Has exercise helped?

[rubynoodles]

Hi everyone

Not sure if I have put this in the right section or not but here goes....

I have suffered with various phobias, anxieties, IBS and depression for several years now and have spent alot of money on alternative therapies trying to find a 'cure' none which have really worked for very long:weep:

However, I have never really exercised much (mainly cause I hate it!!) but have read frequently that it is very helpful in reducing symptoms.

So basically does anyone here exercise on a regular basis and has it helped??

I have just started at a local gym(scary as I have major social phobia) but am really hoping that it will help me.

Becky x

[JohnLuke300]

Hi Becky,

I also have a severe social phobia and used to suffer depression. It resulted in me becoming completely reclusive for 6 years. I was not receiving any help either financial (I was living off my life-savings) or medical and was beginning to feel suicidal. I had put on a lot of weight which had made things worse when I suddenly developed chest pains and breathing difficulties. I assumed that it was cholesterol because it usually happened when I ate fatty food. Because of my social phobia I was unable to seek medical help so I decided to dramatically reduce the fat from my diet. This worked for a while but over the next 4 to 5 months the fat stripped off me. I became very frail and underweight and my family became concerned that I was becoming anorexic. Out of desperation I sought medical help and was diagnosed with acute acid reflux. I was treated and within 2 weeks was able to eat food with fat content without any reaction. The problem was I started to put on weight very rapidly as the body will after being starved of fat. So to try to counter it I turned to exercise as I remembered how low I felt when I was overweight. The exercise worked, it kept the fat off but the impact was greater than I imagined. I started to feel a bit more confident and my self-esteem started to increase. My depression started to lift and I started to think that there might be better solutions than suicide. I credit exercise with the fact that I then sought medical help for my condition. And now 18 months later I have made vast improvements in dealing with my social phobia and depression. Exercise did not significantly improve either condition, I credit CBT for that, but it started the process. It improves confidence, self-esteem, general mood and energy levels and all these are important tools to fight anxiety and depression. I believe if I had not turned to exercise I might not be here today. So to cut a long story short (too late :D), yes I truly believe exercise is beneficial.

Hope that help

John

[NoPoet]

As JohnLuke says, exercise is not a "cure" on its own (let's face it, NOTHING is a cure on its own, you need a combination of things). Exercise can help you overcome stress, anxiety, anger, emotional problems, self-esteem problems and general health deficiencies.

Exercise improves your physical and mental well being gradually, over a period of time. It helps you live longer. It keeps you active and motivated. It helps to keep your mind from worrying about things.

Yeah, I think exercise helps.

PS Exercise means any physical activity which leaves you slightly out of breath, so a day out in the countryside counts :D

[michellescott200]

Exercise I believe is a mood booster... :yesyes:

Michelle
marketing chiropractor (http://practicebuildingcenter.com)

[Nutmeg]

Hey, I have depression. OCD and a few other issues and when I can exercise I feel a lot better. It helps my mood and really helps with my anxiety. It keeps my weight stable and help me have a tiny bit of confidence. However when I'm at my worst I can barely walk let alone do anything else.