i know it's possible to become addicted to the adrenaline rush from exercising, but i think my problem is different.. i feel depressed whenever i don't exercise regularly. like actual depression. i need to exercise just to feel normal. i dont have anything against exercising, and i do like it, but normally i dont have time for it. is there anything i can do to not be depressed without exercising?
2007-06-28 15:13:13 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
yes it is an addiction, not only to adrenaline but to the exercising itself.....i know someone with this issue and she had to go on anti-depressants....it took several months for her to find the right medication but once she found it she was a lot better....but it is amazing bcuz you sound just like her...she used to exercise for hours a day but yet she needed to put weight on and not loose it..and she was very depressed if she didn't exercise all the time.....you should also talk to a counselor about it too, you may have issues that you are not even aware of that are causing your addiction.....good luck honey
2007-06-28 15:19:27 · answer #1 · answered by babygurl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Then make time! Walk briskly, in your lunch break, (it only take a few minutes to eat a sandwich, and some fruit; sometimes I even eat as I walk, if time is short) and use stairs (if safe). Get a treadmill/exercise machine and watch TV, listen to music, or call people, as you are doing this; also use hand weights. Practise daily, and when needed, one of the relaxation methods at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris I do this in the mornings, waiting for the coffee to take effect, afternoons, as I exercise, evenings, after putting in a solid day, to unwind, and in bed, after lights out at night, to drop off to sleep. MULTITASK!
2007-06-28 15:33:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Exercise creates natural morphine-like substances called "endorphins" (an abbreviation for endogenous morphine-like substances). Someone who exercises compulsively can get "hooked" just like you can get hooked on morphine. Those periods of depression are psychologically and chemically similar to withdrawal. As is the case for any kind of withdrawal, you have to give your body time to get used to not having its regular "fix." Antidepressants can sometimes be helpful. As far as addictions go, exercise addiction isn't the worst thing that can happen to you. I wish I could get "hooked".
2007-06-28 15:29:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You're describing something quite typical for any addiction. If it's truly depression you're feeling, you need to get professional help. If not, you need to prioritize exercise so that there's a balance in your life where you don't feel that you can only be happy when you're exercising.
2007-06-28 15:24:17 · answer #4 · answered by Stephen L 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
See a doctor about your depression, Zoloft will help you with your depression and make you feel energetic. Problem solved.
2007-06-28 15:16:04 · answer #5 · answered by LIL MAMA 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋