[One Thousand Characters a Day] Studying Depression for Precious People <2>

Editor's NoteDepression is often called the "common cold of the mind," but those who suffer from it and their families know very well that it is far from just a cold. Depression consumes the patient, destroys both body and mind, and makes daily life impossible, leading to despair. The author of ＜Studying Depression for a Loved One＞ personally tried everything first to help his wife’s treatment. He developed a diet beneficial for depression, obtained and tested supplements that were said to be effective before recommending them to his wife. He learned exercise methods good for depression first and exercised consistently with his wife. He studied beyond general books on depression, delving into research papers and medical textbooks to better understand the condition. Above all, he helped block insensitive words and actions from those around the patient that can be fatal to someone with depression, supporting his wife so she would not lose her will to undergo treatment. Word count: 997.

After much consideration, I decided to buy home training equipment and exercise at home. I purchased a squat assist device that looks like a chair and a walking pad dedicated to walking, and I started exercising first. The squat device did not show much effect, but the walking pad was different. Walking for about 30 minutes at a speed of 5 to 6 km/h made me sweat a little, so I thought my wife could do it too since it wasn’t too strenuous.

After about a month of walking daily on the walking pad, I felt my stamina improving and a sense of happiness growing. Maybe because I was doing an exercise I hadn’t done before, or because I was sweating, my worries faded and my mood became very refreshing. Even when I had concerns, after walking, I could think of solutions. From then on, I would get on the exercise equipment and walk or run at any time.

Walking alone was good, but when I increased the incline and walked, my heart pounded and the effects were even more dramatic. After about an hour, all negative thoughts disappeared, and I was filled with the feeling that I could do anything. I expected positive effects, but I didn’t realize it would be this significant, so I exercised even harder. Seeing me improve, my wife, who was watching from the side, gained energy and started walking little by little.

(Omitted)

One day, I encountered children playing outside, and none of the children failed to smile when running. I wondered how fun it must be to make them so happy. Getting used to walking every day, I started running 1 to 2 km a day depending on my condition, and it was truly enjoyable, making me feel like I had returned to my childhood.

When I went outside on a sunny day to run, I naturally started humming, and every time my feet kicked up dirt, I could smell flowers and grass, which made it even more enjoyable. As I built stamina by walking and running, I no longer struggled mentally when facing difficulties, and the more I walked, the clearer my thoughts became, so I didn’t panic even in tough situations. Since then, even though there were several major setbacks that could have caused despair, going outside and running until drenched in sweat helped calm my dizzy mind.

－ Choi Eui-jong, ＜Studying Depression for a Loved One＞, Audiobook, 20,000 KRW

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