Why do people think that just by excerising, watching a movie, reading its going to help with depression??

Question

Its funny to me when people on here ask for advice with depresssion and suicidal thoughts and some people just say oh just go for a run, read a book, or take on a new hobby or something or when people insult them and criticize them, and call them weak for feeling like......if you havent gone through depression you obviously have no idea what it feels like and no amount of excerise is going to change it because ive done that and it hasnt helped....its a problem that some go through for a period of time or even for years and if you havent gone through it should be very grateful just dont be ignorant and blame the person and tell them its their fault please....thank you---

Answer 1

Many people do not have experience with real depression but they know that excercise releases endorphins into the brain, chemicals that make you feel happy, and reading or watching a movie allow you to get your mind off of you and into a different story.

But if you want to kill yourself you need professional help and nothing from this page will help you.

Answer 2

Excuse me for blathering on - this is going to be a long post:

1) The ones who criticize have NEVER had depression. Kind of like someone who's never been sick seeing someone with a head cold and says, "Shake it off! (because you must be a hypochondriac)"

2) Those who offer exercise, TV, reading - they've read something somewhere and/or experienced LIGHT depression and heard and/or found that worked for them. Exercise endorphins may work for them because they may be "normal". (I have a theory that really depressed people do not produce those endorphins to any extent. Exercise actually depresses me!)

3) If you have MODERATE/"MEDIUM" depression, these things will "distract" you for the time you are watching the movie, etc. But the depression will come right back after that.

4) SEVERE depression is when you can't even be "distracted" from being depressed. Your "depression button" is on all the time. This will not go away on its own.

What make you depressed? Two ways to go:
**Situational** depression: Sometimes something happens that makes a person depressed. And later they can pull out of it on their own. If it runs over two weeks (I understand that is the generic time frame), you have to go in for medication and/or counseling. If it is caused by an event, talking about it can help. (I consider this to be somewhat like mourning. It takes time to get over the event.) Counseling may even show you how to not "take things so hard" (teach you how to cope better) if your coping skills with life are not that great.

**General ("clinical")** depression: This is when you start second-guessing yourself, saying, "My boss was abrupt with me - maybe that is why I am sad." "My dog spread the garbage from the garbage can all over the yard - maybe that is why I am sad." When you start having to LOOK for reasons why you might be sad - then you know it is really just general depression. There is NO reason for the depression. You just are depressed. For this, I don't believe counseling helps. (But hey, it can't hurt; might help.) Medication is the way to go.

Note: Medication will help MOST depressed people - but NOT everyone. (There is a tiny group that medications won't work on.) My advice is to try each kind (with your doctor, of course!) until you hit on one that works - or until you find that no medication works. Some people have to change medications every two years because the "good" one quit working for them.

Answer 3

I agree...I get depressed every now and then and I exercise about 4 times a week and it doesn't help at all. I just get in those real depressed moods sometimes and just get by the day and the next day I usually feel better. I don't know what I'd do if I felt it for long periods of time. Its beyond your control though...it definitely doesn't make you weak. All those people criticizing are some of the reasons why people feel depressed in the first place. So judgemental....

Answer 4

I find being active and keeping busy means that I don't think which helps immensly. When I am not thinking then no bad thoughts get into my head.

Exercising, reading or playing games helps to distract me though finding the motivation to start can be daunting.

Some days it really is not helpful. Today I tried to go for a walk, but felt really worn out, I didn't go far at all and I can normally walk for miles! Other days I have great difficulty concentrating on reading a book or cannot get into a game, tv or a film, even if its something I normally enjoy. On these occassions it does not help to make me feel better though it does keep my mind blank (i.e. helps me to escape and evade my thoughts and feelings).

One thing that can help a lot is to have somebody with you. It is nice to know that someone is there with you, they can talk and help to distract you, or even help you to cry (half of my problem is that I ignore the fact that I have emotions).

Answer 5

Excerise technicly can help. It makes your brain more active and that can help with the imbalence of chemicals. So can being around people more(not always though), but I do understand what you mean. Depression is often treated diffirently in society because it doesnt pertain to pysical things as much. I do belieive that the best people to help a person who is depressed are people who have been there before and understand what some of the things feel like.

Answer 6

I've been depressed for about a year and a half now. It's been the hardest battle of my LIFE. I mean, I'm 14, so whenever somebody tells me soemthing important, it goes right over the top of my head. So I found it out on my own.

I went on for a whole year and about 4 or 5 months continuing my life going down a hill. I was twelve when it started, then i was thirteen, and eh... a month or so ago, I really realised what was going on, so i didn't spend so much time with my friends and started working on my schoolwork. I recently turned 14, and I feel now that I have a baisic understanding of how it all works.

Daily, I now run for about 2 miles on my own or with my sister (it's a safer feeling, you know). I read for about 2 or 3 hours a day as well. I have a new hobby, I switch it up every so often when I get bored, it's scrapbooking this time. My dad and I have movie days together, we did yesterday actually. We watched action movies, commedies, and some hero/life-saving movies.

Running and exercising gives you endorphines and they can make you very happy. I always write down how I feel after a any run to convince myself to get out there and just do it anyways because a lot of the time, you just aren't in the mood due to stress. Reading takes your mind off of things. I've read 2 books now this summer. It's really relaxing and it feels good. I'm sure that you've picked up a book before and finished it. There were parts that made you laugh, cry, and excited. And when you're all done, you close the book feeling better for some odd reason. I chose scrapbooking as my hobby because I can look back at old photographs and see how I looked, if I was happy, or sad, to recall moments from my past when life was good and I was always smiling. It reminds me that life will go on no matter what. Watching movies also takes your mind off of things, they make you laugh, cry, and be excited, too. I mean, half of these movies are based off of books for people who are too lazy to read. Plus, it can involve interaction with other people who are happy, and that can help things.

Some of my friends were depressed at the time when we were the closest, but then I started to seperate from them and I found new friends, I switched schools last year and started over which was one of the best things that I did. Sure, it hurt to leave my whole past behind, but I have some of the best friends ever now and a few of them are depressed, but the group pulls us through together. But also, I only spend about 2 or 3 days a week with my friends so I can do everything else, especially family time. Because they always understand what's going on through my mind and are there for me.

Dear, I hope things go well for you. Like I said, I've been depressed for about a year and a half now but I am recovering. You need to find things that make YOU happy. Not that you haven't been patient, (don't forget how anxiety is a symptom of depression) but you have to keep working with it. You don't realise it now, but I'm sure that when you look back at when you first started, you will see that you are probably much happier. If I'm 14 and I can do it, then I know that you can do it because I'm sure you're older than me. I spent about 25 minutes writing this, so I sure hopes it makes a difference to you.

Best wishes.

Answer 7

Some people are just ignorant honey, They think if they tell you to do those things then it will take your mind off being depressed when in all actuallity it will not....If you are depressed I would suggest talking to someone that you can trust and whom loves you, or get you a journal and write everything down that is bothering you. I suffer from depression and when I write my true feelings finally come out and it can make me feel better(not everytime, just sometimes) You, yourself is gonna have to sit down and figure out for yourself why you are depressed like you are and what you can do to change that. But sometimes it does help to have a good friend who will listen to you and give you constructive criticism. Good Luck and may God Bless you.

Answer 8

Depending on the level of and cause of depression, all those things may help....maybe not take care of the cause, but treat some of the symptoms. The problem comes when people assume that there is a cure all for depression, and don't realize when you're crying all day on the couch for no reason, it's very hard to motivate yourself to do anything...least of all excersise, eat right, read, etc.

Answer 9

Because exercising, reading, running, and hobbies keep you busy; that keeps your mind off of your issues. Often times why people are depressed is because they do not keep their minds occupied and they think,,,and think....and think....and think...until they gathered so much negativity to where they think they cannot overcome their obstacles and give up. Then it leads to suicide. Those activities are things to do and when you do it you busy yourself and your concentrating on those things and your mind is off your troubles and hardship. Any kind of exercises releases endorphines and endorphines make you happy or feel better. I can agree if you don't try to better your life and mope around and just be pittiful you are doing it to yourself. There is always more to life. I'm not ignorant I used to be sad all the time. But if you stay strong and try to better yourself good things will happen.

Remember you think about sad things a lot because you allow it substitute it with hobbies. I know if I sat around and be sad all day I would be sad.

Answer 10

Most people liken lethargy and depression together, so if you break the lethargy, you break the depression. Thats why people always want a depressed person to "go for a run", as you said. Most people feel if you "get your mind off it", then you won't be depressed. I myself am a Buddhist, so I meditate often. Meditating helps me with depression, trying to delve to the core of what makes one feel a certain way.

One thing to try: Watch a movie that you haven't watched before. Do you realize that when you're interested in a movie (that you're watching), most people aren't thinking/ worrying about much else? Try it! Thats not to say that you can watch movies all day every day. Its just to show you that you aren't depressed 24 hours a day.