Weird things get me thinking about my depression. While playing Call of Cthulu with my friends, we ordered dinner and I was asked if I had one of those money management app they could use to transfer me their dinner bill.
Of course, my answer was no. I didn’t tell them the real reason why, so I was ridiculed for a bit. But it did get me thinking of this post. I’m still fat for the same reason I don’t go cashless. I have a mental illness.
So long as I limit the amount of money I can immediately access to the ones in my wallet, my bipolar mania can never go on an unregulated spending spree.
Weeeeee!
Depression and Weight
Depression is linked to messed up dopamine transmitters. Basically, I get less of that juicy brain chemical than most people.
Which means I need to either exercise in conditions of extra dopamine generation (cycling in cool wind) or replace the physical stressor with something else, like adrenaline (combat sparring).
It’s not like normal exercises are no longer possible, but the tradeoffs for me are different. When physical stresses aren’t negated by dopamine hits, it turns into mental stress, which in turn could trigger depressive or panic episodes.
Of course, eating less is also an option. But food gives immediate hits of them sweet sweet dopamine. I use to get those hits through video game, but with age comes less time.
Healthy food still triggers the same chemical reaction in the brain, but until those are affordable, their costs are a hard hurdle to pass.
How to Help?
Perhaps right now you have friends or loved ones that are overweight and have depression. What can you do – or not do – to help them? Here’s a quick list.
DO NOTs:
- Ask them to exercise with you at your preferred activity, especially if it is something they do not enjoy. People with depression already don’t enjoy much of life. Why force them into activities that further makes them hate it?
- Fat-shaming doesn’t work. Low self-esteem is a crippling cycle for mental illnesses. One triggers the other. And if you can’t think of a way to help someone without insulting them, maybe you should ask a mirror about why you’re such an asshole.
- Being bored indirectly has a correlation to lower serotonin and dopamine reception. Keep them active and not just hang out and snack.
DOs:
- Ask to be included in physical activities that the person enjoys. Like, “Hey, heard you like basketball. Well, I got a basketball, wanna go?” Don’t make exercise an obligation, but rather, an enjoyable outing.
- Low social support causes higher stressed. In essence, don’t be a dick.
- Active mind, active body. Have conversations, play games, do anything to keep the brain alive.
Truth
This is how I feel.
Looking at other socially functioning people with mental illnesses might give the false impression they are doing fine. But underneath the hard-fought normalcy are dozens of life changes that must be balanced with care and great effort, less the risk of a relapse take them.
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