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Practicing exercise is recommended to treat depression for example.

But I think people, in general, if they are with depression tend to deal with it by doing activities that don't suppose much effort and give some reward in the least costly way (be it from playing videogames to consuming certain drugs, as long as they can be achieved). And that people cannot enjoy in hard activities just because having depression makes them unable to, even if they try to do the effort.

Is my hypothesis correct?

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  • $\begingroup$ Be careful not to conflate depression with fatigue. Depression may take away pleasure or drive, but physical capacity is often fine. Fatigue, in contrast, can really impair physical performance. Some people have both, of course. $\endgroup$
    – Michael
    Commented Dec 31, 2021 at 20:11
  • $\begingroup$ @Michael, more than about physical capacity it's about doing things that take effort, be it physical or mental, even if a person were to usually like them. As far as I know there's a link between weight gain and depression, which would support my hypothesis. $\endgroup$
    – user2638180
    Commented Dec 31, 2021 at 22:03
  • $\begingroup$ To be clear, I agree that depression results in decreased physical activity overall, but I believe the primary cause is lack of motivation. Your hypothesis appears to be that depressed persons select activities mainly based on cost. I hypothesise that the selection is based more on total stimulation, regardless of physical cost. Naturally for both depressed and happy persons the return on investment is going to be a factor; but for depressed persons, a higher activation threshold may exist. I do agree, however, that a person with fatigue may select based mainly on cost. $\endgroup$
    – Michael
    Commented Jan 1, 2022 at 0:36

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