Bicycling for Life - TEDx talk
 

Mark Martin, head of Bike Baton Rouge/Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets

Wow... I like that Ted Talk! Thanks for digging it up.

Although the bell was a little annoying....

With the promotion that Ted Talks get on the Internet... you can bet a lot of people got exposed to these ideas.

I liked that he rode onto stage. The bell was great at the start, an audio bullet point. He had a lot of good numbers presented well.

Simple, straightforward, non-confrontational...and uncannily accurate.

That this even needs to be discussed is a sad thing; but there's the whole human nature thing, about personal status being directly tied to how LITTLE you must do to live your 'chosen lifestyle'. The ancient royalty had others to do 'menial' work FOR them so they could enjoy leisure. Not a lot has changed. I get a LOT of odd reactions about NOT wanting to always do things the 'easy way'; I've found that 'the easy way' doesn't always accomplish what I want to accomplish.

I didn't hear a thing there that I would disagree with.

Great, now every time I hear a bell ring, I want to buy another bike. Curse you Mark Martin!

:p

I liked Martins talk. He mentions that most Americans see the bicycle as either a toy, a rich man's obsession, or a poor man's choice. I, too, think that these are the prevailing thoughts by most people about bicycles.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70nfZ5g0HY...600/prozac.png

Does happiness need to be this complex? Martin doesn't think so:

:)

I thought he was using the bell as a way to signal someone to change slides for him but sometimes he also used to to emphasis a point he was making or highlight a high number of deaths. It was an interesting idea that made a serious subject, traffic safety, more interesting and fun. I think it was overused though and it was distracting to watch him fumble for the bell behind his back on occasion. The rest of the presentation was great. I shared this!

I liked the TED talk a lot, built I want to mention one thing that bothered me, and it's something I also see on bikeforums.

Riding a bike will not cure depression. It can make a normal person with the blues feel happier, and maybe even help with mild cases of depression (dysthymia). But severe depression (Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder) are serious illnesses. DIY treatments will not be effective against them. In some cases, even powerful professional treatments (drugs, psychotherapy, ECT) will not have much effect.

Why is this important? What could it hurt to advise people with depression to just ride a bike? I can think of two reasons.

First, it's just plain bad advice. It's like telling a person with colon cancer to "forget about the doctor, just get more fiber in your diet and you'll be fine." Like cancer patients, people with clinical depression should not waste time on DIY treatments. They need to get to a professional (psychiatrist or psychologist) as soon as possible. Untreated depression always causes enormous pain and disability. In some cases, it is even fatal.

The second reason not to offer bike riding to a depressed person is that it minimizes their pain and belittles their experiences, while implicitly blaming the victim for having the illness. Often people tell a depressed friend something like, "You just need to get some fresh air and exercise....you will feel better if you get our of that bed and do something." The underlying message is that it's their own fault that they're depressed, because they're lazy and don't exercise properly. The truth is actually the opposite: the person is not depressed because they're lying in bed; they are lying in bed because they are depressed.

Good video.

It's good to hear this said. I hear so much about the "endorphin rush" and how "You cannot be sad on a bicycle." I laugh.

At the same time, bicycling does have it's place with depression, and shouldn't be discouraged. Getting exercise is good, and so is being in better shape. And the bicycle demands attention to the environment, which brings a little relief, even if temporary, from the brutal introspection that is depression. Furious pedaling, especially up hill, also allows one to work out rage in a fairly harmless manner and the solitude of cycling offers a chance to achieve a more mindful state. So I think that bicycling should be encouraged for depressed people, but it can't be sold as a panacea.

I completely agree with you. It's no cure. But my son, who is schizophrenic, seemed to get so much out of cycling when he was doing it. There was a whole year when he loved to head out on the MUP every day and seemed really peaceful and at ease.

But, all of a sudden, and without any explanation, it ended and he stopped cycling.

(I'm sure you have) but have you tried to get him back into it?

Some trigger event? Have you asked him?

Oh yeah... but it's like talking to the wind. :) He did take up walking... lots of walking.

I hope he returns to cycling or some other activity that brings him peace. I too have a son with a mental illness (bipolar disorder) so I know a little about the worries that you live with. At times in his life, my son has also found some peace on a bicycle.

A psychiatrist where I work has actually done a study of exercise for young schizophrenics. I guess they had some positive results, but AFAIK nothing has been published.

I hope I explained myself clearly in my last post. I'm a strong supporter of exercise, and of course I believe it can be beneficial for many people with depression and other mental illnesses. But it won't cure the illness, and it is no replacement for professional treatment. Just to explain my own qualifications, I have worked with people with severe mental illnesses for over 30 years. I have an MA in clinical psychology but I am not a psychologist.

Mine is more like talking to a brick wall. :)

As for the walking, that's pretty common. I knew an older lady with schizophrenia who walked from Mason, MI to Lansing several times a month. I was never able to understand why; it seemed like she just walked 15 miles then turned around and walked back.

That was a great vid, thanks for sharing.

I realized what you were saying as a counterpoint to what Mark Martin said. Cycling is not a cure for depression. But I had to add my two cents, that while it doesn't cure, it doesn't hurt.

Roody- Well said. I've been an unknowing sufferer of Dysthymia all my life. I'm now 61, as of 5/13/2013. Approx 2004 I was referred to the Psychiatric dept of Kaiser Permanente here in SoCal. After going through a number of physical tests and mental evaluations by doctors, specialists, psychologists and psychiatrists I was diagnosed with Dysthymia. It took three years to find a drug combination that helped with the constant down feelings. Currently I'm using generic versions of Ritalin (10mgs/day) and Effexor XR (75mgs/day). Kaiser's standard is to use generic meds when possible. The dosage is very low considering other clinical usage but for me it works wonders. I got back into bicycling in 2000 and have since turned it into my passion since 2006. Exercise by itself didn't work for me as I doubt it works for others. Cycling has given me such a sense of freedom and happiness that is difficult to describe. I'm not car-free but envision being car-lite in next year or two when I can start cutting back my regular work schedule to part time and seek more meaningful work closer to home so that I can get rid of the car entirely. Thx, PG.

Lots of us reading this probably nodded in agreement with your post.