Boxing for mental health

[darlo18]

This is probably different to your typical posts but I wanted to write about my experiences with boxing and depression and praise the sport and maybe motivate others. I got into boxing pretty old, I was 31 had a shattered left elbow from my early twenties, was shy, drinking too much, taking too many drugs, had major depression and was dealing with the loss of two friends to suicide and depression.

I'm not as experienced or as good as many people in the forum. I was useless in fact, but I found myself through boxing. I got my ass kicked repeatedly in sparring, had no natural ability or athleticism but something about it gripped me from the first time I took a class. I found discipline and structure in my life for the first time, found satisfaction in the pain of pushing myself. When my friends all called me to go out drinking I rejected them in favor of the gym. I lost my dad in December and once again boxing saved me from my demons - I channelled all the rage and pain into the sport and didn't drink for months in preparation for a fight. It is still the one thing that I can credit to saving me from sinking into depression.

I've been training for six years now, Im well too old to go anywhere in the sport but it's given me everything antidepressants couldn't. Learning to defend myself and not be scared probably saved my life, gave me the confidence to do job interviews, approach beautiful women, and cured my anxiety. Due to COVID-19 I've been out of the sport for six months, but have my first training session again next Friday. I was training for my fifth fight in March but it got cancelled due to the pandemic, and I can't honestly wait until I can get back into it. It will be a long road back to fight fitness but I'm looking forward to the journey. I do boxing because I have to do it.

So hopefully that's some motivation for the younger ones, make the most of your youth, train hard, push yourself you have many years ahead of me and I only regret I didnt get into it younger. Or for the older ones who are wondering whether it is worth it if you can't be champion, it depends what you mean by champion - just competing and surviving is a champion in my eyes. I am well aware of my abilities and that I cannot go anywhere in the sport. But what it's given me is my life back and for that it's priceless.

[Lucky86]

Great post. As a shy awkward teenager boxing gave me confidence to walk with my head up and not be intimidated by people anymore.
I really think I learned How to be a man in the gym. Learning that you have the strength to get beaten up and come right back at the guy the next day and the day after that.
Those kind of lessons helped me a lot later in my life when you get given different types of fights.

My nose doesn’t look great and I got a couple of scars and my boxing career is nothing to brag about but boxing was 100 percent one of the best things I did as a young man.

[OctoberRed]

Great post. As a shy awkward teenager boxing gave me confidence to walk with my head up and not be intimidated by people anymore.
I really think I learned How to be a man in the gym. Learning that you have the strength to get beaten up and come right back at the guy the next day and the day after that.
Those kind of lessons helped me a lot later in my life when you get given different types of fights.

My nose doesn’t look great and I got a couple of scars and my boxing career is nothing to brag about but boxing was 100 percent one of the best things I did as a young man.

A lot of people hit that gym as teenagers to get their heads right and/or stay out of trouble.

[Lucky86]

So many things I learned to handle to gym that I see other people lacking I really feel blessed.
Anxiety is such a problem for most people of my generation and younger. But boxing in the locker room before a fight you learn how to deal with it and eventually understand it’s helping you to sharpen your senses and think of possible bad situations and how to escape them.
My most prized possession from boxing isn’t one of the medals it’s my character now. But it’s a long road.

[AlexRoss0908]

I don't have very good relationships with my co-workers and my manager, but I really love what I do for a living. Boxing is very helpful to withdraw my inner anger

[AlexKidd]

If anyone pi55es me off I can punch them really hard and they cant really fight back effectively, thats the main reason I did boxing

[JabRight]

Same here dude before I knew anything about boxing, I was a long time on the road construction worker all over the country. I had a marriage I really cared about until I got home permanently after the last job I decided to do that I got hit with the divorce papers. That really took me to a downward spiral in my life for about 2 years or so until I walked in one day to the gym because I needed something to do after work. Ive been at it 2.5 years now and I can totally say boxing saved my life, had I kept going down that route of alcohol and drugs I wouldve wasted everything I worked hard for career wise. Boxing truly does give you structure and discipline, it is very unlike weightlifting alone. It rebuilds your confidence and keeps your feet touched to the ground as opposed to those big lifter guys who have narcissistic egos with no hands. 🤷*♂️ Boxing is much more than just simple punches, there is alot it allows you to learn about yourself.

[Rockin'1]

This is probably different to your typical posts but I wanted to write about my experiences with boxing and depression and praise the sport and maybe motivate others. I got into boxing pretty old, I was 31 had a shattered left elbow from my early twenties, was shy, drinking too much, taking too many drugs, had major depression and was dealing with the loss of two friends to suicide and depression.

I'm not as experienced or as good as many people in the forum. I was useless in fact, but I found myself through boxing. I got my ass kicked repeatedly in sparring, had no natural ability or athleticism but something about it gripped me from the first time I took a class. I found discipline and structure in my life for the first time, found satisfaction in the pain of pushing myself. When my friends all called me to go out drinking I rejected them in favor of the gym. I lost my dad in December and once again boxing saved me from my demons - I channelled all the rage and pain into the sport and didn't drink for months in preparation for a fight. It is still the one thing that I can credit to saving me from sinking into depression.

I've been training for six years now, Im well too old to go anywhere in the sport but it's given me everything antidepressants couldn't. Learning to defend myself and not be scared probably saved my life, gave me the confidence to do job interviews, approach beautiful women, and cured my anxiety. Due to COVID-19 I've been out of the sport for six months, but have my first training session again next Friday. I was training for my fifth fight in March but it got cancelled due to the pandemic, and I can't honestly wait until I can get back into it. It will be a long road back to fight fitness but I'm looking forward to the journey. I do boxing because I have to do it.

So hopefully that's some motivation for the younger ones, make the most of your youth, train hard, push yourself you have many years ahead of me and I only regret I didnt get into it younger. Or for the older ones who are wondering whether it is worth it if you can't be champion, it depends what you mean by champion - just competing and surviving is a champion in my eyes. I am well aware of my abilities and that I cannot go anywhere in the sport. But what it's given me is my life back and for that it's priceless.

The guy that I started with won his Masters class title, a couple of times. He was pretty old when he did it, probably about 75 years old. You can do this for a long time as an amateur. And you ain't kiddin' about the frame of mind that you get to walk around with.


If the bug actually bit you than you are going to want to do this for as long as you can. The Masters class makes it so. If you are competing in sanctioned bouts with USA Boxing (that's what I remember it as) than you are already on your way. Paul was a good guy and he got bit too and still is a nice guy.

I got bit too. If you remain amateur you can get those near daily doses of adrenaline and saratonin for many years to come. With the adrenaline and saratonin, they'll leave you flyin' high as you do your thing.

Home - USA Masters Boxing

You will need money to travel though, bouts are hard to find.

Good luck......................Rockin'

[Rockin'1]

Great post. As a shy awkward teenager boxing gave me confidence to walk with my head up and not be intimidated by people anymore.
I really think I learned How to be a man in the gym. Learning that you have the strength to get beaten up and come right back at the guy the next day and the day after that.
Those kind of lessons helped me a lot later in my life when you get given different types of fights.

My nose doesn’t look great and I got a couple of scars and my boxing career is nothing to brag about but boxing was 100 percent one of the best things I did as a young man.

................Rockin'

[Rockin'1]

If anyone pi55es me off I can punch them really hard and they cant really fight back effectively, thats the main reason I did boxing

Than you are an as$hole. I bet if the guy was pissing you off, but you thought that he could kick your a$$, that you would keep your hands in your pockets.

I had 'friends' like you.............Rockin'