Concepts:
depression, exercise, health, treatment, psychology, cure depression, therapy, treating depression, blues, medication, patients, recommends, goals, energy, overall, positive mental benefits, antidepressants, alcohol, drugs, Steele, Venlafaxine, Effexor, sole treatment, general evidence, exercise alone, Harvard Medical School, psychiatry, Jacobs, Douglas, gift.
MINNEAPOLIS - Life changed for Reed Steele five years ago when a series of injuries kept him from competing for his college cross country and track teams.
He turned to drugs and alcohol, hoping they could provide the escape that running had.
Before long, his depression deepened until he was hospitalized and suicidal.
Today the 25-year-old feels better, thanks to a combination of antidepressants, therapy --- and exercise, a combination of swimming, cycling and moderate running.
"Exercise is extremely important for mental health," said Steele, of Roseville, a Twin Cities suburb.
"When I was really depressed I wasn't exercising ...
I didn't have any desire to do anything."
Though there's no definitive research showing exercise by itself can cure depression, many mental health experts agree that it has positive mental benefits and can be a useful tool in overall therapy.
Depression is a serious illness thought to be related to chemical imbalances in the brain, much more severe than an occasional case of "the blues."
Depression affects the whole body: energy level, appetite and concentration.
"What we're really finding is that people that are depressed are quite inactive, both in kind of expending energy and in getting things done, working toward goals, taking care of personal business," said Matt Kushner, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota.
He recommends exercise for his patients as part of therapy that emphasizes routines, habits and goals.
In addition, he said, patients who start exercising find they feel better and are less inclined to overeat or abuse drugs and alcohol.
"If I could pick one activity from a long list ...
exercise would always be the one I would go to," he said.
"Exercise is sort of a gift that keeps on giving."
Not a cure by itself Dr. Douglas G. Jacobs, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said it's important to understand that exercise alone doesn't cure depression.
"The general evidence is that the best treatment for depression is a combination of medication and psychotherapy," he said.
"I haven't seen anything that says exercise as a sole treatment for depression is effective."
However, he said people with depression should try to exercise, because it improves their overall health.
Venlafaxine (VEN) is a representative of a new class of antidepressants (SNRIs) which inhibit selectively the uptake of serotonin and noradrenaline, but-in contrast to tricyclics-show no affinity for neurotransmitter receptors.
Effexor is prescribed for the treatment of depression--that is, a continuing depression that interferes with daily functioning.
