EXERCISE
We are continuously reminded about how exercise and being fit is important and has a huge impact on our health and mental well-being. It releases chemicals in our brain called endorphins, which make us feel better. Exercise not only improves your mood, but also helps you sleep and eat better.
My primary research that included interviews with patients of Dysthymia shows that exercise was a great way for them to channelize their energy.
"Yes since the medication wasn't helping, my weight issues sort of motivated me to get better. I was feeling extremely low about my self esteem so my mom motivated me to start taking dance classes. I also started doing drama which somehow made me forget my own problems and helped me channelise all my negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I think being active and involving myself in physical activities was the game changer. It worked like magic for me."
"Yes since the medication wasn't helping, my weight issues sort of motivated me to get better. I was feeling extremely low about my self-esteem so my mom motivated me to start taking dance classes. I also started doing drama which somehow made me forget my own problems and helped me channelize all my negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I think being active and involving myself in physical activities was the game changer. It worked like magic for me."
According to the NHS website, in an article on exercise, Dr. Alan Cohen, a mental health GP mentions that
He talks about how exercise makes you feel in control of yourself.
I think this is important for patients with Dysthymia as they feel lost and need perspective in their lives. Exercise could help them find a purpose and increase their self-esteem and confidence.
"Exercise gives them back control of their bodies and this is often the first step to feeling in control of other events" (NHS Choices, 2014)
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CASE STUDY
EXPERIMENT BY JAMES CLEAR
James Clear is a neuroscientist at Duke University who specializes in Depression.
He carried out an experiment on 156 adults with mild/moderate cases of depression. The experiment was published in the Journal of Bio behavioral Medicine.
EXPERIMENT:
The experiment was carried out over a 4-month period.
In the experiment patients were divided into three groups
Group 1: This was the medication only group where patients were prescribed anti-depressants and other medication.
Group 2: This was the medication and exercise group where patients were prescribed medication and also asked to exercise for 45 minutes every day.
Group 3: This was the exercise only group where patients were asked to exercise for 45 minutes each day and not prescribed any medication.
RESULTS:
After the 4-month period researchers found that all three groups had equally successful results in terms of its effectiveness on the patients who did recover.
However when patients were checked upon 6 months later, researchers found these results
Group 1: 38% patients relapsed into depression (medication only)
Group 2: 31 % patients relapsed into depression (medication and exercise)
Group 3: Only 8 % patients relapsed into depression (exercise only)
The results show that 85 % patients from group 3 that remained active and continued to excercise were relieved from depression without the use of any medication just over the course of 6 months. (Clear, n.d.)
The researchers had this to say
"One of the positive psychological benefits of systematic exercise is the development of a sense of personal mastery and positive self–regard, which we believe is likely to play some role in the depression–reducing effects of exercise. " (Clear, n.d.)
I think this proves how impactful exercise can be in order to improve mental health. It helps you become a better person and motivates you to prove yourself. It is a great substitute for medication and highly reduces chances of a relapse if you are regular.
The patients who recovered had this to say
"Instead of incorporating the belief I was dedicated and worked hard with the exercise program; it wasn’t easy, but I beat this depression, patients might incorporate the belief that “I took an antidepressant and got better.” (Clear, n.d.)
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This shows that the patient wanted to prove himself and exercise was a great motivating factor.
This experiment shows that being healthy and active can have a positive impact on our minds. For patients with Dysthymia, exercise can be done in different forms. It is important to do something that we enjoy since it will make us feel more capable and competent. It can be difficult to make an effort to exercise when a person is low, but exercising and being active can help in uplifting your mood and help you connect with other groups of people hence reducing feelings of loneliness.