ARTICLE FOR OPENMIND- Submitted the Professor Peter Gilbert - Worcester Jogger

KEEP UP YOUR SPIRITS: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

Breathing in, breathing out, air into the lungs, breath of life; feet, legs, body frame, eyes, mind, spirit, heart and body, all connected. I notice the sights, smells, sounds, sensations of my surroundings as I run, with a group of companions, down the Worcester Canal ; round Diglis canal basin and its sign displaying the locks to Tewkesbury and Birmingham; over the bridge, past the imposing 13th century Cathedral of St. Oswald; and up towards the Old Bridge where a rowing eight is shooting the arches, scattering swans as it goes. We double back to the tail-enders, as the proud boast of Worcester Joggers is that “we don’t leave anybody behind”; and I look into the faces of my community: Lisa, Mike, Vicki, Charlie and others. Some are wearing shirts displaying the races they have run as badges of honour : Pat with his bright ‘Sodbury Slog’ emblem, and Teri with her ‘Race the Horse’ (don’t ask!). I feel inspirited by the physical sensation of running; the connection with nature and the buildings of an ancient city; and the company : old friends and new ones; the jokes, the mutual support, the sharing of news and problems, the encouragement to push oneself that bit further; and also the non-talking, the ability to run with people but to be within one’s own head and thoughts and feelings – solitary, but not lonely. As we pause to cross the bridge, I mention this article to Gary, who tells me that he had depression, when work pressures, moving house and the birth of a new child pushed him into an unfamiliar zone, where a combination of a sympathetic GP, anti-depressants, good friends and running kept him going, and eventually lifted him again. I am constantly stirred by the number of runners who say to me that they have experienced an episode(s) of mental distress at some stage of their lives, and that running has helped them to recover and thrive.

As we run over the bridge, down the Riverside Promenade, with its flower baskets and towards the park, a group of youngsters remark that we must be “****ing mad!” Of course, a few years ago, that’s exactly what I was, but I need to go back a bit .

I had an idyllic childhood, growing up on the island of Jersey. A major turning point in my life came when I was sent away to boarding school at the age of 8. I can’t think of much good that came out of it except that it gave me, when a Childcare Social Worker, an empathy with kids who were removed from home. One of the problems that remains from those years, is the little voice that comes into my head when things get tough, and tells me what the teachers at that boarding school used to say: “You’ll never achieve anything”.

Talking with a variety of people over the years, I realise just how prevalent the problems caused by these childhood voices are. One of the benefits of any strenuous exercise is that it clears your head of pressures, and negative thoughts, and tends to refresh you. As a Social Worker with 13 years direct practice, I found running a great release. Speaking with a new runner this week, she remarked simply: “Running keeps me sane”.

Now, from preserving sanity to recovering from mental illness. In 1997 I went from Staffordshire to Worcestershire to become Director of Social Services of a new (post LGR) department. I had been warned that there would be problems with particular people, and that it had gone through a series of financial crises over at least the last 10 years. Having to take 7% in the first year, out of a budget which was already a ‘busted flush’, created inevitable problems 3 years down the line. What happened left me with an abiding sense of what ethical, value-based leadership is and what it isn’t (Gilbert, 2005, a). I found that trying to do the impossible meant I got into a pattern of sleeping about 2 hours a night, losing 2lbs a day, and finally ending up in my GP’s surgery. her response was human, direct and very reassuring: “This is shit!”, she proclaimed angrily, “they are using you as a scapegoat”. I spent 6 months off sick with depression and I feel myself very fortunate to have survived , and even more fortunate to be in a valued work role again.

What helped me were a number of factors. Firstly, I had a good GP, who, while she recommended anti-depressants, gave me some control. With all the issues around medication at the moment, I have to say that it was extremely helpful, had minimal side effects, and enabled me to start my recovery. I was also fortunate to have a place of spiritual asylum - Worth Abbey ( BBC2’s The Monastery, May 2005); a friend who was able to absorb both my sadness and my anger (because I was certainly ‘mad’ in a different way!); real leaders, like Professor Antony Sheehan, who welcomed me back into the world of work; and my running club, Worcester Joggers.

Earlier this year, The Mental Health Foundation brought out its Report: Up and Running? The research found that 55% of GPs commonly prescribed anti-depressants as their first treatment response to mild or moderate depression, while only 35% believed that this was the most effective strategy (p 18). The Foundation points out that there are many advantages of exercise therapy, and these can act in four main ways:

• Biological/chemical – through the increased release of endorphins and encephalins ( Burfoot, 2005).
• Social – exercise enables people to build new social networks .
• Esteem boosting – the learning of new skills and achieving goals.
• Distraction/flow – moving away from the preoccupation with negative thoughts, and creating a more positive state of mind. ( pp 26-27).

The report makes the case for advantages flowing from the factors above: exercise is cost-effective; it has co-incidental benefits, and less potential side-effects than that of anti-depressants; it is an active, sustainable, recovery choice; and it is a ‘normalising’ experience.

There are inspiring stories, eg Laura Boswel (Runner’s World, August 2004, pp 77-78): “I’d liken it (depression) to a Victorian ghost story; you know something bad is lurking, but you don’t know what. You just have a creeping dread”. Training for the London Marathon - she ran even though there were days “when …… I could hardly clean my teeth”. This accords very much with my experience, where I felt I was literally running to save my life. Although the Lofepramine helped enormously, there were days in the ‘chasm’ when I couldn’t do anything, but would still get out and run.

Worcester Joggers has existed as a relatively informal group of runners for many years, but in the last 7 it has grown from about 20 to 100+ members. This seems to be partly due to people’s desire to run as a social group. Because we found that so many people had experienced some form of mental distress, I conducted a small survey, and people were very open about what caused them distress:

“Stress caused by life!” as one put it; the fact that many people had indeed experienced extreme mental unhappiness; and how running helped. Bereavement, childhood experiences, relationship breakdown, children leaving home, stress from work, were all cited, in very moving ways:

“It was a celebration of life and good health. I was just so grateful my body worked” (having cared for their partner who died from cancer).

“I became depressed and got to the point where I didn’t want any contact with the outside world … I continued to run and became quite competitive, as this was my way of dealing with my anger” (after the break-up of a relationship).

“When I was extremely stressed at work and under a lot of pressure, running helped to make me forget work”.

How running helped, especially running in a community, because as Professor Peter Beresford has remarked:

“The thing I fear most is still loneliness” was also outlined in the comments:

“Running puts people at the same level, irrespective of their professional status or standard of living. The club is like an extended family, sharing experiences and ideas, achievements and disappointments”.

“It’s preventative medicine”.

“As a Christian, running seems to bring together the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of life. It is a wonderful way to enjoy God’s creation.”

“It can give you that space between a problem and a solution.”

Interestingly, at least one person spoke of the wider issue of social responsibility:

“It is also extremely fulfilling when running to raise sponsorship money, as you feel you are putting something back into the world”.

Yet again, for some people, it was just simply the sheer exhilaration of running:

“Running helps me connect with Nature. I enjoy MUD and lots of it, it’s a kind of adventure!!”

A recognition of the spiritual dimension of each individual is becoming increasingly prevalent in Western societies, despite the increased secularisation and materialism. People often feel that they are just one more commodity, and that their value as human beings is often based purely on their financial ability to consume (see B. Moss, 2005, A. Campbell, et al 2005/6 , and Croydon MIND, 2005).

Spirituality and religion are not identical. As Stephen Wright puts it: “Everybody is spiritual, but not everybody is religious. We all seek meaning, purpose, relationship and connectedness in life, but not everybody chooses to channel that quest through the more formal structure and belief system of a religion” (2005, p 3). There are a huge number of definitions of spirituality, but these might involve: the essence of our humanness as unique individuals within a common humanity; what is deepest in us, inspiring us and giving us direction, especially at times of crisis; the human quest for meaning, purpose, identity, meaningful relationships, and a sense of the holy (see NIMHE/MHF, 2003, and P. Gilbert, 2005, b). Running as a spiritual experience can provide a sense of well-being; bring one closer to nature; stimulate a sense of beauty; and fosters community and solidarity. As Joggers commented:

“Running helps me connect with myself when running on my own, or silently”,

“As a group, running helps me make and connect with new friends and existing friends, as it gives me a common interest”.

“It is a good reminder of what we are doing – living, rather than living to work”.

[As part of the national Spirituality and Mental Health Project, Mary Ellen Coyte is producing a book on spiritual strategies for survival (MHF, 2005/6)].

Is it stretching a point too far to say that being a member of a running club has some aspects of religion?! A definition of religion might be:

“Religion encompasses aspects of spirituality, usually in the context of belief in a transcendent being or beings. Religious faiths can provide a ‘world view’, which is acted out in narrative, creeds, symbols, rites, rituals, sacraments and gatherings; and the promotion of ties of mutual obligation. It creates a framework within which people seek to understand and interpret and make sense of themselves, their lives and daily experiences.

It could be said that runners have a set of beliefs. There are a number of ‘birth’ runners, who started running on the beach with their parents; while there are also ‘born again’ runners, who only came to the activity late in the day, a ‘Damascene experience’ brought on by seeing oneself in the mirror (!), or hitting a crisis of health or meaning.

Club runners certainly have rituals. They gather on the club nights, and the gathering can seem like a church congregation, especially when the Chair of the Club, welcomes people to the gathering, gives out the notices, and praises ‘Sister Emma’ and ‘Brother Jim’, who ran some muddy cross-country in some remote part of Worcestershire! Worcester Joggers also head off for a monthly Club meal – usually at a Worcester Balti house.

We also have a strange coded language, while sacramental institutions may involve rites of passage, sharing a meal and also awards and prizes. Those who have dropped out through injury or lethargy, are welcomed back like those who repenteth!

My comments about the religious nature of running are only partly serious ! But there is no doubt that running not only has physical benefits, but the spiritual experience is one of being inspirited, solidarity with others, a sense of the sacred in nature and in people, and as one person put it, “a sense of belonging”.

Peter Gilbert
NIMHE Lead on Spirituality
Visiting Professor, Staffordshire University.

With encouragement and perspiration (!) by Vicki Hasler, Mike Sell and Tracey Hall.
For more on the NIMHE Spirituality Project please visit the web page on www.nimhe.org.uk

REFERENCES

Beresford, P. (2005) ‘Solitary Confinement’, Community Care, 16-22 June, 2005.

Burfoot, A. (2005) ‘Does Runner’s High exist?’, Runner’s World, May 2005.

Campbell, A., Cox, J. and Fulford, W. K. M. (2005/2006,) Medicine for the Person: Faith, Values and Science in Health Care Provision, Jessica Kingsley

Coyte, M. (2005/2006 ) Spiritual Strategies for Survival (working title), MHF

Croydon MIND (2005) Hard to Believe, DVD version.

Gilbert, P. (2003) The Value of Everything, Russell House Publishing.

Gilbert, P. (2005[a], forthcoming ), Leadership,: Russell House .

Gilbert, P. (2005[b]), The Language of the Heart – Lecture to Mental Health Communities, Jersey, March 2005.

Moss, B. (2005) Religion and Spirituality, RHP

NIMHE/The Mental Health Foundation (Gilbert, P. and Nicholls, V.) Inspiring Hope , NIMHE, November 2003.

Swinton, J. (2001) Spirituality in Mental Health Care: Re-discovering a Forgotten Dimension, J.K.

The Mental Health Foundation (2005) Up and Running: Exercise Therapy and the Treatment of Mild or Moderate Depression in Primary Care, MHF,

Wright, S. G. (2005) Reflections on Spirituality and Health, Whurr