From: lady@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Lee Lady)
Subject: Re: Exercise vs Psychotherapy
Followup-To: sci.psychology
Summary: Is this just an opinion?  
Keywords: exercise psychotherapy
Organization: University of Hawaii (Mathematics Dept)
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1992 02:40:05 GMT

In article <2090@hsdndev.UUCP> nhmas@gauss.med.harvard.edu (Mark Shneyder) writes:
>In article <1992Nov4.090401.21124@newstand.syr.edu> mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline) writes:
>>In article <1992Nov03.000014.5388@sco.com> jcohen@sco.COM (Jon Cohen) writes:
>>>It annoys me that none of the high-paid
>>>mental health experts who I consulted for a couple of years
>>>ever said a word such as "It's important to your emotional
>>>health to take care of your body," or "I suggest you get
>>>started on an exercise program, which will help your anxiety
>>>, give you energy, and improve your overall health and
>>>self esteem. You are a fat and lazy person and need to move
>>>your butt, or your brain will just stew up there and drive
>>>you crazy."
>>
>
>The person may exercise all he/she wants, but the bottom line is the
>issues that trouble their mind will not be resolved by a fitness program
>alone.
>
>Higher self esteem and better overall health thru exercise is only
>a small boost in the right direction but by no means is a solution.
>Alot of active people are more caught up with their problems than laid back
>passive types. Activity doesn't guarantee clear mindset. Only the individual
>with a clear strong mindset is capable of determining his/her own trouble-free
>path to better living.

Are you asserting this on the basis of some sort of evidence or is this
just an opinion?  Not that there's anything wrong with opinions in
sci.psychology (or in science in general)  [except when I disagree with
them :-) ], but when someone who lists their affiliation as the Harvard
Medical School makes such a categorical assertion, people may
make an incorrect assumption about the basis for his statement.  

I have a different opinion from yours.  My opinion is based on my own
experiences with depression and my experiences in dealing with a large
number of other depressed people.  (I am not, however, a psychotherapist.)  

In my opinion, there are many forms of depression and some of these are
not primarily caused by inner conflicts, low self-esteem, or other
"mental" factors, but instead have a large physiological component.
This is indicated by the fact that in many cases drug therapy seems to
be an essential part of treatment.

In my opinion (for what it's worth), exercise can have a physiological
effect which is very beneficial in temporarily alleviating this sort
of depression.  I have found that at those times when I am prone to
sinking into total apathy, simply getting out of the house and getting
involved in any kind of activity will help keep me from going into
complete stagnation.  I find that it does in fact help give me a more
clear mindset.  

I have also found that at times when I get very upset about some
emotional thing and my mindset is definitely not clear,  using what many
people call the "left side" of my brain is extremely helpful.  In my
case, this means doing mathematics -- working on the book I've been writing
for the past three years.  It's hard as hell to force myself to do this
at such times, but once I read a page of two or my work and start
noticing little logical errors or other things I want to change, then my
mindset clears up and I can think about the emotional situation I'm
involved in much more clearly.  Usually the insights that come this way
are permanent for me.  Mostly I've found this more effective for me than
anti-depressants.  

I've had a couple of chronically depressed friends (not mathematicians)
thank me a lot for telling them about this.  They reported back that
they too found that exercising their mind in their profession was very
useful in clearing their thinking about emotional matters.

I'm sure that Eric Zorrilla, who knows a lot more about depression than I
do, will have some comments on this.  

--
It is a poor sort of skepticism which merely delights in challenging
those claims which conflict with one's own belief system.  
                                                          --Bogus quote 
lady@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu         lady@uhunix.bitnet