How to Save $100 in 30 Minutes and Be Happier

Guys, the author is obviously not referring to clinical matters here, be cool.

Hey author, good post, I really liked it.

Suggestion: When I get your posts via email, I sometimes skip over them because you don't put the name on the post.

You don't have to go to med school to know that depression and suicide (mentioned in the second paragraph) are clinical issues. And if it was not referring to clinical issues, it was hardly obvious.

Being suicidal is not much different from having someone else pointing a gun at you. The main difference is you're holding the (metaphorical) gun. It's just as stressful and dangerous as any life-threatening situation, and is just as serious. Most people who've never been suicidal don't realize this. It's far more than being sad or the occasional self-depreciating thought. It's a point you reach when you are in so much agony that you cannot cope in any other possible way, and you reach a point where there is (you believe) only one option remaining - to kill yourself.

As far as therapists prescribing medication, most therapists aren't even doctors. Generally what happens when serious cases of mental illness are treated is that you have a medical doctor provide medication after evaluations, input, and evidence, which is most successful with talk therapy. Talk therapy is invaluable for someone who is mentally ill. Mental illness is, most of the time, about dealing with distorted thoughts and perceptions, and correcting them. You cannot do this without outside input after a certain point. Group therapy is also invaluable for recovery, as well.

To be sure there are bad doctors and bad therapists, just as there are in any profession. I'm leery of anyone that tells me "just pills" will fix depression. Similarly, the reverse is true for severe illnesses. I may be on some form of anti-depressants for the rest of my life. I might be able to go off them eventually, too. For now, though, I must live day by day, and evaluate things in that fashion.

While I think for most people who aren't mentally ill your advice can work, there are many people with extremely serious and life-threatening mental illnesses that it won't work for. You must educate yourself and investigate all possible treatments while finding mental health professionals that are not only good, but that you can develop a trusting relationship with.

I have a severe case of major depression and very bad general anxiety. This past October I almost died from it. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for a therapist or medication. As the cliche goes, however, everyone is different...and it behooves each of us who suffer regularly from such things to take care of ourselves, and investigate every possible option.

I'm not offended or anything. Just please understand that suicidal ideations are not to be messed with. It's an extremely serious life-threatening condition, and is an emergency that must be dealt with immediately.

Also, ANYONE who is suicidal should immediately get professional help! It is absurd and very irresponsible for you to endorse anything else, especially running, as a viable alternative.

This is great advice for occasional stress or unhappiness, but many people struggle daily with problems much more serious and deeper than a little running can fix. In the future, please don't be so dismissive as to suggest that all psychological problems can be fixed with exercise. If it were that easy, believe me, more people would do it. Your article risks adding to the stigma that people with mental issues already feel, and makes it seem like self-help will solve all of their problems. If it works for you, great, but don't make other people feel bad if they need more serious help.

I have to agree with you. The psychological issues mentioned in the article are medical issues. Depression is different from sadness, or simply being in a bad funk. Unfortunately, these are things that do need to be treated with pills. Endorphins are basically natural opiates produced in the brain, and are associated with the brain's pleasure or "reward" system. At their most basic, they are the body's natural painkillers. This has absolutely nothing to do with the chemical imbalances in the brain that cause depression. If running produced more serotonin and dopamine, then that would be great. I believe minimalism is a great philosophy, and really enjoy your articles. But this just seems to be a naive, uneducated theory that could possibly undermine some individuals' personal situations, and at the worst, put them in danger.