How many people
experience anxiety, depression, and other mood states? There’s too many
to count. Everyone goes through hard times, but they impact us all
differently. Some people struggle with debilitating conditions; they
can’t get up in the morning or lay down at night without something on
their plate and it’s truly sad when those individuals feel alone or
can’t receive the necessary assistance.
You know where this
is going; how many people’s lives are lost or negatively impacted as a
result of these conditions and how many more could be saved right now if
they had the treatment or assistance necessary? It’s early in 2018, but
mental health tends to get swept under the rug until there’s a problem;
I refuse to wait until there’s a major issue to start discussing it.
So, how does this
relate to exercise? A YouTube personality recently spoke about
depression. People with depression should take responsibility for their
feelings; this was the gist of it. Exercise was also mentioned as a way
of dealing with such states. The crowd response was mixed. While some of
the person’s accompanying statements were unsavory, especially for
those who deal with issues related to this, some say there were valid
points.
While it’s not a
black and white subject, it begs the question of how much control does
one really have for these issues? Some of the responders felt the
comments trivialized the subject. As a result, some responded with
outrage; they felt they were being made to feel ashamed or guilty for
their conditions. It goes without saying that there are ways to cope or
manage the proverbial cards one is dealt but it’s never a simple issue.
Yes, some will argue that more could always be done, but what if what’s
being done is enough? While we can “take responsibility” for some things
and make changes, other problems aren’t so simple and distracting
ourselves may not work as intended.
The other issue here
is the age old argument of non-professionals, gurus, and so called
“experts” offering advice and solutions in areas like this. It’s a
slippery slope, one that’s best left to the real professionals. It’s no
wonder there was outrage from some responders; it’s difficult for
someone to hear this subject when they’ve been taking medication for
years or they’re undergoing a serious family issue that’s brought on
grief. We can certainly manage or cope, but these are not enough to
solve the underlying issues.
This opens the
discussion for being more informed and sensitive regarding this topic.
Let’s be sensitive when we work with people experiencing related issues.
It’s not enough to say if someone is struggling with depression,
anxiety, and other mood states that they should just exercise. Exercise
isn’t the cure all; it certainly helps, but it won’t make the underlying
problems vanish. They may need to seek professional assistance, but
regardless it’s important to use a level of prudence and compassion when
discussing these issues.
It people feel blamed
for their problems they’ll shut down; they won’t listen and they’re
more likely to retaliate because they feel their world is being
attacked. Remember, some people can’t control the problem they can only
manage and cope with it. As fitness professionals we work with people
from all backgrounds, whether we’re trying to offer advice or an opinion
via videos or through other outlets it’s a good idea to be mindful of
who we’re speaking too, what we’re speaking about, and how our words
will make them feel.
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