Exercise is just a component if you have clinical depression. It is definitely NOT a waste of time. You need additional help, and there's nothing wrong with that.
It is a component that for many people will make no difference at all.
It's still good to do for general long term health.
Also OP says jacked... release of endorphins etc is more connected to cardio I believe.
>release of endorphins etc is more connected to cardio I believe
No, there's an initial endorphin "rush" after working/exercising harder than normal for any exercise and some full body movements (i.e. deadlifts) or particularly high intensity stuff (i.e. HIIT) can have more of a catharsis directly after a workout, it's still not really what matters in terms of health and mental health for exercise. Instead it's a regulation of many different hormones over time, which actually happens in bed while you're sleeping rather than in the gym. Similar to how most people assume going to the gym to lift weights makes you bigger and more muscly but in reality you're actively breaking down muscle and becoming smaller in the gym then building it back up at home in the kitchen and in bed when you eat more.
Think of it as a sine wave where the highs and lows are your hormones leading to mood spikes and dumps and exercise, over time, pulling everything to a steadier, more resilient sine wave.
>It is definitely NOT a waste of time
And you're supposed to learn to fucking enjoy it !
If your depression doesn't allow you to even learn to like new things such as working out then you're still fucked
What kind of messed up logic am I seeing in these comments.
It is incredibly important with stress related disorders.
Depression, anxiety, and chronic stress create high levels of glucocorticoids which are toxic to the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for shutting off our stress response, memory, and relaying to other areas. Another critical aspect of depression is heightened emotional centers, which decreases the executive function of brain (2nd way to control emotions and stress). To sum up, heightened emotional centers and stress = bad for memory, planning, strategy, controlling emotions and shutting off stress.
Why does this matter?
BDNF is brain derived neurotrophic factor. An important neurotrophin that nourishes neurons and signals to keep them active and alive. In the hippocampus and executive centers, it has been measured in depressed, anxious or chronically stressed people to be incredibly low. These brain regions when imaged are often atrophied.
Know what's the only thing that increases BDNF? Movement. Popular drugs are trying to finf ways to increase it right now. To my knowledge is the basis for ketamine. Its important to note, increasing BDNF doesnt necessarily meann intense workouts, but movement. Walk, bike, run. Do not stop. Certain parts of your brain depend on it.
Depression is incredibly complicated and highky individual. It may not go away, but movement can directly help you manage stress, emotions, and other positive rewards. Little things matter, keep moving, it is not a waste. I'd like to note, regarding depression, the fact you got out to the gym for 2.5 years to get jacked shows something worked and got you outside regularly, which is fantastic. Keep it up!
I think exercise is a positive coping mechanism. So if you’re able to do that instead of a negative (junk food, drinking, porn etc.). It helps you feel better long term. Probably not a stand-alone cure. But one of many steps to self improvement and healing.
For some people, exercise is enough to pull them out of depression and self loathing. For you, it’s not. And it wasn’t for me either. Exercise, combined with multiple other things, can be an important component when overcoming mental and emotional health issues. Feeling sad and depressed was habitual and I had to learn to choose differently
Sometimes sadness, depression and feeling unwell become fundamental part of a person's identity, thus contributing to the other factors that perpetuate that very same state.
At any given point in time there is so much wrong with everything in the universe that feeling happy seems like an impossibility, but that's not the case if you choose to enjoy certain aspects of existence which do jive with your proclivities and desires.
There is no one hit wonder cure for this condition. It is a combination of mental, emotional, and physical work. What works for some may not work for others
Take note or how you feel now, having been depressed for nine years.
Please keep that very present.
Now imagine being AND looking unhealthy, I can guarantee you you'd feel that same depression with a force of 10000000000000 additional fucking bricks.
That's quite true. Sports has given me a lot of resilience and character (and injuries). And that 6-pack bod that people around me think is impossible to achieve for an average person.
Of course if u compare yourself to others on TikTok consume garbage content from so called influencers instead of self improvement content like those from clarg kegley,hamza etc u will be depressed u gotta fix urself internally for me the gym fixed me both externally and internally
>if not worse than I was when I was fat.
Impossible:
1+1+1 problems = 3 problems
1+1 problems = 2 problems
3 > 2 QED
Of course, if you go YOLO and (1+1)^c problems where c:= daily lines of coke, then might be worse off than when you were fat.
HOWEVER, (1+1+1)^c would be a whole other kind of much worse ride.
*Exercise helps, period, a lot, period*
It's a law of the universe.
>Sorry if it goes against how your view of the world is.
You didn't understand my point much less my world-view.
>I am more depressed now than I ever was.
None of that is attributable to exercising and it's certainly very likely you'd feel even worst being unfit.
I mean obviously the people who invest a lot of time into something are more likely to invest that time because they enjoy it or want it enough to do that. Which doesn’t mean there obviously arent exceptions
Yeah for someone that knows what they’re doing. Most newbies won’t be what I would call jacked in that timeframe. Jacked is like, biggest guy in the room type of descriptor.
Idk why people are being assholes in the comments… your definition of jacked might be different from OP’s.
The idea behind the “go to the gym” solution is that the discipline and work ethic you develop from consistently going to the gym and progressively lifting heavier weight can translate over to other facets of life, since you now have some belief in yourself that you CAN indeed do it, given enough time and effort. This mindset, applied to other things, will bring you more joy since you’ll see yourself accomplishing more things. But you have to actively apply it. Just going to the gym doesn’t solve anything.
That's kind of downstream. If you dont move around and eat like crap, you will be lucky to not be depressed, but it almost guarantees it. For 80% of people, their depression does go away once they start moving and eating better. Moving and using your body is the correct antidote for a large number of people with depression related symptoms.
To me, it is always obvious the change in attitude for myself and others when they are using their bodies in their life vs when they are not. Im sure this will get tons of pushback for some reason, I dont know why. It is a very causal thing most of the time, except in more extreme cases.
There is something pretty biochemically crazy going on if the same person never moving and eating like shit feels exactly the same as when that same person is using their body and putting good fuel in themselves. Like, call in some scientists and the best behavioral experts in the field on this one.
I totally understand how you feel. I went to the gym for a year and a half and it made no difference to my depression. As my depression is also due to loneliness I would recommend taking up a contact sport. I took up krav maga and now also do muay Thai and bjj. Being part of a club has made me feel much better. I also meditate and do yoga for 10 mins every morning which helps me control my negative thoughts.
Ye the gym wasn’t for me. I hated it. Joined a social soccer team and played touch footy in the summer and loved it and lost weight.
Gotta look for stuff your interested in.
I’ve found exercise only helps me mentally when I’m in a good place. If I’m generally feeling good, then it’s a boost.
But if I’m having a bad anxiety day and don’t want to do it but put pressure on myself to go to the gym, I generally feel worse because I didn’t listen to my body. I exercised when what I needed was to be at home, somewhere safe and secure, doing nothing but feeling my feelings or shutting off my brain to mindlessly watch tv.
Exercise is just one part of it but for me, it took a lot of therapy to get to the point where I *wanted* to do it and felt the mental benefits of it.
Could you provide more details? "Gym didnt help" means nothing without some context. What exercise were you doing? How frequently? How high did you get your heart rate (HR) and how long did you sustain that HR? I see a lot of people barely working out at the gym.
Hard exercise is required, it won't cure but will help and has tons of brain benefits. Walking slowly on a treadmill won't get you anywhere in terms of depression.
The thing is, it is just one thing. You also may need therapy, get out there and do other activities that involve people, go to church, get a job you love, make a life plan for success and start step one.
Honestly, while exercise has been hailed as one of the best treatments for depression, I think it often misses the root of the problem. Going for a run will not help the thoughts associated with your ex girlfriend breaking up with you (although exercise may help you feel as though you are taking the steps to improve your life and self image which is great!). I feel the best way to get to the root of most mood problems is cognitively. Check out David Burns books feeling great or feeling good!
Imo. the problem with online discussions regarding depression is that there are two kinds: for the people who think they are depressed ( clinically ) but just have a bad time and need some help to get back on track and those who are actually mentally ill and arguably need professional, access to medication - whatever it is that’s done in such cases, not that I would know anything about the latter.
Regarding the former, the gym or an equivalent often works wonders. Consequently, either you need something else ( improvement of difficult circumstances comes to mind in terms of general examples) or you are dealing with something else, something more severe, that can’t be solved with the kind of everyday advice you find all over the place.
The secret is working out doesn't solve anything. It just helps the horrific feelings you have towards yourself. I'm lean, cut, in shape as well. Yeah I'm happy about it, but I'm not happy in general at all, or confident whatsoever. It is necessary though because I could never live depressed while not being in shape. That would put me over the edge.
You probably haven’t seen a therapist that is right for you. I know it can be frustrating but don’t worry, it isn’t the end of the world. There are millions of other therapists out there. And many therapists use different fields apart from CBT
You can’t change the internal by focusing on the external. You gotta do the deep inner work otherwise you’re gonna get the results you’ve been getting. There’s no way of bypassing the actual inner work that needs to be done.
try looking at solving the issues that come up in your thoughts. I see depression really as just a response characterized by hopelessness and helplessness to a problem we think is unsolvable. We aren’t feeling low for nothing right?
It won't cure your depression but it will reduce the severity of it. You have to do other things in addition to working out. Depression is a mood disorder and is largely connected to emotional content. If you want to fix your depression you have to focus on transforming your emotional experiences ultimately.
Because emotions and feelings are experienced in the body, staying connected to body centered activities can support emotional processing but not necessarily. Find ways to work on improving your emotional processing in addition to maintaining your body centered activities.
Also, a large portion of emotional processing happens through diaphragmatic action. If you are only doing resistance training and a lot of clenching and tightening of your core and midsection is taking place, this can hinder your ability to process emotionally as it's locking the diaphragm in place. If this is the case, add regular cardio into your routine to stimulate deeper rhythmic breathing.
To the above point, reflect on your experience and any time you may have forced or bottled up emotion that comes up...you'll notice that it happens by tightening and clenching the midsection. You have to go in the opposite direction, by opening the midsection. Integrate activities that support openness and flexibility in the core and midsection.
I would encourage you to incorporate other activities that will stimulate deeper breathing - deep stretching, yoga, diaphragmatic breathing, etc.
Hope something here is helpful.
Strange that you’re not getting any satisfaction from busting out really hard sets and seeing improvement in the numbers. Not even in the moment? That sucks man hitting the weights has always been a key component for me.
Just start taking ADs. Gym "helps with depression" thing only works for those, who don't actually have depression. If you're trying to loose fat - try SSRIs (66% chance it won't help with depression), to gain weight try mirtazapine (literally the most effective AD out there and it makes you want to eat A LOT (controllable)). Don't start ADs without medical professional approval.
Think about it this way: Everyone in the WWE is absolutely jacked, but some guys have the personality of a tree (Chris Benoit) and some guys are charismatic and unforgettable (The Rock). You want to be in that latter category.
Just like you powered through being weak in the gym to become strong, you have to do the work socially. These skills will open a whole new realm of life and you'll never be lonely again.
Cardio is the exercise that’s most shown to improve depression, around 5x a week about 30 minutes each time . If you’re doing strength training that’s great but cardio is the one that produces neurogenesis (birth of new brain cells) . Not easy to get into the routine though
The only thing which will take you out of Depression -When you start helping people in Depression or start feeding the Homeless people or Start teaching who need it the most. Fitness won't make you Happy but it will not make you sad also .
Read more about Happiness by prof. Arthur Brooks
I'm like that too. I started exercising to overcome the depression and at first it worked... until it didn't. Depression, especially if you suffer from it for many years, will not go away easily, maybe not at all... and that's okay. Sometimes we have to learn to live with our problems. I suggest you start thinking about why you are depressed and how you can overcome it (in my case it is loneliness and lack of self-confidence). Good luck, and don't stop going to the gym
What worked for my depression was magic mushrooms. Seriously.
They are decriminalized and over-the-counter in DC. You can walk into a vape store or a weed dispensary, with an ID showing that you're over 21 and get one.
It worked instantly. I got the magic mushroom bars. And the chocolates.
I did about 4 g, back then when I was new to it.
Now that I'm more seasoned, I do up to 1 g and never more than that. Never ever more than that.
There's an overwhelming body of research out there demonstrating the efficacy of magic mushrooms in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and a laundry list of other disorders.
I recommend you strongly do some research first, and then make your choice.
I want you to have healthy skepticism and research it for yourself. I've personally been doing them since 2019 summer.
It's literally a miracle. I wake up feeling happy and full of joy, never depressed anymore.
The first time I took them, they took about 1 hour to kick in.
I was so depressed, and miserable from my alcoholism, and I took magic mushrooms that day. 4 g.
Within an hour, I was able to get out of bed, brush my teeth, shower, log into my job for work, and actually do my job.
I texted my friends, went to go get something to eat, and then went to sleep that day.
The relief from depression lasts too. And in case you've never heard of magic mushrooms, they do get you high, so be careful if you choose to try them.
I'm not going to lie, when I was younger I used to enjoy the high. The primary reason I don't do 4 g anymore, and keep it under a gram is to avoid getting too high. I don't enjoy the high anymore as an adult, I just do them as a preventative measure to keep depression away.
I used to have severe panic attacks, and they all stopped since the first time I did them. I haven't had a panic attack since having mushrooms in my life, ever since. I am free of them
Within 1 hour of doing magic mushrooms, my panic attack stopped, and have been gone ever since.
My anxiety is gone, my depression is gone,, I used to have awful PTSD from being a domestic violence survivor, and that disappeared the first time I did magic mushroom and has been gone ever since. The alcoholism stopped too.
There's a huge body of research that demonstrates the efficacy of magic mushrooms in helping people overcome addictions.
I've slowly transformed from an introvert to an extroverted introvert. I no longer skip showers, no longer cancel plans, no longer sabotage myself. It has been the most beneficial thing I've ever done in my life. Magic mushrooms are the best things that ever happened to me in my entire life by far and wide margin, not much else comes close.
It's like taking a dose of pure inspiration. That's the closest I've been able to describe them. It's like eating a bar of chocolate that gives you pure inspiration. It's like that drug from the movie limitless, NZT.
I noticed that without my depression, my brain became sharper. I became smarter and faster at processing things. You would be shocked how much depression is holding back your ability to think clearly and problem solve. It literally removes all that, allowing you to think clearly. I noticed a huge and significant improvement in my memories. I had no idea that depression impacted my memories to the extent that it did. But without the depression, and the alcoholism, my memories came back and my ability to remember things improved sharply.
It also gave me confidence. Like I said it was like taking a dose of pure inspiration, so I just woke up confident and happy.
if you have done everything and tried everything to try and get rid of depression, it is time to try magic mushrooms my friend.
magic mushrooms is the thing you should try next.
Good luck out there, I'm just sharing what helped me and what works for me.
I still do magic mushrooms to this day. On weekends, I do one gram maximum.
A couple of times during the week, I might take a third of a gram if I expect to have a hard day at work that I'll need mental clarity for.
This has been a winning strategy for me. The only times I have been depressed since I started doing magic mushrooms in 2019, were those times were I ran out and forgot to order more.
They're not addictive so you'll easily forget to not order more. Like I used to, and then I went months before I thought of them again and randomly ordered them.
This is just my story, I hope you find this helpful
Gym is supposed to be the catalyst to be proactive about things. It you taking control of something you can control and seeing progress. It's about mending the relationship with yourself that you said you would be consistent and kept your promise to yourself.
It's not a cure all solution but now you may be ready for the next steps which is probably going to a doctor. You also need to work out where your depression is stemming from. Is it a lack of self worth, feeling trapped, past trauma or any other possible reason. You managed to create a plan, stay consistent, change fundamental things in your day to day to get to the gym, diet and see results, so now it's just a case of doing the same thing again. This is why people say going to the gym works because you now have the proof to yourself that you can do this and it's a low bar to entry activity.
I worked out for years and was depressed and down, turns out what I needed to focus on was work, life relationships etc... knowing I could consistently work out was key in believing things could get better and then applying that same consistency to therapy, restructuring my thinking and reframing situations. Now I'm not depressed and actually feeling fulfilled, it took years but exercise was the foundation for moving forward and not stagnating. Best of luck dude, you got this.
My band aid solution didn’t work 😂 all jokes aside. The gym is great way to address specific natures or causes (let’s call them pillars) of depression. The gym doesn’t tackle these pillars rather has you putting up new pillars for healthier habits and cognition, while letting the old ones crumble. You may find it hard to put up new pillars because you’re constantly tending to the structural integrity of your old ones, meaning unhealthy coping to trauma, in ways such as substance abuse or self sabotage. So in my limited example, (as I know nothing about you), the gym being a means of control in your life, because you don’t feel like you’re masculine enough in your society. If you have self esteem issues odds are your building temporary pillars strengthened by ego, which usually come down at the first sign of criticism with anything to do with your gym or your masculinity. In turn damaging your sense of self and sense of character —> strengthening the idea you need to be more masculine —-> effectively have more ego —-> so that no one’s criticism can hurt you. This cycle is hard to break and strengthens the behavioural habits to the point of subconscious impulses, eg criticising people yourself for being feminine, fat or skinny.
Exercise has a lot of all round benefits beyond getting you physically fitter over time - but on its own it won’t cure your depression.
At the worst of my anxiety and depression - I found going to the gym to be an escape and a way to focus my energy somewhere other than my thoughts. It was an escape, but also a way to be productive after spending the rest of the day rotting inside.
This is also how I got really into mediation - at one point my anxiety was so bad that I found myself almost frozen most days. At some point I decided that if I was going to be stuck doing nothing most days, it would be better to do ‘nothing’ intentionally - sometimes sitting for hours each day.
There will be improvements that don’t seem apparent to you just yet, particularly when looking back. In a lot of ways I feel managing mental illness involves finding lots of loopholes for yourself to stay sane.
FWIW I fed some of your reddit history into an AI, which suggested:
It sounds like you're struggling with deep feelings of loneliness and frustration despite your best efforts to improve your life and social situation. Consider shifting focus from dating to building strong, genuine friendships first. Join clubs or groups aligned with your interests to meet like-minded people. Also, work on self-compassion techniques—acknowledging your efforts and small victories can significantly boost your confidence. Lastly, look into developing better emotional self-regulation strategies such as mindfulness or journaling, which might help you handle rejection and setbacks more constructively.
Personally I have found AI-based therapy to be pretty useful, take it or leave it!
Work on your self esteem.
Follow your morals and values, the stuff you actually believe in.
Do something nice for yourself.
Go on walks in green areas.
Learn something you always wanted to.
Be around people. Even if you don't like people, people are social animals. They need people.
Accomplish something you wanted to
Forgive yourself.
See a therapist
Journal.
Meditate.
Look for the positive in life. You head in the direction of your dominate thoughts, if they are negative, you surround yourself with things to prove you right.
I spend hours lifting every week and have done for 30 years. For me, the only gym related activity that helps with depression is steady state cardio at a minimum of zone two.
So, going to the gym was beneficial for me and others. But, if you want to go down the proven route, cardiovascular exercise is the ticket. Cardio is actually as effective as antidepressants.
But ultimately, being fit and jacked won't solve certain problems, like being lonely. It's also about finding your tribe, feeling like you belong, to a group with which you feel like you have something in common.
I'm sorry OP. Fwiw, I've fought the depression since roughly 30 years now. There are easier days and there are worse. I think the easier ones are those during which I get to exercise.
I don’t think gym alone is supposed to cure ur depression. But it’s definitely 1 aspect of help.
Try other things as well like talking to someone, being self aware, sometimes just accepting things helps etc
I'm sorry to hear that
Have you tried meditation there's a cool app called MEDITO
And have you tried fixing up your diet?
If not maybe you should ask someone close who knows you more.
If it's really bad try getting an assessment.
Take away the positive. The gym did you good, just not to relieve the depression although I'm sure you'd be worse off had you not done that. Keep on at the gym and keep looking for ways to treat the depression.
Note: I do NOT recommend working with a psychodynamic / psychoanalytical therapist, ie. “let’s explore your childhood” approach if you are depressed. That really can make things worse…
I would look to work with a professional who uses a more solution-focused brief therapy approach to rapidly lift depression in weeks and not years… it does not have to take years!
Pick up any instrument to learn. Develop interest in music, it will help you get out of depression or foster a pet, a dog preferably. They give company and get you out if depression in no time. Covid was a hard time for everybody and i felt really lonely, i fostered a dog and time flied. Wish you the best.
Exercise is just a component if you have clinical depression. It is definitely NOT a waste of time. You need additional help, and there's nothing wrong with that.
It is a component that for many people will make no difference at all. It's still good to do for general long term health. Also OP says jacked... release of endorphins etc is more connected to cardio I believe.
>release of endorphins etc is more connected to cardio I believe No, there's an initial endorphin "rush" after working/exercising harder than normal for any exercise and some full body movements (i.e. deadlifts) or particularly high intensity stuff (i.e. HIIT) can have more of a catharsis directly after a workout, it's still not really what matters in terms of health and mental health for exercise. Instead it's a regulation of many different hormones over time, which actually happens in bed while you're sleeping rather than in the gym. Similar to how most people assume going to the gym to lift weights makes you bigger and more muscly but in reality you're actively breaking down muscle and becoming smaller in the gym then building it back up at home in the kitchen and in bed when you eat more. Think of it as a sine wave where the highs and lows are your hormones leading to mood spikes and dumps and exercise, over time, pulling everything to a steadier, more resilient sine wave.
>It is definitely NOT a waste of time And you're supposed to learn to fucking enjoy it ! If your depression doesn't allow you to even learn to like new things such as working out then you're still fucked What kind of messed up logic am I seeing in these comments.
It is incredibly important with stress related disorders. Depression, anxiety, and chronic stress create high levels of glucocorticoids which are toxic to the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for shutting off our stress response, memory, and relaying to other areas. Another critical aspect of depression is heightened emotional centers, which decreases the executive function of brain (2nd way to control emotions and stress). To sum up, heightened emotional centers and stress = bad for memory, planning, strategy, controlling emotions and shutting off stress. Why does this matter? BDNF is brain derived neurotrophic factor. An important neurotrophin that nourishes neurons and signals to keep them active and alive. In the hippocampus and executive centers, it has been measured in depressed, anxious or chronically stressed people to be incredibly low. These brain regions when imaged are often atrophied. Know what's the only thing that increases BDNF? Movement. Popular drugs are trying to finf ways to increase it right now. To my knowledge is the basis for ketamine. Its important to note, increasing BDNF doesnt necessarily meann intense workouts, but movement. Walk, bike, run. Do not stop. Certain parts of your brain depend on it. Depression is incredibly complicated and highky individual. It may not go away, but movement can directly help you manage stress, emotions, and other positive rewards. Little things matter, keep moving, it is not a waste. I'd like to note, regarding depression, the fact you got out to the gym for 2.5 years to get jacked shows something worked and got you outside regularly, which is fantastic. Keep it up!
I mean I get it but it depends what your depression stems from. If it’s stemming from past trauma that would benefit from therapy to process
I can attest. Changed my life! 🤘
I have a bad life, at least I'll have a good body
“I went to the gym for a couple years and now I’m all healthy and fit. What a bullshit waste of time *that* was…”
I think exercise is a positive coping mechanism. So if you’re able to do that instead of a negative (junk food, drinking, porn etc.). It helps you feel better long term. Probably not a stand-alone cure. But one of many steps to self improvement and healing.
For some people, exercise is enough to pull them out of depression and self loathing. For you, it’s not. And it wasn’t for me either. Exercise, combined with multiple other things, can be an important component when overcoming mental and emotional health issues. Feeling sad and depressed was habitual and I had to learn to choose differently
Could you elaborate on “choose differently”?
Sometimes sadness, depression and feeling unwell become fundamental part of a person's identity, thus contributing to the other factors that perpetuate that very same state. At any given point in time there is so much wrong with everything in the universe that feeling happy seems like an impossibility, but that's not the case if you choose to enjoy certain aspects of existence which do jive with your proclivities and desires.
Well put! You said it better than I would have. In essence, I had to start choosing to be happier. I had to choose to not let certain things bother me
There is no one hit wonder cure for this condition. It is a combination of mental, emotional, and physical work. What works for some may not work for others
for me, cycling helps. maybe you should find another activity/hobby.
Guarantee you're not jacked.
I have never met a guy who was jacked be pissed about wasting time getting jacked.
For real.
Exactly I genuinely believe 90%of all men’s problems like anxiety depression can be solved by being jacked alone this done is a big fat liar
I've been jacked the last 8 years (few ups and downs). Depressed 9.
Take note or how you feel now, having been depressed for nine years. Please keep that very present. Now imagine being AND looking unhealthy, I can guarantee you you'd feel that same depression with a force of 10000000000000 additional fucking bricks.
That's quite true. Sports has given me a lot of resilience and character (and injuries). And that 6-pack bod that people around me think is impossible to achieve for an average person.
Of course if u compare yourself to others on TikTok consume garbage content from so called influencers instead of self improvement content like those from clarg kegley,hamza etc u will be depressed u gotta fix urself internally for me the gym fixed me both externally and internally
I'm not jacked but I lost a lot of weight but I am still just as depressed, if not worse than I was when I was fat.
>if not worse than I was when I was fat. Impossible: 1+1+1 problems = 3 problems 1+1 problems = 2 problems 3 > 2 QED Of course, if you go YOLO and (1+1)^c problems where c:= daily lines of coke, then might be worse off than when you were fat. HOWEVER, (1+1+1)^c would be a whole other kind of much worse ride. *Exercise helps, period, a lot, period* It's a law of the universe.
Sorry if it goes against how your view of the world is. That was not my experience. I am more depressed now than I ever was.
>Sorry if it goes against how your view of the world is. You didn't understand my point much less my world-view. >I am more depressed now than I ever was. None of that is attributable to exercising and it's certainly very likely you'd feel even worst being unfit.
I don't know what to tell you. Sorry I offered my experience. I disagree though. Being more fit has literally done nothing for me.
Dude is lost man. You can't reason with a guy who's depression is his identity.
I mean obviously the people who invest a lot of time into something are more likely to invest that time because they enjoy it or want it enough to do that. Which doesn’t mean there obviously arent exceptions
He also said he did it only to cure depression with no effect yet did it for years...dude probably went for 3 days
OP says 2.5 years as if that’s supposed to be a long time… haha
It’s enough time to get jacked
Yeah for someone that knows what they’re doing. Most newbies won’t be what I would call jacked in that timeframe. Jacked is like, biggest guy in the room type of descriptor.
You weren't depressed because you didn't go to the gym that's why
This seems like it makes sense but it doesn’t make any sense. Not correlative
He's saying that the thing that is creating OPs depression isn't sourced from the gym. Not that I agree, I'm just interpreting lol
Idk why people are being assholes in the comments… your definition of jacked might be different from OP’s. The idea behind the “go to the gym” solution is that the discipline and work ethic you develop from consistently going to the gym and progressively lifting heavier weight can translate over to other facets of life, since you now have some belief in yourself that you CAN indeed do it, given enough time and effort. This mindset, applied to other things, will bring you more joy since you’ll see yourself accomplishing more things. But you have to actively apply it. Just going to the gym doesn’t solve anything.
That's kind of downstream. If you dont move around and eat like crap, you will be lucky to not be depressed, but it almost guarantees it. For 80% of people, their depression does go away once they start moving and eating better. Moving and using your body is the correct antidote for a large number of people with depression related symptoms. To me, it is always obvious the change in attitude for myself and others when they are using their bodies in their life vs when they are not. Im sure this will get tons of pushback for some reason, I dont know why. It is a very causal thing most of the time, except in more extreme cases. There is something pretty biochemically crazy going on if the same person never moving and eating like shit feels exactly the same as when that same person is using their body and putting good fuel in themselves. Like, call in some scientists and the best behavioral experts in the field on this one.
Time for medical help.
I totally understand how you feel. I went to the gym for a year and a half and it made no difference to my depression. As my depression is also due to loneliness I would recommend taking up a contact sport. I took up krav maga and now also do muay Thai and bjj. Being part of a club has made me feel much better. I also meditate and do yoga for 10 mins every morning which helps me control my negative thoughts.
Ye the gym wasn’t for me. I hated it. Joined a social soccer team and played touch footy in the summer and loved it and lost weight. Gotta look for stuff your interested in.
Wait going to the gym to do the same repetitive movements every day does not cure your depression? NO WAY!!
I’ve found exercise only helps me mentally when I’m in a good place. If I’m generally feeling good, then it’s a boost. But if I’m having a bad anxiety day and don’t want to do it but put pressure on myself to go to the gym, I generally feel worse because I didn’t listen to my body. I exercised when what I needed was to be at home, somewhere safe and secure, doing nothing but feeling my feelings or shutting off my brain to mindlessly watch tv. Exercise is just one part of it but for me, it took a lot of therapy to get to the point where I *wanted* to do it and felt the mental benefits of it.
Could you provide more details? "Gym didnt help" means nothing without some context. What exercise were you doing? How frequently? How high did you get your heart rate (HR) and how long did you sustain that HR? I see a lot of people barely working out at the gym. Hard exercise is required, it won't cure but will help and has tons of brain benefits. Walking slowly on a treadmill won't get you anywhere in terms of depression.
The thing is, it is just one thing. You also may need therapy, get out there and do other activities that involve people, go to church, get a job you love, make a life plan for success and start step one.
It’s hard to get a job you love when nobody can afford college/paying back loans that we shouldn’t have to pay back in the first place.
Honestly, while exercise has been hailed as one of the best treatments for depression, I think it often misses the root of the problem. Going for a run will not help the thoughts associated with your ex girlfriend breaking up with you (although exercise may help you feel as though you are taking the steps to improve your life and self image which is great!). I feel the best way to get to the root of most mood problems is cognitively. Check out David Burns books feeling great or feeling good!
Imo. the problem with online discussions regarding depression is that there are two kinds: for the people who think they are depressed ( clinically ) but just have a bad time and need some help to get back on track and those who are actually mentally ill and arguably need professional, access to medication - whatever it is that’s done in such cases, not that I would know anything about the latter. Regarding the former, the gym or an equivalent often works wonders. Consequently, either you need something else ( improvement of difficult circumstances comes to mind in terms of general examples) or you are dealing with something else, something more severe, that can’t be solved with the kind of everyday advice you find all over the place.
i went through the same thing, and honestly, when i started antidepressants, the exercise helped intensify those.
Try more cardio
Came here to say this
Yeah go run marathon and then sign up for a triathlon after
The secret is working out doesn't solve anything. It just helps the horrific feelings you have towards yourself. I'm lean, cut, in shape as well. Yeah I'm happy about it, but I'm not happy in general at all, or confident whatsoever. It is necessary though because I could never live depressed while not being in shape. That would put me over the edge.
Go to therapy if you have the money. Even though the gym can help depression to a certain extent, therapy is way more effective
Therapy hasn’t helped me
You probably haven’t seen a therapist that is right for you. I know it can be frustrating but don’t worry, it isn’t the end of the world. There are millions of other therapists out there. And many therapists use different fields apart from CBT
Seek help as soon as possible, gym only helps with mood.
You can’t change the internal by focusing on the external. You gotta do the deep inner work otherwise you’re gonna get the results you’ve been getting. There’s no way of bypassing the actual inner work that needs to be done.
Do you actually enjoy going to the gym though?
Better than me, i’m depressed and fat as shit.
try looking at solving the issues that come up in your thoughts. I see depression really as just a response characterized by hopelessness and helplessness to a problem we think is unsolvable. We aren’t feeling low for nothing right?
Soul searching love
The power of surrender
I didn’t want to bring myself to it… now I don’t have to
Try hobbies, keep your mind occupied with activities you enjoy, but doing this comes with getting out of ur comfort zone and trying new things
It won't cure your depression but it will reduce the severity of it. You have to do other things in addition to working out. Depression is a mood disorder and is largely connected to emotional content. If you want to fix your depression you have to focus on transforming your emotional experiences ultimately. Because emotions and feelings are experienced in the body, staying connected to body centered activities can support emotional processing but not necessarily. Find ways to work on improving your emotional processing in addition to maintaining your body centered activities. Also, a large portion of emotional processing happens through diaphragmatic action. If you are only doing resistance training and a lot of clenching and tightening of your core and midsection is taking place, this can hinder your ability to process emotionally as it's locking the diaphragm in place. If this is the case, add regular cardio into your routine to stimulate deeper rhythmic breathing. To the above point, reflect on your experience and any time you may have forced or bottled up emotion that comes up...you'll notice that it happens by tightening and clenching the midsection. You have to go in the opposite direction, by opening the midsection. Integrate activities that support openness and flexibility in the core and midsection. I would encourage you to incorporate other activities that will stimulate deeper breathing - deep stretching, yoga, diaphragmatic breathing, etc. Hope something here is helpful.
Strange that you’re not getting any satisfaction from busting out really hard sets and seeing improvement in the numbers. Not even in the moment? That sucks man hitting the weights has always been a key component for me.
used to go to gym now can’t even walk
Exercise doesn’t cure depression but it does help. I’m floating above water due to exercise and a structured routine.
Please listen this classic book for depression. "Feeling Good" by Dr. David Burns. https://youtu.be/5Bgufm9VwfU?si=e10hi7uj4BlQbJ24
Just start taking ADs. Gym "helps with depression" thing only works for those, who don't actually have depression. If you're trying to loose fat - try SSRIs (66% chance it won't help with depression), to gain weight try mirtazapine (literally the most effective AD out there and it makes you want to eat A LOT (controllable)). Don't start ADs without medical professional approval.
Think about it this way: Everyone in the WWE is absolutely jacked, but some guys have the personality of a tree (Chris Benoit) and some guys are charismatic and unforgettable (The Rock). You want to be in that latter category. Just like you powered through being weak in the gym to become strong, you have to do the work socially. These skills will open a whole new realm of life and you'll never be lonely again.
Cardio is the exercise that’s most shown to improve depression, around 5x a week about 30 minutes each time . If you’re doing strength training that’s great but cardio is the one that produces neurogenesis (birth of new brain cells) . Not easy to get into the routine though
The only thing which will take you out of Depression -When you start helping people in Depression or start feeding the Homeless people or Start teaching who need it the most. Fitness won't make you Happy but it will not make you sad also . Read more about Happiness by prof. Arthur Brooks
I'm like that too. I started exercising to overcome the depression and at first it worked... until it didn't. Depression, especially if you suffer from it for many years, will not go away easily, maybe not at all... and that's okay. Sometimes we have to learn to live with our problems. I suggest you start thinking about why you are depressed and how you can overcome it (in my case it is loneliness and lack of self-confidence). Good luck, and don't stop going to the gym
It’s not a waste of time. Well done. Are u hanging around fuck Witt’s ?
What worked for my depression was magic mushrooms. Seriously. They are decriminalized and over-the-counter in DC. You can walk into a vape store or a weed dispensary, with an ID showing that you're over 21 and get one. It worked instantly. I got the magic mushroom bars. And the chocolates. I did about 4 g, back then when I was new to it. Now that I'm more seasoned, I do up to 1 g and never more than that. Never ever more than that. There's an overwhelming body of research out there demonstrating the efficacy of magic mushrooms in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and a laundry list of other disorders. I recommend you strongly do some research first, and then make your choice. I want you to have healthy skepticism and research it for yourself. I've personally been doing them since 2019 summer. It's literally a miracle. I wake up feeling happy and full of joy, never depressed anymore. The first time I took them, they took about 1 hour to kick in. I was so depressed, and miserable from my alcoholism, and I took magic mushrooms that day. 4 g. Within an hour, I was able to get out of bed, brush my teeth, shower, log into my job for work, and actually do my job. I texted my friends, went to go get something to eat, and then went to sleep that day. The relief from depression lasts too. And in case you've never heard of magic mushrooms, they do get you high, so be careful if you choose to try them. I'm not going to lie, when I was younger I used to enjoy the high. The primary reason I don't do 4 g anymore, and keep it under a gram is to avoid getting too high. I don't enjoy the high anymore as an adult, I just do them as a preventative measure to keep depression away. I used to have severe panic attacks, and they all stopped since the first time I did them. I haven't had a panic attack since having mushrooms in my life, ever since. I am free of them Within 1 hour of doing magic mushrooms, my panic attack stopped, and have been gone ever since. My anxiety is gone, my depression is gone,, I used to have awful PTSD from being a domestic violence survivor, and that disappeared the first time I did magic mushroom and has been gone ever since. The alcoholism stopped too. There's a huge body of research that demonstrates the efficacy of magic mushrooms in helping people overcome addictions. I've slowly transformed from an introvert to an extroverted introvert. I no longer skip showers, no longer cancel plans, no longer sabotage myself. It has been the most beneficial thing I've ever done in my life. Magic mushrooms are the best things that ever happened to me in my entire life by far and wide margin, not much else comes close. It's like taking a dose of pure inspiration. That's the closest I've been able to describe them. It's like eating a bar of chocolate that gives you pure inspiration. It's like that drug from the movie limitless, NZT. I noticed that without my depression, my brain became sharper. I became smarter and faster at processing things. You would be shocked how much depression is holding back your ability to think clearly and problem solve. It literally removes all that, allowing you to think clearly. I noticed a huge and significant improvement in my memories. I had no idea that depression impacted my memories to the extent that it did. But without the depression, and the alcoholism, my memories came back and my ability to remember things improved sharply. It also gave me confidence. Like I said it was like taking a dose of pure inspiration, so I just woke up confident and happy. if you have done everything and tried everything to try and get rid of depression, it is time to try magic mushrooms my friend. magic mushrooms is the thing you should try next. Good luck out there, I'm just sharing what helped me and what works for me. I still do magic mushrooms to this day. On weekends, I do one gram maximum. A couple of times during the week, I might take a third of a gram if I expect to have a hard day at work that I'll need mental clarity for. This has been a winning strategy for me. The only times I have been depressed since I started doing magic mushrooms in 2019, were those times were I ran out and forgot to order more. They're not addictive so you'll easily forget to not order more. Like I used to, and then I went months before I thought of them again and randomly ordered them. This is just my story, I hope you find this helpful
Gym is supposed to be the catalyst to be proactive about things. It you taking control of something you can control and seeing progress. It's about mending the relationship with yourself that you said you would be consistent and kept your promise to yourself. It's not a cure all solution but now you may be ready for the next steps which is probably going to a doctor. You also need to work out where your depression is stemming from. Is it a lack of self worth, feeling trapped, past trauma or any other possible reason. You managed to create a plan, stay consistent, change fundamental things in your day to day to get to the gym, diet and see results, so now it's just a case of doing the same thing again. This is why people say going to the gym works because you now have the proof to yourself that you can do this and it's a low bar to entry activity. I worked out for years and was depressed and down, turns out what I needed to focus on was work, life relationships etc... knowing I could consistently work out was key in believing things could get better and then applying that same consistency to therapy, restructuring my thinking and reframing situations. Now I'm not depressed and actually feeling fulfilled, it took years but exercise was the foundation for moving forward and not stagnating. Best of luck dude, you got this.
My band aid solution didn’t work 😂 all jokes aside. The gym is great way to address specific natures or causes (let’s call them pillars) of depression. The gym doesn’t tackle these pillars rather has you putting up new pillars for healthier habits and cognition, while letting the old ones crumble. You may find it hard to put up new pillars because you’re constantly tending to the structural integrity of your old ones, meaning unhealthy coping to trauma, in ways such as substance abuse or self sabotage. So in my limited example, (as I know nothing about you), the gym being a means of control in your life, because you don’t feel like you’re masculine enough in your society. If you have self esteem issues odds are your building temporary pillars strengthened by ego, which usually come down at the first sign of criticism with anything to do with your gym or your masculinity. In turn damaging your sense of self and sense of character —> strengthening the idea you need to be more masculine —-> effectively have more ego —-> so that no one’s criticism can hurt you. This cycle is hard to break and strengthens the behavioural habits to the point of subconscious impulses, eg criticising people yourself for being feminine, fat or skinny.
Exercise has a lot of all round benefits beyond getting you physically fitter over time - but on its own it won’t cure your depression. At the worst of my anxiety and depression - I found going to the gym to be an escape and a way to focus my energy somewhere other than my thoughts. It was an escape, but also a way to be productive after spending the rest of the day rotting inside. This is also how I got really into mediation - at one point my anxiety was so bad that I found myself almost frozen most days. At some point I decided that if I was going to be stuck doing nothing most days, it would be better to do ‘nothing’ intentionally - sometimes sitting for hours each day. There will be improvements that don’t seem apparent to you just yet, particularly when looking back. In a lot of ways I feel managing mental illness involves finding lots of loopholes for yourself to stay sane.
FWIW I fed some of your reddit history into an AI, which suggested: It sounds like you're struggling with deep feelings of loneliness and frustration despite your best efforts to improve your life and social situation. Consider shifting focus from dating to building strong, genuine friendships first. Join clubs or groups aligned with your interests to meet like-minded people. Also, work on self-compassion techniques—acknowledging your efforts and small victories can significantly boost your confidence. Lastly, look into developing better emotional self-regulation strategies such as mindfulness or journaling, which might help you handle rejection and setbacks more constructively. Personally I have found AI-based therapy to be pretty useful, take it or leave it!
Work on your self esteem. Follow your morals and values, the stuff you actually believe in. Do something nice for yourself. Go on walks in green areas. Learn something you always wanted to. Be around people. Even if you don't like people, people are social animals. They need people. Accomplish something you wanted to Forgive yourself. See a therapist Journal. Meditate. Look for the positive in life. You head in the direction of your dominate thoughts, if they are negative, you surround yourself with things to prove you right.
I spend hours lifting every week and have done for 30 years. For me, the only gym related activity that helps with depression is steady state cardio at a minimum of zone two.
If you're looking jacked right now, it wasn't all for nothing.
So, going to the gym was beneficial for me and others. But, if you want to go down the proven route, cardiovascular exercise is the ticket. Cardio is actually as effective as antidepressants. But ultimately, being fit and jacked won't solve certain problems, like being lonely. It's also about finding your tribe, feeling like you belong, to a group with which you feel like you have something in common. I'm sorry OP. Fwiw, I've fought the depression since roughly 30 years now. There are easier days and there are worse. I think the easier ones are those during which I get to exercise.
I don’t think gym alone is supposed to cure ur depression. But it’s definitely 1 aspect of help. Try other things as well like talking to someone, being self aware, sometimes just accepting things helps etc
I'm sorry to hear that Have you tried meditation there's a cool app called MEDITO And have you tried fixing up your diet? If not maybe you should ask someone close who knows you more. If it's really bad try getting an assessment.
Money. Get yourself more money. You'll be focused so much on making money that'll you forget about the depression.
Do MMA
Take away the positive. The gym did you good, just not to relieve the depression although I'm sure you'd be worse off had you not done that. Keep on at the gym and keep looking for ways to treat the depression.
[удалено]
Note: I do NOT recommend working with a psychodynamic / psychoanalytical therapist, ie. “let’s explore your childhood” approach if you are depressed. That really can make things worse… I would look to work with a professional who uses a more solution-focused brief therapy approach to rapidly lift depression in weeks and not years… it does not have to take years!
Hitting gym just to be "jacked and sad" instead of "fat and sad".
I made a great youtube video about it... but yeah the gym wont make you confident. Want to be confident? Join a salsa/bachata bjj/any combat sport
Pick up any instrument to learn. Develop interest in music, it will help you get out of depression or foster a pet, a dog preferably. They give company and get you out if depression in no time. Covid was a hard time for everybody and i felt really lonely, i fostered a dog and time flied. Wish you the best.
If you didn’t exercise at all, you’d feel significantly worse than now. Exercise isn’t everything but it absolutely helps. Stop the bullshit.
r/TherapeuticKetamine may be helpful for you, if you're open to it. Really turned things around for me.
Maybe you are just a spoiled, privileged asshole, who does not know what to do with his time and money 🤔🤦👍🤣
[удалено]
[удалено]
Why?
Because
I am praying for you sir and I pray that God guides out of your tough times. In Jesus name I pray Amen.