside when possible. I have not been on my ebike in two years and any day now I am going to start a regular exercise routine again. Yes, I also suffer with procrastination which sucks.
For me, weight training specifically, was the best treatment. But I mean pretty serious training, involving progressive overload, and really challenging myself. I still go to therapy, but I was going to therapy for a long time before I began seriously lifting weights, and I didn’t experience dramatic improvements until I’d been weight training for a little while.
I think it helped me in many ways, because it also made it feel tangible and real to me that I have influence-I can build and change things.
And I started to feel so much better about my body, too. And I felt like I had accomplished something worthwhile. Also, I really enjoy weight training. I look forward to my workout, I’m annoyed if I have to skip it. It’s satisfying.
Hi, Dr. Scott. I was diagnosed with low-grade depression about 20 years ago. I was put on medication, but it stopped me feeling anything, so I quit. Could you make a video about this diagnosis?
I find it really frustrating because I can be doing really well, but a voice in my head will say that it's not going to last, and it will usually be correct. Kinda ruins my joy, even before anything negative enters my life.
It's also frustrating because most people don't think it's a big deal. When I talk to medical professionals about it, they want me to take medication. That doesn't work for me.
Is there hope that this voice will ever go away? I'm watching all your videos and following your advice: exercise, sleep hygiene, fixing distorted thinking patterns, investing time in things that bring me joy. I'm feeling much better, but the voice is still there. Thanks for reading this!💖
Unfortunately, I have become addicted (if you will) to Prozac. I’ve taken it since it was invented. I’ve tried to stop. Mentally I’m ok but physically I’m truly scared I’m going to die. So I’m stuck with it. Btw! I swim every morning for about 2 hours. I feel great. But the Prozac is going to be a fixture. I’m so happy it’s cheap now.
I’ve taken these antidepressants since I was 10 year old, and I think my brain chemistry is forever ruined. Actually I feel screwed up coz I never developed the skills needed to combat life and handle emotions.
I stopped it altogether few months ago coz I’m too fed up, and first week physically was quite terrible with withdrawal symptoms but mentally I’m so relieved for the first time in my life. Physically it just took a couple weeks for all the symptoms to go, luckily in my case despite that I’ve taken them for almost 20 years non-stop. Started to feel bland a while after stopping though. And then now I’m depressed again but well, I’m depressed sometimes even with the meds so it’s all the same.
If you want to stop it be sure to get antiemetics and all sort of meds ready coz it’s real, but it will go away some day. Although if you’re feeling all good, just keep taking it for life shouldn’t be a big problem either.
Scott
Maybe you could discuss this current trend of "experts" saying Do not isolate ,or We all need social/ human contact I think that we are all different and some people need more social contact than others. I am in my eighties and I find I have less social contact than before I would find helpful if someone could advise me on how to improve my aloneness skills than making me feel guilty about being alone. Your offering are very helpful . Pity you can't beam me up!!
It does take discipline but I agree..my wife and I are in our 70s and get regular exercise most days…we have little depression and sleep,well generally. The nit depressants are need by people but can have side effects..I’ve found gym exercise actually very addictive.
Adderall helps me a lot. So does exercise. Sometimes I have to force myself to get to the health club, but I always feel better afterwards. Ty! I’m 62
I like the idea of linking exercise with a podcast. Those are my addiction.
Such great advice, thank you for sharing such important options. Just want to feel happier and don't like taking medications.
I like physical activity and feeling strong and manual labor. The problem I run into with maintaining physical activity is the nature of some of my traumas. I have CPTSD from childhood molestation, one of whom was a gym bro. An invalidating father who commented on my weight and body and made me work out, and later was assaulted in the Navy on more than two separate occasions, a job in which my ability to perform as a woman was questioned and doubted.
Which leads me to the question: how to I decouple all of these feelings of failure, danger, inadequacy, patriarchy, etc. From the concept of physical activity?
I already do a lot of labor in the form of housekeeping and stay at home parenting of three kids, but it's repetative and I hate almost all of it (I listen to audio books to get through most of it). I've considered adding a chicken coop at the other end of the yard, but I'm worried that would become repetative too.
Thoughts?
We've known it for 30 years and there are oodles of studies, but it's more uncommon to for it to be stressed during treatment (and sadly in the profit driven arenas it's probably because it actually works).
Chronic fatigue, pain, and other severe illnesses have affected my ability to be active. I love your channel,but I can’t watch this knowing I can’t exercise. If you’re still young and relatively healthy, give exercise a try before your body gives out completely.
I’ve been doing intense exercise 3-4 days per week for the last ~6 months and no improvement. In fact, my mood prevents me from exercising because I feel so lethargic.
I think I can try! I'm 0-0. Going to start with upbeat music & daily housework this morning.
Lol 11:16 I go up the stairs and I’m gasping for air
Subbed ur channel very encouraging. I cant exercise due to a back problem but if I could I bloody would and the fact I cant prob why am in this boat
I've been struggling with clinical depression for most of my life. When I was growing up I begged my parents for help, and they just told me it was normal so they didn't have to deal with it. Now I think about suicide at least once a day. Medications didn't work, don't have time for therapy, and I get more exercise at work in one day than most men my age get in a week, and it does NOTHING to help.
causes of depression and anxiety.
In most of the cases due to low serotonin levels you will get depression and anxiety.
Don't use antidepressants during anxiety and depression. It won't permanently fix depression and anxiety. It just increase serotonin levels for certain amount of time. first we need to increase serotonin levels to decrease anxiety and depression.
Tips to increase serotonin levels:
1.Sun light
2.Exercies, walking, running, swimming
3. foods that increase serotonin: eggs, Milk, Peanuts, bananas, grapes, oats, chicken, chocolate, sunlight, pineapple, oats, nuts, badam, kaju, soy beans, liver
symptoms: not able to concentrate, feeling low mood, not able to talk to people, negative thoughts, feeling sad for small reason
4. use vitamin D tablets if you have low vitamin d levels.
If you stop using antidepressants suddenly you will get insomnia, digestion problems, gas trouble, negative thoughts,
causes of depression and anxiety: staying inside a house, not getting enough sunlight, improper diet, not moving your body
I can. Thank you!
Yoga isn’t sport it’s the Hindu prayer worshipping Brahman. Idk how people still practice it when they are not religious Hindus. I mean they wouldn’t pray like Muslims do for example and say «I’m just working out ».
Also, I’ve read a scientific study about the danger of doing yoga and meditation on mental health, it turned out that after one year it makes people more depressed and having the sui… thoughts. Thought I’d share this to help someone out there and you may Dr Scott since you’re an expert on this field study it more and maybe do a video about it?
Stay safe and healthy everyone❤
Thank you for saying this! Yoga is absolutely Hindu god worship! Very dangerous. You are literally messing with Demons (jinns, shayateen) when you do yoga.
After I exercise I always crash completely and have a whole rehab day, which is a shame because it's mostly on good days that I do it, thinking it will give me a push in the right direction. Ive even regretted training a couple of times. What is wrong with me?
It’s not likely that there’s anything wrong with you, just that your situation is probably compounded based on how long it’s been that you’ve been away from physical exercise, and your age could have something to contribute to this as well. The farther you are along in either of those areas, the more difficult getting back to things it’s going to be.
❤You may want to go to the Dr and have him do some in depth lab work . I have exercise intolerance from auto immune disease. There are other reasons so don't beat yourself up. Nutrition, supplements, and finding how much activity you can do without crashing. Look all this up which is the start of becoming more knowledgable and help make your life better!❤
It sounds like you're pushing yourself too hard and too fast. What kind of exercise are you doing and do you have another medical condition?
I used to be a really fit avid distance runner. It was definitely beneficial to my mental health. I ended up breaking my sacrum, not related to running and also going through some hard times. I don’t know why I can’t get back at it even though it was some thing I could never live without before. Any advice? Maybe I feel I’m so far from where I used to be it feels unsurmountable
Why not try something gentle and mindful like yoga, Tai chi or qi gong. I have done them all for years but qi gong is my favourite. The movements are flowing and circular and feel very natural while exercising all your muscles and joints and improving body awareness. The eight brocades is a great daily routine. Take a look at Mimi Kuo Deemer's UA-cam channel, she's lovely
@@mbolden393 thank you. I will give it a try.
Really helpful, thank you!
accept the things you can not change
Somatic healing. Stress and trauma and held on our bodies. Disregulation is a physical symptom. It causes depression.
This sounds like just what I need. Thank you!
i have trouble motivating to goto the gym. you should start à networking system of depressed ppl who need workout buddies or a support system for getting to and working out.
this would probably go over well in manhattan.
I walk all day at work. No difference. And my body hurts all the time. I'm also tired all the time.
No no, exercise works ONLY IF the patient CAN get up and exercise. Chronically ill people cannot go on long walks for a couple of weeks and be all better. Depression may be so debilitating the patient cannot engage in the activities that would improve their condition. That’s a huge problem.
Many people with serious depression cannot leave their bed and take a shower, let alone go do some cardio. The tremendous advantage of medication is that it can jump start you. It will get you well enough to be able to do all the things you need to do for your recovery.
Exercise will work for people with milder symptoms, seasonal depression, or depression followed by a traumatic life event. People whose condition is persistent over the years and has a physiological basis, need meds, no way around it.
It’s important to always discuss the spectrum of any mental illnesses when exploring treatments. Depression runs on a spectrum wide as the sky, it’s essential to point out what treatment matches which area.
Yes, I couldn’t function until I got on the right meds, just cry when I don’t get them😊
I find that bumpin music makes a nice diff in the benefit I get from workouts. Dance workouts, even better