Dealing with Depression (short version)

        I hate depression; it makes me sad. I’ve had it for years, however, and it’s kind of like an old friend that you don’t really like, but you’ve had for so many years that you can’t make yourself get rid of him. I’ve even been on so many different medications that I’ve forgotten what half of them were. After a while, you just take what the doctor tells you and don’t ask any questions.

            I’ve heard lots of explanations over the years as to why I have it; everything from sinning to pinched nerves in my neck. The most often quoted, and the one I believe, is that I have a chemical imbalance in my brain. Dopamine and serotonin are to blame, but their over or underproduction is only a symptom and not the cause of my blues. In order to get off the meds, I needed to find a way to balance things.

            Walking seems to be the key for me. If I take more than two days off from walking, I begin to feel that dark feeling creep back in like a slinking dog. Even the change in my diet can’t seem to keep it away by itself. I do notice, though, that sugar seems to make it come back even faster. They say sugar is a source of energy, but the only thing that seems to get energized is my depress

ion. That sucks.

            So, I try to walk daily and sometimes I challenge myself to either walk further or faster than I normally do. Sometimes I just like to stroll along slowly and listen to the sounds of nature (cars, airplanes, fire trucks) or some podcast. Sometimes I listen to a book and sometimes I take my wife with me and we talk. No matter what I do with my mind while I walk, it levels out my neurotransmitters and makes the rest of the day much better.

            I suppose going to the gym would have a similar result, but by the time I pay for a membership, get dressed, and drive across town, I would be more stressed out than before and I’d mess up my levels again. I’ll stick to walking because it’s cheap and easy. Besides, I have serious back issues and walking doesn’t hurt too much.

            If anyone else does anything to help them with this problem, I’d love to hear from you. Just drop a line in the comments and share with the world (assuming the world reads this).