I developed a cold two weeks ago, it did not linger, but a depression did, like a bad hang over. The development of the cold, dark, wet weather did not help, plus the rising numbers of Covid. I felt listless, apathetic, hopeless, unable to make progressive informed decisions, my mind felt jumbled and chaotic.
When I was younger, I may have been sucked into and consumed by this depression, now, being older, I looked on it more logically, viewing it more as a chemical imbalance.
A virus had interfered with my system, which could have had lasting results. My immune system would have had to change course, my neurotransmitters would have sent out different messages. My hormones would drug me, like a sick animal, having the effect of making me want to crawl into a dark place.
My experience led me to do some research and I discovered evidence that shows (Smith, 2012), that while having the common cold, participants have psychomotor slowing partnered with a negative mood and slower cognitive processing speeds. This can even be the case in asymptomatic cases. If you are feeling depressed for no reason, it could be that you have an undetected infection.
Why does this happen? The reason may be due to the immune system. When the body is infected it releases cytokines, these are substances the immune system releases which have an effect on cells. These can interfere and affect the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and glutamate, which have a role in mood regulation (Miller, 2013).
I tried to find research linking infections with the subsequent appearance of depression. Studies appeared to be limited but a Scandinavian study (ÖHLER-FORSBERG, 2019) on children and adolescents found that severe infections increased the chances of children entering hospitals for mental disorders by 84%. Those infections which were less severe increased mental disorders by 22% to 40% dependent on the type of disorder. This research is questionable, as one might conclude that those at risk of mental disorders are more likely to get ill in the first place. However its certainly a subject that needs further research.
Because of the effects of my cold I felt like my mind had been catapulted into a chemical imbalance and negative thought pattern. I understood that exercise is good for alleviating depression (Arent, 2020) so I decided the only way to kick start a healthy mind was to do some proper exercise out in the fresh air and nature. In the end I cycled 40 miles in one day which took nine hours. I had two massive bags to carry on my bikes. I was cycling around Tunbridge wells, Sevenoaks area which is certainly a challenge due to the never ending hills.
It was hard, but a part of me felt like I was beating my depression by doing this. I felt like I was getting to the edge of something in my psyche. Like the depression was a demon, but through pushing myself to the extreme I was sweating it out.
The roads and alleys were beautiful, the sun shone golden over the tree’s and fields, the leaves were now turning red, gold and orange. The air was fresh and clean, the sun shone , the delicious warmth trickled over my arms.
I ate plenty of food, otherwise I knew I would collapse, stopped when I could go no more. Each time I stopped I would have a renewed energy. My muscles ached, my bottom felt ever so sore, yet I still had energy to continue on. My mind wasn’t prepared to give up. After a cycling for 5 hours I felt my depression start to subside. Two more hours of cycling I told myself then I would be free. At this point my brain stopped feeling negative thoughts. The negative thoughts had disappeared. Now I was on a different plane, I felt completely calm and completely at peace.
The next day I felt like I was back to my old self and could complete the tasks I had previously found difficult. I structured my day differently so I could work on my website while also doing domestic chores.
Everyone is different but I think exercise is so important for your mental well being and kicking depression. It also improves your self-esteem. Knowing you have conquered that mountain, whatever it might be, gives you more strength in the rest of your day to day life.
References
Arent, S. et al, 2020. The Effects of Exercise on Anxiety and Depression. The handbook of sports psychology, p. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119568124.ch42.
Miller, A. et al, 2013. CYTOKINE TARGETS IN THE BRAIN: IMPACT ON NEUROTRANSMITTERS AND NEUROCIRCUITS. Depression and anxiety, 30(4), pp. pp.297-306..
ÖHLER-FORSBERG,et al., 2019. A Nationwide Study in Denmark of the Association Between Treated Infections and the Subsequent Risk of Treated Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents. JAMA Psychiatry, 76(3), p. 271.
Smith, A. P., 2012. Effects of the common cold on mood, psychomotor performance, the encoding of new information, speed of working memory and semantic processing. Brain, Behaviour and immunity, 26(7), pp. 1072-1076.