Jill Prouty

On motherhood, mental illness, and the importance of memory
  • Home
  • Contact
  • About
  • Blog
  • Tag: obesity

    • Get Out of Your Head

      Posted at 7:00 pm by jillprouty7, on July 29, 2018
      cold alcohol drink glass

      Photo by Tookapic on Pexels.com

      A recent study published in The BMJ reports that deaths related to cirrhosis increased 65% from 1999-2016. Cirrhosis, irreversible scarring of the liver, has many causes, including alcohol consumption, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis. Cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer and liver failure, both of which can be fatal.

      It caused me to think back on what Dr. Sanjay Gupta said on Anderson Cooper’s Special Town Hall: Finding Hope, Battling America’s Suicide Crisis. Gupta said that life expectancy as a whole in the United States had plateaued and dropped over the last couple of years. The most common causes of premature death for the middle-aged white working class population were liver cirrhosis, typically due to alcoholism, opioid overdose and suicide – the “deaths of despair.”

      dawn dusk forest grass

      Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

      I think most people have felt despair at one time or another, but how we deal with it can make or break us. I used to deal with stress by overeating. Some people turn to alcohol. But those “fixes” are temporary and eventually leave a person feeling worse than they did to begin with. When I began my weight loss journey in early 2014, I discovered vigorous exercise to be a powerful antidepressant. The higher the intensity, the more feel-good staying power. Spin classes were especially effective.

      Despite being a self-avowed “non-runner,” I decided to give running a try with the goal of completing a half marathon in 2015. For a long time I listened to music while I ran, creating playlists that motivated me to get out there and get it done. On the occasions when my phone wasn’t charged, my runs were pure drudgery. Then a month or so ago I had a late-night run in with a creep outside of my favorite grocery store which caught me totally off guard. As a result, I decided to give up listening to music on my runs so that I could be more aware of my surroundings. I became almost hyper-aware of the sounds around me – the chipmunk in the leaves, the birds in the trees, the rhythm of my footsteps. To my surprise, what I once considered drudgery became my calm. I was able to “get out of my head” and just be. It’s a glorious feeling.

      I’m not suggesting that running, or any kind of exercise, alone is the cure for all that ills us; but it can play an important role in one’s overall plan to getting and staying well, both physically and mentally.

      For more about the mental health benefits of running, I recommend Scott Douglas’ new book, Running is My Therapy: Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Right Depression, Ditch Bad Habits, and Live Happier (The Experiment, 2018).

      Posted in blog, books, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged alcoholism, anxiety relief, cirrhosis, depression, despair, fatty liver, fitness, happiness, mental health, mental illness, obesity, running, stress, stress relief
    • Recent Posts

      • Nature vs Nurture
      • More Time, Memories
      • Get Out of Your Head
      • Blueberrying – A Family Tradition
      • What Makes Me Happy
    • This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

      Join 519 other followers

  • Goodreads

  • Follow me on Twitter

    My Tweets
  • Tags

    abortion pill anderson cooper Anthony Bourdain antidepressants anxiety barefoot bhutan book reviews books CDC crafting crafts death of a parent depressed mothers depression despair diana Drug Therapy drug trials earthing exercise family finding hope fitness grief happiness Kate Spade ketamine love major depression memoir memorial day memory memory crafts mental health mental illness mifepristone military fallen mother's day mother's depression motherhood mothers mothers and daughters nature prince harry princess of wales psilocybin psychedelic drug therapy psychedelics psychiatry psychological suffering psychotic depression ptsd reading repurposing rosalynn carter royal wedding sanjay gupta song of solomon SSRI stigma stress stress management suicide suicide and God suicide and religion suicide crisis suicide prevention suicide prevention month survivors of suicide veterans veteran suicide weight loss weight watchers well-being

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Jill Prouty
    • Join 519 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Jill Prouty
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

  • Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy