[thekingof8]

I'm starting to think that I can't produce endorphins, dopamine, or serotonin. Is it possible? I've heard deficiency, but what about being unable to produce it? I have tried numerous things, but nothing seems to help. Some things that are recommended are:

Exercise: I go to the gym three times a week for 30 minutes to an hour. I find it's just makes me feel angry. The more strenuous it is, the angrier I feel. I just gets my blood pumping and it has the complete opposite affect.

Acupuncture: Considering I'm a Type 1 Diabetic, and I'm not afraid of needles, so maybe it's worth a shot?

Meditation.: You need a relaxing setting and there isn't any for me. There is always too much noise and I constantly get interrupted.

S*x: LOL

Playing music: I don't have the talent or the money and patience to learn.

Laughter: It does help, on the rare occasion I find something funny.

Ultraviolet light: I'd probably get skin cancer, knowing my luck.

I haven't been truly happy for a long time. Come to think of it, I don't know if I ever have been. Especially the last few years, it's been one bad thing after another, to the point that I have developed PTSD. It seems no matter how hard I try, I will just fail miserably.

[unaluna]

Maybe try like walking, rather than pumping iron? Or a stationary bike with a pleasant view screen? Or swimming.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

or cardio with an audio you like: music, an audiobook, or a podcast. You can do it on a cardio machine. It is unusual that strenuous exercise makes you angry, but maybe it means you should go for Zone 2 training instead.

I knew a man who did not get endorphins from exercise. For him it was all boring. He also disliked showering after exercise (something that is purely hedonic for me, unlike showering without exercising first). But the man is a high-functioning autistic, so that might be to blame.

Have you tried cold showers? Say, just spray cold water on your feet and lower legs in the beginning?

Have you tried sauna/stream room treatments? For me, most endorphins come from temperature contrasts, such as submerging myself in a cold plunge after a sauna or stream room. Korean spas offer these.

[thekingof8]

Originally Posted by unaluna

Maybe try like walking, rather than pumping iron? Or a stationary bike with a pleasant view screen? Or swimming.

I have to do some sort of weights for my right arm to heal a strained muscle. I'm trying to get my bike set up so I can go for rides again. Dealing with idiot drivers and pedestrians might set me off.

[thekingof8]

Originally Posted by Tart Cherry Jam

or cardio with an audio you like: music, an audiobook, or a podcast. You can do it on a cardio machine. It is unusual that strenuous exercise makes you angry, but maybe it means you should go for Zone 2 training instead.

I knew a man who did not get endorphins from exercise. For him it was all boring. He also disliked showering after exercise (something that is purely hedonic for me, unlike showering without exercising first). But the man is a high-functioning autistic, so that might be to blame.

Have you tried cold showers? Say, just spray cold water on your feet and lower legs in the beginning?

Have you tried sauna/stream room treatments? For me, most endorphins come from temperature contrasts, such as submerging myself in a cold plunge after a sauna or stream room. Korean spas offer these.

I just want to lose some fat and build muscle. I'm not sure why I get angry when I do exercises. I guess the blood gets pumping and moving throughout my body and it gets my anxiety and anger going too.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Do you do strength or cardio?

[SquarePegGuy]

Originally Posted by thekingof8

-snip-
Meditation.: You need a relaxing setting and there isn't any for me. There is always too much noise and I constantly get interrupted.
-snip-

Not every style of meditation requires a quiet or relaxing setting. Fundamentally, meditation involves training the mind to pay attention. You can pay attention to noise and interruption. I have a lot of that in my own head!

It's an interesting question, though. I think I had an ND explain that if your HPA axis (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal) is on the frizz, you'd lack the building blocks for some important hormones.

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis - Wikipedia

[SquarePegGuy]

Originally Posted by thekingof8

I just want to lose some fat and build muscle. I'm not sure why I get angry when I do exercises. I guess the blood gets pumping and moving throughout my body and it gets my anxiety and anger going too.

Sounds like low blood sugar.

[thekingof8]

Originally Posted by Tart Cherry Jam

Do you do strength or cardio?

A bit of both.

[thekingof8]

Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy

Sounds like low blood sugar.

That's what I thought at first. I always check it before and after my workout (Type One Diabetes) and always normal or a bit higher.

[Blueberrybook]

As far as acupuncture, I don't know that you will get endorphins from it, but it is relaxing, and if you can afford it or your insurance pays for it, it's not a waste. When I was doing acupuncture, a session relaxed me quite a bit, but unfortunately for me, by the next day or 2, the effects had worn off. I don't know, I only went about 3 months or so (weekly). I couldn't afford to keep going. It doesn't hurt, and it wasn't scary. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I had the money for it.

Have you tried a SAD lamp? You can buy a pretty decent one on Amazon for under $40. They don't help everyone, but using one daily for an hour has helped my mood so much that actually for the first time in years, I've felt happy now and again and quite stable. No meds have ever been able to achieve the good mood I've had of late (without being manic).

[Tart Cherry Jam]

I did temperature contrasts at the gym yesterday and felt serenely relaxed afterwards.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

I was walking around our complex r cently and discovered a pile of free stuff done neighbors dumped near the mailboxes. They were either doing a major declutter or preparing for a move. I picked up a huge round tub made of sturdy red plastic.

Now I fill it with water almost to the brim and keep it in the bath tub. In the morning, I step I to the tub and stand there, counting to 100. It is not as good as a full cold plunge, but it is good enough - it causes a release of endorphins and gives me energy to face the day.

If you are interested in trying this method, I will check on the bottom of the tub for its make and model.

[SquarePegGuy]

My shower head is detachable. I step into a dry shower, detach the showerhead and turn on the water, which I aim at my feet and lower legs.

I do this for the cold water rush, but also because I hate to waste water while it heats up.

[SquarePegGuy]

If the problem really is with the HPA axis, exercise might be worsening the condition. Exercise is a form of stress, and too much stress can further deplete the adrenals.

I'm not a doctor, and this is only what I've heard, so please don't take this as advice. It's quite possible that sitting or lying down most of the day is even worse for you than exercise!

[thekingof8]

Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy

If the problem really is with the HPA axis, exercise might be worsening the condition. Exercise is a form of stress, and too much stress can further deplete the adrenals.

I'm not a doctor, and this is only what I've heard, so please don't take this as advice. It's quite possible that sitting or lying down most of the day is even worse for you than exercise!

I was looking up the HPA axis and that could the issue. i read that if you are exposed to stressful situations at an early age (raises hand) could be a cause.

Here's the quote from Wikipedia:

Exposure to mild or moderate stressors early in life has been shown to enhance HPA regulation and promote a lifelong resilience to stress. In contrast, early-life exposure to extreme or prolonged stress can induce a hyper-reactive HPA axis and may contribute to lifelong vulnerability to stress

.

[SquarePegGuy]

If you need help finding a Naturopathic doctor, you could visit the "CAND Directory"
directory - Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors