Keeping the “Black Dog” at Bay: Cycling and Depression.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

Cycling... the way i can disconnect from anything going on.

Antidepressant? maybe...

Meditation therapy? maybe...

Looks like im not the only one with up and downs here. Sucks... my bio rhythm chart is going down lately

These are tough times. Daily political hogwash and a pandemic that makes some(me) afraid to be around ANYBODY for any reason(=isolation)...

[retropean]

Fellow depression sufferer here. Great reads in this thread.

In high school I got introduced to antidepressant medicines, and the doctors never mentioned anything about fitness or health. I was spending most of my waking time in front of a computer and eating candy daily. Then one day I borrowed my Dad's bike for a spin and the rest is history.

The best things I've found to ease my depression and anxiety are to bike in the morning, lift weights in the evening, and eat properly in between. At least 8 hours of sleep, more is better. Limit social media. It's not foolproof and it helps to allow myself days where I'm going to be in a funk, but all said it's way better than where I started.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by joosttx

https://youtu.be/oUGy1-C7ahc

this gets the blues out of me and onto the dance floor.

I've never been much of a Led Zeppelin fan, but for me, today, this one wins the internet.

How old is the singer? Nine years old? Maybe? Good Lord, she can sing. Nothin' wrong with the bass or drums, either, especially given the muddy recording.

And I so, so, so, dig the little girl in the audience with her pink guitar.

Purely awesome.

[Alstra]

Cycling is a good way to get rid of negative feelings, I've been also practicing this when the times weren't the best. This makes you detach from all the problems for a short period of time, but unfortunately this is only a temporary solution, once you get home, your anxiety is already waiting for you. I have had hard times falling asleep because of this, the only thing which could help me was kratom https://kratommystic.com. I used it before going to bed, in order to relax and drive away all the bad thoughts from my head.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Alstra

Cycling is a good way to get rid of negative feelings, I've been also practicing this when the times weren't the best.

As others have mentioned (particularly Clean39) there is no substitute for actual therapy and counseling. That’s one of my top New Year’s resolutions.

That being said, in nearly a decade and a half as a personal trainer, I can safely state that the people (and clients) I know who are the most successful with fitness do it primarily for how movement makes them “feel” rather for how it makes them “look.”

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

As others have mentioned (particularly Clean39) there is no substitute for actual therapy and counseling. That’s one of my top New Year’s resolutions.

That being said, in nearly a decade and a half as a personal trainer, I can safely state that the people (and clients) I know who are the most successful with fitness do it primarily for how movement makes them “feel” rather for how it makes them “look.”

From a cultural perspective, it makes me happy to see the declining stigma around therapy. Who would have thought five years ago that we'd have Michael Phelps doing a commercial for online therapy on national TV nightly? I don't have any experience with that modality but I do find it encouraging that it exists....

https://www.betterhelp.com/

And while I'm at it:

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ - 1-800-273-8255

It's no fun to talk about but we lose too many friends, colleagues, and families each year not to.

[bking]

While I am fortunately one who only suffers from those normal periods of depression most all of us experience, 2008 through about 2010 with the collapse of the economy and my business was a period I can say with absolute certainty that the bicycle carried me through what would have been a prolonged period of much deeper despair. Out the door every morning at 4:30 where I found a couple of hours of absolute relief from all the crap that was coming my way later in the day, then looking forward to the next morning throughout that day would get me through that!
The bicycle is darn near a panacea, for me certainly.

One of the best books I've read in years on any subject really opened my eyes regarding depression and the brain, and I recommend it highly: The Noonday Demon https://www.amazon.com/s?k=noonday+d..._sb_ss_sc_1_11

[RWL2222]

Good thread. This is all definitely an issue for me and riding and wrenching help. I miss riding with other people my style and speed.

[kiwisimon]

good thread.

I've done drugs , prescribed and others, as well as counseling. The latter didn't do much for me, I should have found another.

Teh dog jumps on and off me and sometimes all it takes is a word to trigger him up. BUT he eventually gets off.

Be kind is my best advice and usually that begets a lightening of the load. I get more pleasure from helping others and that increases my self worth no end. So I often wave at other cyclists but usually say hello and when I see a guy that is struggling I'll offer a friendly word or mechanical help.

[OperaLover]

Thank you everyone for sharing. For all of us who live with depression it is always nice to know YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

[XXtwindad]

Kudos to John Fetterman for being up front about his depression: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/17/u...ss-stigma.html

For someone in his position, the admission couldn't have happened even a decade ago. This is NOT a political thread. I would extend kudos to any politician, regardless of their political persuasion who brought much needed attention to this affliction.

FACT: 1 in 4 Americans will suffer some form of depression in their lifetime.

FACT: During the Pandemic, middle-aged men were among the populations most affected by depression.

FACT: That describes many of us here. Myself included.

[bikeboy1]

I have found the bike to be very helpful not only for depression but for my Hypothyroid affliction. If I train in the morning it helps me avoid the brain fog that certainly follows in the pm and if I dont train in the am then I will suffer the rest of the pm until later dinner time unless I can squeeze in a nap. Also the winter is difficult as I cant get out on the bike as frequently but the trainer is the next best thing to combat depression and brain fog.
In my early years I used soft drugs and alcohol to deal with what I didnt know was depression and whats worse is all my sisters and brothers were alcoholics but most recovered from that. Drinking was not a trap that I fell into luckily enough.
I did some form of training all through the years but I did get tired of being tired from all the partying and drugs that exercise just became the best way to deal with everything and I am somewhat introverted so it was easy to spend time on my own training.

[Tz779]

Yes, I have/had (somewhat better now) severe clinical depression & anxiety; still struggle with anxiety. Depression got a bit better after my divorce (I did not talk to or be physical with my partner for *years*). Plus my ex was an alcoholic….I did not drink or do drugs. The only thing that got me out of bed was our daughter. I had to step up to care for *her* no matter my problem.

The hard part is following thru with an idea….I would decide I was going to go buy a book/magazine, only to turn around bc I would think “this will not make me happy.”

Its quite lonely.
-Robin

[bigbill]

I am thankful for cycling. I chose to retire from full time work last summer at 57. I was a Chief Engineer at a factory, and the stress was slowly killing me. They paid me a lot of money for the area, but after a while, that wasn't enough to keep me there. I am a retired naval officer, and my son graduated from college last May, so there was no reason to keep working. The new stress is the loss of income and the adjustment to spending habits. I make well more than the median income in pensions. It's just that I used to make so much more. After six months, I'm starting to relax a little because there is enough to live on and still do the things we want to do. Cycling is my outlet, we are in southern AZ this weekend, and I'm heading out shortly to ride. Tomorrow I'll hook up the trailer and head back home. I'm sure that while I've been gone, people have been on my lawn, and the clouds have gotten a little upity.

[XXtwindad]

Anyone who has ever sought out a personal therapist (without the benefit of a recommendation) knows that's it's like the worst dating experience ever. It's almost comical.

Case in point: when I began my "therapist serial dating" a while ago, I started off with a counselor whom I told my biggest issues was my loving but volatile relationship with my deceased Mother. I said that I really wanted to focus on coming to grips and healing from that relationship.

Half way through the session, the therapist looked at me and said "how would you characterize your relationship with your mother now?"

After a long pause, I looked at him and said "Well, we don't argue nearly as much now that she's dead."

The other big issue: cost. Therapists have seen an absolute boon in business since the start of the Pandemic. It's similar to the bike industry in the Spring of 2020. Except the boon never ended. I finally found a counselor I liked but he couldn't countenance the $125 fee we agreed on and finally offered to see me (remotely) every other week for a three month period of time.

I have more means than some people, but I'm not rich. I also undertstand that many therapists have exorbitant student loans to pay back and office rents to pay (if they're not training remotely). And they're definitely entitled to make a decent living. It's hard work. But still. The mental health industry is broken. It needs to be fixed.