UKC

So I am positive and optimistic because negativity has no effect on me however that's not the case when I run until I get injured, then stop and depression starts. Has anyone else experienced this? Please help me I must start running again or I will die from the progressive heart attacks that I get and from the sugar that flows through my neck hurting more and more.

Can someone just kick me in the butt please?

Let's discuss it in greater detail:
Anyone else has been running but then after overrunning you get injured and progressively depressed? After that you go through depression and for a long time not wake up? I fear once I start this isn't the problem but what will happen is it'll make me depressed that's all I will say. We should always be careful about our physical health too because without it spiritual health then isn't a part of it so my question is simply how can I avoid the depression taking place running daily and eventually getting into karmic patterns??

Have a chat with your GP,  best wishes.

Have a chat to your doctor definitely. I found during injury that finding any kind of training/exercise (including physio for the injury if possible) helped when I couldn't necessarily climb (or in your case run). Good luck

Well now, that is a post from someone that's a bit near the edge.  A bit concerned and a lot confused and thinking that's a bit of a mess; no worries, these things can all be sorted.  It'll take effort and you'll need to commit to it, but it can be done.

So, two groups of things: what you do and what you think.

What you do is the easier one: don't overtrain.  Give yourself a routine, stick to the routine.  Day one, four miles jogging, day two six miles running, day three four miles flat out, day four rest, day five four miles jogging, day six eight miles running, day seven rest.  Repeat. Adjust distance and speed to suit you but keeping in the same pattern, don't move the rest days.  Stretch, warm up, then stretch again when you're done.

What you think is wrong thinking; if you can't do one thing then you won't be able to anything.  Google thinking errors, learn about them, challenge your negative thoughts the way you challenge yourself when running.  Tune in to the part of your brain that's a critical friend, that examines what you think and tells you when you're taking a mental wrong turn.

If it persists, do see your GP.  But also post here; lots of us have been down similar paths and are always willing to lend a hand to those that are suffering.

T.

Sorry to hear to hear your struggling, injury is really a struggle to deal with if you become focused on one activity, have plan B and C, I got fit again taking up triathlons, this helped me mentally and the cross training stoped boredom and helped prevent injury.

im now struggling with an Achilles injury that is really affecting running and some plans and objectives that I had for running. So it’s back on the bike and the pool and I’m going to set some gymnastics type objectives such as front lever etc. I suggest you find something physical you can do that provides a challenge without affect injury recovery.

i would certainly speak to someone such as your GP if you find the depression that bad and something that goes beyond being pissed of about running and talk to friends, and UKC can be quite sympathetic about these kind of issues (as long as you don’t mention brexit) but be wary about relying to much on public forums for support.

If I'm not exercising, I'm not a pleasant human to have around. (Although, some on here might think that anyway!) Can you swim instead? Or walk? Or climb? 

I wouldn certainly recommend a chat with the GP. 

A lot is made of running as an antidote to depression, I’m sure in many cases it can really help, but I also think it is majorly overplayed.

I’m not someone who suffers from depression, but I recognise that the loss of something like running which brings focus and purpose, can really really affect mood and feelings of wellbeing. 

I’ve experienced this to a fairly minor extent, but seen others experience it much worse.

If it is serious, seek professional help, probably starting with your GP, but also recognise that running isn’t the only thing in your life that can give you that focus and purpose and look for that else it could be for you if you can’t run due to injury. 

Hello, I've been plagued by various injuries affecting my training and am currently being kicked in the arse by a shoulder injury that has stopped me from climbing. It will not heal and I'm at my wit's end.

Knowing the effect injuries have on my mental health I need to make sure I'm training within my ability, as overtraining is a recipe for disaster, and I need to make sure I'm addressing the root posture issues and imbalances that make me prone to the injuries I most commonly face. If you get injuries a lot it might be worth seeing a physio to address what might be the problem in your gait etc. As people have said, definitely see a gp about the depression, but you've already identified a major trigger and you can now look at what steps you can take to counteract that trigger. Being proactive about this might help your low mood even before you can start pounding the pavement again. I hope you feel better soon!

as Bon Jovi said "nothing lasts forever in the cold November rain."

ignore the bit about November rain - that is irrelevant, but the rest of it is true.

p.s. I wouldn't generally recommend Bon Jovi as a life coach

I'm off cycling since 18 August with a busted collar bone and a frozen shoulder. TBH at the moment I'm quite grateful to have a good excuse not to go out cycling. I am also consoling myself with the knowledge that I have joined the pantheon of cyclists who have broken a collar bone.

Wasn't that GnR???

Hi. 

There's a lot more going on here than simply feeling a bit miserable because you are injured and I'm not the person to fix them.

However, can I suggest trying swimming as well as running. Normally if you are injured from running you can swim.  

Enter an open water event if you need a goal, they are broadly non competitive, friendly and fun. (e.g. The Henley Mile )

I haven't been in exactly that situation, but I get into cycles where I am depressed, I stop or reduce running because I don't have the motivation to get out the door, and lack of exercise (coupled with guilt for not running) make the depression worse.

Exercise definitely helps maintain mental health, however if the level of exercise you require to feel stable is so high that you keep injuring yourself or you can't function when you can't exercise you should probably talk to someone.

My approach would be:

• Talk to your GP about the depression and see what options are available to you.
• Find another form of exercise you enjoy to tide you over while running injuries heal.  If being unable to perform at your usual level due to injury is a trigger for the depression try something totally new that you can go into with no expectations.
• When you get back running, find and stick to a training plan to make sure you don't overtrain.  Maybe mix and match with other sports to give you more options should you get injured again and be unable to participate in one particular sport.

hmmm, possibly was GnR - I should have googled it but couldn't be bothered. I'm sure bon jovi do have some good advice somewhere in their songs though. weren't they also the band that advised us that surfaces can be slippery when wet?

I am currently nursing a running injury from over training and this isn't the first time I've been in this situation. I understand how you feel and I'm sorry you are going through this.

Yoga greatly helps me through periods where I am injured and can't do the activities that contribute to my happiness. I've been to classes but what's most effective for me is using an app and doing it at home - motivation isn't always there but committing to a schedule and seeing progress feels good. That and being fastidious when it comes to rehab from a specialist sports physio.

Good luck and if things get too bad see your GP

If you must take heed of Jon Bon Jovi's advice then may I refer you to Livin on a  Prayer V2:1; Gina (who works in a diner all day) cries in the night time and Tommy (striking dock worker) whispers "baby its OK, someday". I think we can all learn from this mantra, although as previously stated other life coaches are available and I can't recommend listening the venerable JBJ for advice.... or listening to him full stop.. ever!!!

Yep.  Endorphins are quite powerful and addictive and their absence can cause a proper downer.

The only thing I can really suggest (and I'm rubbish at it, I just get fat and comfort-eat when I get injured, making starting running again harder) is to find another backup sport you can do instead if you get a running specific injury such as road cycling or swimming (put all three together and when you're not injured you could perhaps have a go at a triathlon? ), and when you do get injured take that up for a bit instead.

But as others have said, if you're feeling seriously down rather than just to the point of wanting to eat a lorryload of Toblerones (yum), do see someone about it, you can get help.

Agreed, rock bands are generally poor role models.

My original post, although flippant in tone was meant as serious advice. the inescapable truth that "nothing lasts forever" is a central tenet of Buddhist thought, which if pursued could well lead to a reduction in the type of suffering experienced by the OP. Probably. - I have failed to ever follow this through myself other than for very small periods of time so cannot speak from experience

I find progressive house fills that void

My flippant response to a flippant post also has a more serious appendix, I too find I go at exercise all guns blazing only to over train or get injured then allow the black dog to creep in, as someone earlier alluded to, a back up exercise or pursuit can help keep the "downs" at bay. I found my running became so sporadic due to injury that it got me down so I didn't run for a year and took up other sports, I am just getting back into running and enjoying it for the first time in a long time, a few goals set but also an mind open enough to let them pass by if training is not on track. Running could just be a placebo and the problem is more to do with depression in general, I found assertiveness to be very helpful in keeping my mood steady, some things you can change, some things you can't, but as dh73 "nothing lasts forever" even a Jon Bon Jovi song eventually ends