Men's Health March 2007:
Article entitled "Exercising the Demons":
"Some people might call you highly competitive.
Some people might call you superfit.
But a growing number of doctors would label you something else: depressed."
EXCERPTED - go spend $5 to read the whole thing; it's worth it.
The article begins:
"In 1994, at the age of 33, Raymond Britt took up running. It made him feel good. In fact, the more he pushed himself, the better he felt. So each time he went out, he pushed a little harder. It seemed to put him above the turmoil of the world and afford him some relief. Relief from what - that wasn't so clear. His life was good. He was a successful executive. He had beautiful children... He became obsessed with his training. "I was excited, I was nervous, I was alive"... As he reached the 18th mile, his hopes for a life-changing experience were shattered. beating himself up both mentally and physically, he managed to drag himself over the finish line in 4 hours and 41 minutes, as he puts it, "alone, hurt, angry, unhappy". Rather than recover, he went out the next day to punish himself and prepare for the next marathon."
The article goes on to explain the differences between depression in men and women - and how real-life responses don't reflect what is often mention in depression manuals.
The article goes on:
"Men tend to get angry, and that anger expresses itself in a wide variety of intense activities, such as Britt's running. Some of these men even win marathons --in feats of work or endurance --and look like heroes, which makes it even more difficult to diagnose depression.
Britt says, 'I've always thought that Lance Armstrong suffered from depression and that's where his anger came from. I saw a lot of myself in him, the way he transfers his anger into action. Depression leads some of us to fight as hard as we can against it. It makes you angry. I liked my anger. I got focused and it felt better, like I was leaving the turmoil in the dust. But it was temporary".
The article continues, describing Britt's race career in tris, marathons, and ultras.
Towards the end of the article it says that Britt finally went to a doctor in 2004 when he wanted to escape his internal pain. The doctor asked, "When was the last time you were really happy?" The answer was, "1975".
"...because at heart of what Britt was going through was a life filled with stretches of no feeling at all. Britt says he was constantly running, 'hoping that movement would help me discover something better'..... Looking back on his decades of depression, Britt saw isolated flashes of happiness --the birth of his children, laughter, friendship-- but they were 'bright spots on what had been a more turbulent journey than I'd like to admit. The moments of happiness sustained my denial of something I had only recently begun to consider an invisible load'. In other words, he had been swimming with an anvil, and he was sinking by imperceptible increments."
What is wonderful about this article is that it ends with a description of how Britt is finally joyful about training and racing, and can finally resond to the beauty around him.
The author writes,
"When men talk about depression, one of the reoccurring themes is how it sucks the color and flavor out of life...the people you love don't make your heart sing, even though you know they should. The colors of the world are tarnished and dull. Britt ran the Boston Marathon once again, and realized at the end that although he'd run it many times, he had never literally seen the finish line; he ran right through it and focused on the next thing. "Now I can see things I never saw before - colors, scenery, people", he says,"...I never cared before. I never noticed the colors of a sunset. The electricity in a lightening strike. The glow of moonrise over a lake. They've always been there. But only recently have i begun to see them. And I am amazed".
---------------------
Previous thread on depression from LR:
"Depression: How does it feel?":
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=906685;search_string=depression%20fitnesscoach;#906685
-------------------------
Lauren Muney
certified physical fitness trainer
certified health coach
wellcoach
http://www.physicalmind.com
There is no escape from your life... solve the problems and get on with it.
"Just tell her you love her and you think she kicks ass" ~AndrewinNH
"I'm moving [Lauren] to guru status" ~Last Tri in 83
Article entitled "Exercising the Demons":
"Some people might call you highly competitive.
Some people might call you superfit.
But a growing number of doctors would label you something else: depressed."
EXCERPTED - go spend $5 to read the whole thing; it's worth it.
The article begins:
"In 1994, at the age of 33, Raymond Britt took up running. It made him feel good. In fact, the more he pushed himself, the better he felt. So each time he went out, he pushed a little harder. It seemed to put him above the turmoil of the world and afford him some relief. Relief from what - that wasn't so clear. His life was good. He was a successful executive. He had beautiful children... He became obsessed with his training. "I was excited, I was nervous, I was alive"... As he reached the 18th mile, his hopes for a life-changing experience were shattered. beating himself up both mentally and physically, he managed to drag himself over the finish line in 4 hours and 41 minutes, as he puts it, "alone, hurt, angry, unhappy". Rather than recover, he went out the next day to punish himself and prepare for the next marathon."
The article goes on to explain the differences between depression in men and women - and how real-life responses don't reflect what is often mention in depression manuals.
The article goes on:
"Men tend to get angry, and that anger expresses itself in a wide variety of intense activities, such as Britt's running. Some of these men even win marathons --in feats of work or endurance --and look like heroes, which makes it even more difficult to diagnose depression.
Britt says, 'I've always thought that Lance Armstrong suffered from depression and that's where his anger came from. I saw a lot of myself in him, the way he transfers his anger into action. Depression leads some of us to fight as hard as we can against it. It makes you angry. I liked my anger. I got focused and it felt better, like I was leaving the turmoil in the dust. But it was temporary".
The article continues, describing Britt's race career in tris, marathons, and ultras.
Towards the end of the article it says that Britt finally went to a doctor in 2004 when he wanted to escape his internal pain. The doctor asked, "When was the last time you were really happy?" The answer was, "1975".
"...because at heart of what Britt was going through was a life filled with stretches of no feeling at all. Britt says he was constantly running, 'hoping that movement would help me discover something better'..... Looking back on his decades of depression, Britt saw isolated flashes of happiness --the birth of his children, laughter, friendship-- but they were 'bright spots on what had been a more turbulent journey than I'd like to admit. The moments of happiness sustained my denial of something I had only recently begun to consider an invisible load'. In other words, he had been swimming with an anvil, and he was sinking by imperceptible increments."
What is wonderful about this article is that it ends with a description of how Britt is finally joyful about training and racing, and can finally resond to the beauty around him.
The author writes,
"When men talk about depression, one of the reoccurring themes is how it sucks the color and flavor out of life...the people you love don't make your heart sing, even though you know they should. The colors of the world are tarnished and dull. Britt ran the Boston Marathon once again, and realized at the end that although he'd run it many times, he had never literally seen the finish line; he ran right through it and focused on the next thing. "Now I can see things I never saw before - colors, scenery, people", he says,"...I never cared before. I never noticed the colors of a sunset. The electricity in a lightening strike. The glow of moonrise over a lake. They've always been there. But only recently have i begun to see them. And I am amazed".
---------------------
Previous thread on depression from LR:
"Depression: How does it feel?":
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=906685;search_string=depression%20fitnesscoach;#906685
-------------------------
Lauren Muney
certified physical fitness trainer
certified health coach
wellcoach
http://www.physicalmind.com
There is no escape from your life... solve the problems and get on with it.
"Just tell her you love her and you think she kicks ass" ~AndrewinNH
"I'm moving [Lauren] to guru status" ~Last Tri in 83
Last edited by:
Fitnesscoach: Feb 12, 07 20:44