gym helps you have fewer thoughts about suicide?

[deleted]

I'm thinking about starting a gym, would you like the opinion of someone who has already done it, did it help you in any way?

 

[devin44]

Yes, any regular physical exercise will have a major impact on your mood levels, and improve your self-esteem too.

 

[cooldude420]

it is essential if you wish to recovr. msg me wit mo question

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

From my sophomore year in college through most of my adult life, I had personal trainers and was a gym regular. I also had athletics coaches outside of "the gym." I often looked forward to going to the gym or meeting my trainers. But every night, I'd return home to an empty box, depressed. I abused the gym as a way to deal with the consequences of my sugar addiction which was my cope for isolation... I'm sure gyms are really helpful for some people, but looking back on my history with gyms, I know they didn't help me at all with suicidal ideation. Best of luck to everyone else.

 

[OrcWitch]

I get something like a runner's high, and I do feel good. I just do cardio and calisthenics though. I'm sure the gym would do the same. It hasn't been a magical bandaid for my mental health but I think it helps some.

 

[Grav]

I need to get back in the routine but I've noticed a change when I lift. I get to blast my music and the lifting itself takes out my aggression and just changes my mood to a bit upbeat (not on life just more energy). When I'm in the routine I don't have as many daily SI moments. My problem is I usually get some kind of cold/flu about 6 months in and that throws me for a month.

 

[H0110W]

Going to a commercial gym made me even more suicidal in the long run. Seeing all those people and hearing their normie talks annoyed the f++k out of me. On top of that, all the wasted time waiting for equipment to be available, having to deal with idiots not returning weights and and having to hunt for them, and seeing other men naked in the changing room got annoying fast. So I bought a bunch of equipments, spent over 500 euros on it, and built my own gym in the garage. I got some gains and a decent physique lifting for over a year this way in my garage, it was quite nice. But now the equipment is collecting rust because I'm deeply depressed and have literally zero motivation to work out. So OP, I don't know, it may help to lift on your own but I don't recommend a commercial gym at all.

 

[Grav]

I don't recommend a commercial gym at all.

I agree. I own my own equipment so I don't have to deal with the issues you listed. Plus it eliminates the "oh I don't feel like going" urges that would keep me home.

 

[ormaybeyoucouldchill]

I signed up for a year-long subscription to a gym not too long ago, and I haven't been there more than three times.

I had no idea how hard it would be to force myself to go. And to make matters worse, every day I don't go leaves me feeling even worse than I would otherwise, because I know I'm just wasting money.

If I were you, before signing up, I would make sure that I could cancel the subscription at any time.

 

[Flippy]

The thought of going to a Gym has the opposite effect on me. That's probably less to do with how good it can make you feel and more to do with the pain it would trigger, I wouldn't feel good at all.

I think the reason it works is that if you feel good/well you tend to have motivation to seek out challenges. I'm sure exercising does release endorphins, that's probably partially the reason my body is so knackered now. So I guess if you just force yourself to go to the gym you are kinda tricking your brain into feeling like you must be well or you wouldn't be so physically active. Fake it until you make it to put it simply.

If you are physically able then it's got to be worth a try. Sadly for people like me it's not beneficial, I just end up in agony when I try to even be 10% as physically active as I used to be. There is a genuine medical reason for this in my case though :-(

 

[fox_wannabe]

I cannot lie and say: "just lift bro", same with psychedelics. It seams like depression is matter of brain inflammation and stress. Gym can be stressful. I would advice practicing cardio outside or doing light workout. It is true I was less suicidal when going to gym, but it was not ultimate rope repellant. I am experimenting with lithium oratate - 15mg a day. I will tell later if it helps. Research depression and lithium on yt.

Depression for me comes from mental pain which is some sort of physically brain inflammation on neural level.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Eh, I used to go to the gym a few years ago and it had no effect on my suicidal thoughts. I was going there three times a week and working out in various ways for a few hours each time. I kept this up for over six months and it never did anything for my motivation or happiness, it just made me even more sore, tired, and hungry than usual. I think I'm just broken and exercise of any kind doesn't work for me the way it's supposed to. It never makes me more happy not even a little, just exhausted and irritable.

In my opinion, exercise is just another form of self harm that just happens to have socially acceptable consequences.

 

[Grav]

My mood lift from exercise came from the weight loss. It was a boost to be able to fit in clothes that I had gotten too fat to fit into. It isn't a cure-all for me but it does help in handling stress and having one less thing to hate about myself.

 

[Hyd999]

When i go it feels good. But only had motivation to go 2x the past 2 weeks. Used to go 5x week

 

[Disco Biscuit]

I did this and now I'm very fit and yet still want to die. Literally ran an ultra-marathon this weekend and I'm still suicidal.

Life without a purpose or love isn't really worth living.