Do you overeat or starve when depressed?

Kimblesnbits13
Kimblesnbits13 Posts: 369 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know a lot of people lose their appetite when theyre depressed. I tend to binge eat, watch tv, get lazy and sleep when I’m sad/depressed. I’m wondering how many of you do this, or just not eat at all....? I hate to admit, but I wish I was on the other side of the spectrum.
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Replies

  • Slowfaster
    Slowfaster Posts: 186 Member
    Binge.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    Depends
  • mcbluesky
    mcbluesky Posts: 92 Member
    Binge, definitely.
  • gracegettingittogether
    gracegettingittogether Posts: 176 Member
    Binge
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »
    I know a lot of people lose their appetite when theyre depressed. I tend to binge eat, watch tv, get lazy and sleep when I’m sad/depressed. I’m wondering how many of you do this, or just not eat at all....? I hate to admit, but I wish I was on the other side of the spectrum.

    I've been on both ends, they both kind of stem from the same place (at least for me). It's taken a lot of work on myself and my own thoughts to manage those bouts and get myself to either eat something or rein in overindulging, because I know the episode will pass (no matter how long it ends up taking) and I figure it's best to mitigate as much as possible instead of prolonging feeling crummy because I got carried away.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Can't eat at all when stressed.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    I've lost my appetite and binged at various times. The one time I can think of that I was at my very lowest I ate hardly anything for almost two weeks. Like @When_Bears_Attack above, it wasn't that I was intentionally starving, but I just could not be bothered to eat. Also I had zero appetite. I lost a lot of weight over a few weeks, but obviously it wasn't healthy.

    Since then (that was when I was in college at least 10 years ago, maybe more), I haven't had another episode that was as debilitating as that, and I've both under- and overeaten when feeling down or particularly stressed. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to whether I under- or overeat in response to a particular situation.
  • etherealanwar
    etherealanwar Posts: 465 Member
    In the past whenever I was stressed/depressed I tended to eat less and lost weight as a result.
  • WhereIsPJSoles
    WhereIsPJSoles Posts: 622 Member
    Starve when stressed or depressed. When I’m happy it’s not so much that I binge, but I just don’t care until my pants don’t fit.
  • Kimblesnbits13
    Kimblesnbits13 Posts: 369 Member
    I just remembered when my grandma saw me after I gained some weight she would say "oooooi you look so happy!" I don't know if it's a cultural thing, but I know the filipino side of the family eats a lot when were at parties. When I was skinnier, they'd say "Is everything ok?"
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited January 2018
    I've done both. Mostly over-ate. The times I under-ate I was in a really bad place.

    Now I do my best to manage stress/depression/anxiety with exercise, which works, assuming I am able to force myself to do it, which can be challenging.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    When stressed I lose my appetite entirely.
    Thankfully I don't know anything about how depression feels.
  • Tinkachu
    Tinkachu Posts: 25 Member
    edited January 2018
    I overeat if I feel down or stressed because I know carbs improve serotonin which makes you feel good. I wish I didn't know that. =3=
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Lose my appetite
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I get myself really busy and tighten up on the discipline to reassert the feeling of control.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Tinkachu wrote: »
    I overeat if I feel down or stressed because I know carbs improve serotonin which makes you feel good. I wish I didn't know that. =3=

    So does exercise :smile:

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201111/boosting-your-serotonin-activity
  • trynashrink
    trynashrink Posts: 10 Member
    Binge tbh it’s the worst because I binge when I’m feeling sad and anxious and then when I’m done and realize how much I ate I end up even more sad plus disappointed on myself
  • norcalbeezy
    norcalbeezy Posts: 220 Member
    Girl I literally just went through this for about 6 weeks. I ordered door dash (takeout delivered to my door) sometimes twice a day and just wouldn't eat breakfast. I'd devour my food all alone then watch TV until I fell asleep. I had zero energy to do anything, didn't want to go out with friends and definitely didn't have any desire to workout. I took my *kitten* to the grocery store yesterday and stocked up on healthy food and going to get out of this damn funk already! Summer is coming in hot and being miserable and eating my weight in IN N OUT French fries isn't going to make me any happier :D We all go through something until we change our mindset I guess.
  • Tinkachu
    Tinkachu Posts: 25 Member
    edited January 2018
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Tinkachu wrote: »
    I overeat if I feel down or stressed because I know carbs improve serotonin which makes you feel good. I wish I didn't know that. =3=

    So does exercise :smile:

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201111/boosting-your-serotonin-activity

    I tend to be grumpy/moody after exercise unfortunately.

    Hmm, but it does say that over-doing it or exercising when you don't want to can make you feel differently. I'll keep that in mind, thank you. :)
  • suerlewis2
    suerlewis2 Posts: 126 Member
    I lose my appetite when stressed or down, but only because my alcohol consumption increases. Calories still going in.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Stress puts an overload on my body, no appetite, tired, fatigued, sleepy, etc. and I hate it too. I don't let stress beat me, I hit it head on, cause feeling like that is not fun.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    When depressed I eat/sleep and gain weight.
  • Kimblesnbits13
    Kimblesnbits13 Posts: 369 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I've done both. Mostly over-ate. The times I under-ate I was in a really bad place.

    Now I do my best to manage stress/deperssion/anxiety with exercise, which works, assuming I am able to force myself to do it, which can be challenging.

    Yeah I cant get myself to exercise right now. It's so tough. The only thing Ill get out of bed for is work (I have no choice) or to get food in the kitchen and bring it back to my bed. I might go to my parents house tonight to eat, drink wine, and spill out my emotions but I'm not sure if Ill even feel like getting out of the house for that....
  • swtsthrnprincess
    swtsthrnprincess Posts: 3 Member
    Binge - always, watch TV, veg on the couch, sleep.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    When depressed, anxious, stressed, worried... I literally forget to eat. My stomach just closes down.
  • jringer1
    jringer1 Posts: 1,230 Member
    I have never had a life crisis that impacted my appetite!
  • luciemayc
    luciemayc Posts: 3 Member
    Always over eat, I’ve also smoked and drank alcohol in the past as well to self medicate,
  • kayytyye
    kayytyye Posts: 19 Member
    Depends for me I find.

    Like today my depression and anxiety are hitting hard and I find myself not hungry at all. Then other times all I do is binge *kitten* food haha
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    Seems like when I first get stressed or depressed, I eat more, but the farther I fall into the feelings, I eat less and less.

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