This is a great question I’ve often wondered. Of course the medical studies say there’s a correlation between depression and poor health: diabetes, arthritis, angina & asthma (the big ones they mention). But a “correlation” doesn’t say which causes which. Of course people with diabetes are going to be more depressed than those who don’t; I don’t think depression CAUSES diabetes, but who knows, I’m not the one with the research grants.
Me personally, I’m actually in really good health. Depression has been pushing me to exercise more (because it’s one of the few things I can’t screw up), and I’ve been really careful to avoid things like alcohol and caffeine which mess with moods, so I might be a rare case where depression is making me healthier. But I’m guessing most people go the other way. When my depression gets REALLY bad, I tend to lie in bed & eat junk food, and of course there’s self harm. I don’t think depression inherently makes anyone health or sick, it’s just how each person reacts mentally & the choices they make that makes the difference.
Sure. Just look at Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd who became a total recluse, went completely mad, gained tons of weight and died from diabetes. Depression breaks down the body and mind. I’m sure it’s shaved some years off of my life already. The stress and constant worrying/anxiety, it all ages you.
I’d say it has. Extreme depression causes someone to become a recluse, so you just sulk bed all day and isolate yourself. I’d imagine that causes a lot of physical degradation on your end. I was physically fit before and could even manage to do back breaking labor. It only took me 4 months of depression to get tired easily and look old and ugly. I was in bed all day for 6 days a week, didn’t spend a time outside the house, didn’t take walks and rarely ate my meals. Now I get tired easily. Even simple exercises like jogging tire me a lot. I can’t even do any of the things I used to do anymore. Seems depression shuts your mind down more than anything else and the mind is often the catalyst to do things physically. It follows that you’d destroy your physical health too if you get depression.
Yes. That’s exactly it. In my case it’s that plus my health issues, or rather my health issues caused my depression, which caused worse health, which caused worse depression, and on and on the vicious cycle it goes. I thought most of my physical weakness was due to my health. Well in my case it mostly is. I have some severe health issues so my case is very different. But it’s interesting to hear that an otherwise healthy person can get so weak in as little as just 4 mo.
How long has it been since you became very depressed? Are you still in that deep funk stage or have you gotten a bit better mentally? Have you regained some of your health back or once it dipped, it’s been very hard to get out of it?
I’ve been depressed since November last year. It wasn’t really that severe as I still went outside and still did some physical activity (walking, lifting, doing some welding, etc). It was only in the last 4 months that it became severe enough that all I did was sulk in bed all day for 6 days a week straight. I’ve lost weight since then and get tired easily. I have that “nerd posture” now probably due to all the muscles that have atrophied. I took a long look in the mirror and it’s what probably snapped me out of my funk. I don’t know if I’m better mentally or not but I do have that drive to get myself out of this dark corner in my life. It’s probably due to my fighting spirit and the desire for revenge. If I let myself let go like this, my tormentors win and I can’t let them have that. I have started with some planking, neck and back exercises to fix my posture for the last two weeks. I’ve also recently just started to jog again. My plan is to fix my posture and then move up to regain my strength, endurance and stamina. I’m planning to enter in agricultural work and you can’t do those things if you are physically weak. Hopefully, I can do some boxing as well in order to fix the three aspects above. As for getting out of this dark place, it’s really hard. It’s a battle daily but the reality is we need to fix ourselves as much as we can because nobody else will. They can only look at you either with disdain/contempt or pity but no one is willing to go the extra mile to lend you a helping hand.
Hell yes. There is a desire to exercise LESS and (in my case) the desire to eat more. Not a good combination. There’s the self-worth aspect. You don’t value yourself appropriately, so you allow yourself to be underpaid or don’t work at all. The lack of financial stability causes stress…another negative. For some (not me in this case)…smoking or drinking can result. All good stuff.
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This is a great question I’ve often wondered. Of course the medical studies say there’s a correlation between depression and poor health: diabetes, arthritis, angina & asthma (the big ones they mention). But a “correlation” doesn’t say which causes which. Of course people with diabetes are going to be more depressed than those who don’t; I don’t think depression CAUSES diabetes, but who knows, I’m not the one with the research grants.
Me personally, I’m actually in really good health. Depression has been pushing me to exercise more (because it’s one of the few things I can’t screw up), and I’ve been really careful to avoid things like alcohol and caffeine which mess with moods, so I might be a rare case where depression is making me healthier. But I’m guessing most people go the other way. When my depression gets REALLY bad, I tend to lie in bed & eat junk food, and of course there’s self harm. I don’t think depression inherently makes anyone health or sick, it’s just how each person reacts mentally & the choices they make that makes the difference.
yes
It’s arguably damaged my brain. I can’t spell pourple anymore.
Looks ryte to me.
Phew. I was wurried there for a manute.
Gradually developed high blood pressure. Doctors attributed it to “too much stress.”
From 25 years onwards on heart pills.
Sure. Just look at Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd who became a total recluse, went completely mad, gained tons of weight and died from diabetes. Depression breaks down the body and mind. I’m sure it’s shaved some years off of my life already. The stress and constant worrying/anxiety, it all ages you.
I’d say it has. Extreme depression causes someone to become a recluse, so you just sulk bed all day and isolate yourself. I’d imagine that causes a lot of physical degradation on your end. I was physically fit before and could even manage to do back breaking labor. It only took me 4 months of depression to get tired easily and look old and ugly. I was in bed all day for 6 days a week, didn’t spend a time outside the house, didn’t take walks and rarely ate my meals. Now I get tired easily. Even simple exercises like jogging tire me a lot. I can’t even do any of the things I used to do anymore. Seems depression shuts your mind down more than anything else and the mind is often the catalyst to do things physically. It follows that you’d destroy your physical health too if you get depression.
Yes. That’s exactly it. In my case it’s that plus my health issues, or rather my health issues caused my depression, which caused worse health, which caused worse depression, and on and on the vicious cycle it goes. I thought most of my physical weakness was due to my health. Well in my case it mostly is. I have some severe health issues so my case is very different. But it’s interesting to hear that an otherwise healthy person can get so weak in as little as just 4 mo.
How long has it been since you became very depressed? Are you still in that deep funk stage or have you gotten a bit better mentally? Have you regained some of your health back or once it dipped, it’s been very hard to get out of it?
I’ve been depressed since November last year. It wasn’t really that severe as I still went outside and still did some physical activity (walking, lifting, doing some welding, etc). It was only in the last 4 months that it became severe enough that all I did was sulk in bed all day for 6 days a week straight. I’ve lost weight since then and get tired easily. I have that “nerd posture” now probably due to all the muscles that have atrophied. I took a long look in the mirror and it’s what probably snapped me out of my funk. I don’t know if I’m better mentally or not but I do have that drive to get myself out of this dark corner in my life. It’s probably due to my fighting spirit and the desire for revenge. If I let myself let go like this, my tormentors win and I can’t let them have that. I have started with some planking, neck and back exercises to fix my posture for the last two weeks. I’ve also recently just started to jog again. My plan is to fix my posture and then move up to regain my strength, endurance and stamina. I’m planning to enter in agricultural work and you can’t do those things if you are physically weak. Hopefully, I can do some boxing as well in order to fix the three aspects above. As for getting out of this dark place, it’s really hard. It’s a battle daily but the reality is we need to fix ourselves as much as we can because nobody else will. They can only look at you either with disdain/contempt or pity but no one is willing to go the extra mile to lend you a helping hand.
Hell yes. There is a desire to exercise LESS and (in my case) the desire to eat more. Not a good combination. There’s the self-worth aspect. You don’t value yourself appropriately, so you allow yourself to be underpaid or don’t work at all. The lack of financial stability causes stress…another negative. For some (not me in this case)…smoking or drinking can result. All good stuff.
Most definitely, it correlates with my eating disorder. The more depressed the more I starve, binge/purge. So yes.