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"get Outside" Says My Gp.


martynblackburn

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My GP tells me to take exercise everyday; it is good for my mood. Great, if you live in a hot country!

This morning decided to go for a bike ride (as I was told to do so by the Doc.). 3 minutes of cycling I was drenched from head to foot in rain, my fingers were frozen like ice and I was battered by 80 mph winds. I couldn't keep it uyp. Had to come in before I catch pneumonia. felt terrible. Exercise?? No thanks.

Then she tells me to eat a good diet.

How can I eat a good diet? I don't get enough money to eat well. All my money is blown on rising fuel bills and council tax debt.

It's okay for her whilst she goes to her cosy home, driving in her cosy car. :angry:

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Your doctor gave you good advice.

Exercise and a good diet have been shown to help improve mood.

It may not be easy if you're not used to it.

But there are easier ways of obtaining it.

I'm on benefits, and can have a reasonably good diet.Frozen veg are cheap. Whatever is in season is good value. A bag of apples costs about £1.00

Exercise can come in all shapes and sizes. Whether its walking to the shops at a brisk rate, (this warms you up too)

or a exercise bike in the house.(it costs money to buy,but I have seen them on freecycle.co.uk).

On tv yesterday a doctor said that getting 10 minutes of sun on your skin helps with vitamin D and your mood.

Dont give up, it will be worth it.

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Well yes, i know what u mean.. here in germany it is the same, especially where i live. rian and rain and guess what..rain..

but i fin it really enjoying to cloth really warm and then have a little walk in the rain, i like it very much. and i have fresh (cold) AIR and a little bit action.

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i just posted summat bout my pdoc... he said same to me on thu... i recovering from surgery, i cant get out!!!twat he is... go to gym he said n go on the treadmill, i can hold meself up!!!he's living on a different planet than me...

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excersise doesnt have to be outside.. there are lots of yoga classes in community places that do concessions.. also loacal gyms usually do concessions too and theres always swimming which is cheap.. i agree with bibbidi.. excersise is soo good for depression.. you just need to find something u like.. i wouldnt excesise in the cold either!!

and u can eat cheap and healthy.. it doesnt have to be posh or organic.. porridge is dirt cheap and great for mood boosting breakfast, for example. fruit like apples and bananas are cheap,veggies that are cheap are courgettes, carrots parsnips.. there are many more..

its good your gp suggested this.. its better than just pumping people full of drugs.. itas a proactive approach. hugs, blue x

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I agree with everyone who said that its a good thing, i get out everyday even if it is for just a few mins, a walk to the shop or around the park or to tesco to get some shopping and thats with 4 kids in tow, i am on benefits and don't get much after all bills are paid and i still manage to buy lots of frozen veg which is cheap and fresh fruit every other day, iceland does really cheap bags of frozen veg, most are just a quid and do last a while and try the market for your fresh fruit and veg and if you go later in the mornings you can usually get really good deals as the stall holders wanna get rid of their goods so sell in bulk and cheap, try shopping around to see where you can get the cheapest stuff from.

i hope this helps

Angela x x

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I asked, because its clearly not a true statement.

So I was wondering what your thinking was behind it.

It is true for people living in Liverpool. I reckon my mood would improve (and my outlook, motivation, etc.) with sunny days. The sky seems to be forever overcast in this country. Even though I've been advised to take vitamin E it is not the same as real sunshine. I really do feel disadvantaged to have been born in this miserable country with it's relentless rain and gloomy skies. Even the people are gloomy. Such ugliness everywhere. No beauty. Too many churches; too much degeneration.

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I'm about 30 miles from you, and spent most of the morning pottering about in the sunshine my garden.

Do you see that what is your perception of reality, isnt the actual truth?

This often happens when your down.

Try and challenge your negative thoughts.

Good point Nicky, about it cheaper to eat healthy.

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I'm about 30 miles from you, and spent most of the morning pottering about in the sunshine my garden.

Do you see that what is your perception of reality, isnt the actual truth?

This often happens when your down.

Try and challenge your negative thoughts.

Good point Nicky, about it cheaper to eat healthy.

It was sunny here in the morning but it was raining on and off and the sun was in and out of the clouds. It is only recently that the sun has come out for any length of time albeit hidden by moving clouds. The picture of the past two months has been rain and grey clouds. I'd say that would affect my mood and my mood reflects my perception. I'd say my perception of reality mirrors reality quite well under the circumstances.

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OK.

Do you see how you have changed from

There is no sun in England.

to

Is it not self-evidently true 364 days out of 365?

To accepting that you had sunshine yesterday.

That is a good thing.

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OK.

Do you see how you have changed from

There is no sun in England.

to

Is it not self-evidently true 364 days out of 365?

To accepting that you had sunshine yesterday.

That is a good thing.

I think you are taking me too literally. :rolleyes:

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Really?

So are you saying that you didnt mean what you said about the sunshine?

Is it possible to look at what was being said, and talk about why you responded the way you did?

It may help.

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Really?

So are you saying that you didnt mean what you said about the sunshine?

Is it possible to look at what was being said, and talk about why you responded the way you did?

It may help.

Why may it help? Whenever there is a sunny day I make it a point to get outside on my bike. I can count the number of sunny days on one hand since January. For the majority of days since then the sky has been overcast and nothing but wind and rain. When I wrote that there was no sun in England, I meant that the sun rarely shines and that wehn it does it never last more than a few hours before the sky is overcast with grey clouds again.

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i totally agree with you martyn this countrys weather is lousy!!!!!! i live for the summaer when i can get myself out of the house!!!!!! my mood also improves in the summer

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Martyn, I initially asked, because its about challenging negative thoughts.

You replied saying that it was self evidently true that 364 out of 365 days there was no sun.

It was possible to see that statement in two ways. Firstly, that your depression is so low that it is what you actually believe.

Or secondly, you were being testy towards me.

So, I wanted to understand your responses, and I felt it could be helpful to look at why you responded the way you did.

It could help give you a better understanding of either, how you think, or how you react to people challenging you.

Or we could leave you alone.

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It could help give you a better understanding of either, how you think, or how you react to people challenging you.

I am interested in Martyn's response to this. Please, Martin, don't stop responding just because you've been thrown a gauntlet, and haven't been allowed to carry out your "testy" whingeing about lack of sunshine. Quite how much do you expect from late winter? And do you think that you are perhaps a little too quick to blame a country's weather etc for so many of your own personal difficulties?

"I really do feel disadvantaged to have been born in this miserable country with it's relentless rain and gloomy skies. Even the people are gloomy. Such ugliness everywhere. No beauty. Too many churches; too much degeneration."

I consider myself really extremely advantaged to have been born into this country. We do not suffer such things as extreme weather storms or earthquakes or volcanic activity which so damages other countries. We are affluent and fortunate and educated. We have clean running water. We won't ever suffer from famine. We are not plagued by pandemic disease such as malaria. We have the best possible medical support. etc etc.

I have tons of foibles and issues with Britain, sure - its politicians, its media, its arrogance, its decreasing countryside because of screwy immigration. But whilst these things can work to grind down society en masse, individuals surely cannot claim to be so personally bruised by these society-wide problems?

And I for one think that you are really quite misinformed or sadly lacking in travelling experience to suggest that Britain contains no beauty. Do yourself a favour, go to the mountains in Scotland, or the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales, or the beaches of Cornwall.

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  • 3 months later...

My Gp also once told me to try exercise and I would try and jog for 10 mins and it made me feel sick and so much worse.

I used to love exercise, I ran the London Marathon, did mountain Marathons, brown belt in Karate, I was always hyper active - but with depression I found it impossible. Since feeling better I have become more active but I'm not sure it helps. I started of really slow literally 10 min walking a day. Now I'm running for 25 min every other day (it's taken AGES to get to this stage), and I'm still yet to feel the runners high that I used to get. I feel flat as a pancake and just wait for the 25 min to pass. I think it relaxes my body a bit and gets rid of a bit of negative energy, but not much else, I'm just keeping it up because it was a goal I set with my counsellor, and it's making me feel good achieving something. I also bought a bike as I'm without a car at the mo, and I sometimes cycle. The only benefit is it tires me out, not sure that's a benefit or not.

What I did find helpful in getting back into exercise was back in April a local LA fitness gym was offering free 5 day passes. So I went swimming everyday for 5 days, very slowly and sometimes only for 15 mins, but I also had sauna and steam room and shower and I found that relaxed me and wasted a good part of the day, it gave me a kick start for getting back into it.

Also I find it helpful to record what exercise I do. V sad and geeky, but if I have a log I can look and see what I've done. I used to miss a few sessions and get disheartened and give up, now if I miss a few, I can see that the last couple of weeks were good, so it's not the end of the world if I've had a bad week, I don't need to throw it all in, I can still continue.

And another thing is to make it achievable, my goals were always to high and I'd fail them and feel worse. I set myself goals that I feel SHOULD be easy when I think of what i used to do, but with depression its so much harder. I set myself the goal of walk 30 min a day but that was far to hard, I should have made it 15 min every other day or 10 min a day. Slowly, slowly catchey monkey.

Good luck

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I absolutely agree here with diet/exercise,

I go to my local gym and do swimming. If its raining as it normally is, then I get taxi to/from there...

as for the weather guys...you lot have a cheek to discuss England's weather...have you ever been to Northern Ireland!!!!! LOL

I love the 4 seasons in one day! lol

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Hey -

"Also I find it helpful to record what exercise I do. V sad and geeky, but if I have a log I can look and see what I've done. I used to miss a few sessions and get disheartened and give up, now if I miss a few, I can see that the last couple of weeks were good, so it's not the end of the world if I've had a bad week, I don't need to throw it all in, I can still continue."

Not sad or geeky at all, its a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion. I am going to try this

and I hope it works for me as well. I can start to excerice, but then it becomes more of a

chore instead of feeling better with it. Thanks again!!!!!!!

Marchmadness

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