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I wonder about the exercise thing. For the past few years, I've exercised fairly frequently. And, yet, I still struggle with feelings of loneliness and depres

I wonder about the exercise thing. For the past few years, I've exercised fairly frequently. And, yet, I still struggle with feelings of loneliness and depression. I think exercise helps a little but maybe less than people like to imagine. As you imply with your other points, you probably have to address loneliness on multiple fronts in order to have a lasting impact on it.

marnett 9y ago
There are a slew of research papers on the benefits of exercise for the clinically depressed, anxious, etc [1]. Most of the research boils down to the fact that, with enough rigor in the exercise regime (typically linked to one's heart rate passing a specific threshold), endorphins are released in the brain, providing a similar positive feeling as would morphine. Of course, exercise will not cure depression, or remove loneliness altogether. But, as I'm sure you know, battling depression is more about having a repertoire of daily habits that shift one's focus to the positive aspects of life. There is no silver bullet, and it truly is a daily effort to ensure positivity, and more importantly self-love, is reached. [1] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=endorphins+exercise+depression&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjErt_kgNbZAhUNiIMKHSlaAboQgQMIJzAA https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=endorphins+exercise+dep...
- davesque 9y ago
  I guess my main point was what you're saying: exercise will not cure depression. I think it's a behavior of people who are struggling with depression to constantly seek out a single answer to their problems. In that sense, I believe anything, no matter how beneficial on paper, can eventually be used as a fixation which feeds the depressive cycle. This has been my experience as I've struggled with depression in my life. Exercise is no exception to this pattern.

marnett 9y ago

There are a slew of research papers on the benefits of exercise for the clinically depressed, anxious, etc [1]. Most of the research boils down to the fact that, with enough rigor in the exercise regime (typically linked to one's heart rate passing a specific threshold), endorphins are released in the brain, providing a similar positive feeling as would morphine. Of course, exercise will not cure depression, or remove loneliness altogether. But, as I'm sure you know, battling depression is more about having a repertoire of daily habits that shift one's focus to the positive aspects of life. There is no silver bullet, and it truly is a daily effort to ensure positivity, and more importantly self-love, is reached. [1] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=endorphins+exercise+depression&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjErt_kgNbZAhUNiIMKHSlaAboQgQMIJzAA https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=endorphins+exercise+dep...

davesque 9y ago
I guess my main point was what you're saying: exercise will not cure depression. I think it's a behavior of people who are struggling with depression to constantly seek out a single answer to their problems. In that sense, I believe anything, no matter how beneficial on paper, can eventually be used as a fixation which feeds the depressive cycle. This has been my experience as I've struggled with depression in my life. Exercise is no exception to this pattern.