depression = no appetite

Everyone experiences depression differently, but for me, not getting the calories I need definitely makes my depression worse. It's kind of a vicious cycle -- I don't tend to want to eat when I get depressed, which then makes my depression worse, so I eat even less, and the depression gets even worse, etc.

You have to think of food as the fuel that keeps you running. Hunger can be a really bad way to gauge whether or not you need to eat. (It's like the gas gauge in your car -- your car needs a certain amount of gas to drive a mile. Your gas gauge can be broken and always point to Full, but you still need to put gas in your car). You need X number of calories every day just to stay alive, whether or not you feel hungry.

I would really encourage you to work out a schedule and eat at regular times throughout the day. You don't need to eat a lot, but waiting too long can cause a bunch of other negative side effects like bloating or blood sugar spikes and crashes.

i'm wondering if i should try hearty broths/soups or packed smoothies? because drinking or slurping something slowly seems to be easier than trying to sit down and eat a whole meal. but i need to buy a new blender for smoothies.. hah

Those are great ideas. I'd be a little careful with the soups -- a lot of people use them to limit calories because they're so filling -- but as long as you're taking in enough calories they're perfect. It's just as easy to make high-calorie soups as it is to make low-calorie soups, and it's a lot easier to drink some of your calories sometimes.

This is just a random thing that might be interesting for you to think about -- we tend to think that "healthy" automatically means low-calorie, but that's not always true. In your specific case (just based on what you've said in this thread, which admittedly isn't a lot), the healthiest thing you can do is to make sure you're getting enough calories. If adding a cookie (or some fruit, or whatever sounds good to you) after every meal means you hit your calorie goal, the healthiest thing you can do is to eat a cookie! Getting fuel into your car should be your #1 priority if you want to keep it running well :flowerforyou:

I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I suffer from depression and OCD, so I know how hard it is... to do anything! But any small step you make to improve your well-being is really, really positive.

So, here are the non-medical things I do when I'm having an episode:

- Exercise. As hard as it is to find that motivation, going for a long walk or a swim makes me feel so much better. If I consistently exercise, every day, I can feel back to my usual self in a matter of weeks.

- Meditation. There are a few free resources, including HeadSpace that provide guided meditation. Just taking ten minutes a day to sit has been proven to do wonders for mental health. In fact, this reminds me that I should meditate when I'm well too, as it'll help keep me well.

- Food. This is hard, because you've lost your appetite, but the more you eat, the more you'll want to eat. I'd eat at regular intervals, the same time everyday to train my body to know when it's going to receive food. You could eat some really gentle food, like crackers, grapes, berries, apples, jelly (I think you call it jello in the US?) - you don't have to eat much, just try a few mouthfuls of something every few hours. Or, eat something you really love like your favourite meal or treat.

- Sleep. Lots of rest to heal the body and mind! If you struggle to sleep, take a long walk in the early evening followed by a hot shower or bath, a few gentle yoga stretches and a bit of meditation. Stay away from computers/TVs for an hour before you go to sleep, and just give your brain some time to wind down.

I hope some of that helps. Lots of love to you!

Do you have any "mindless snacking" foods you like? A lot of people can mindlessly eat a bag of chips and not even notice it. Obviously you don't want to be mindless about it because you're here for a reason and mindless eating isn't going to help. But maybe you could portion out servings in zip lock bags and munch on them while you're going about your day. I find I'm more likely to blindly eat if I'm holding food in my hands while I'm doing stuff.

It wouldn't have to be chips, just any food you like to snack on. I like Fruit Loops. I will eat them dry, one at a time and not even notice they're gone until I look down. Maybe you're more into fruit or nuts, whatever works. The best thing you can do for yourself is get some food in you and munching on snacks coupled with regular meal times might be able to help.

Stay strong! I know how tuff depression can be.

Depression is tough. I've never had clinical depression, but have gone through times where I feel sad/depressed, as everyone does. I, too, am not hungry at all then, and since I can't force myself to eat, I have to force myself to do something to get the "nothing matters" thoughts out of my head first. Here are a couple tips.

1 - One step at a time, literally - start walking! Don't have a destination in mind, it doesn't matter. Keep walking. Every time you think you want to give up and turn around, keep walking. Every time you feel out of your comfort zone, keep walking. Walk until you see something that makes you smile. When you return home, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment too... every time you wanted to give up, you didn't.

2 - Change "nothing matters" to "most things don't matter." Life is simple, and to me that's pretty liberating. When you think about things that do matter, most have to do with the relationships we have with others, and how we demonstrate goodness and kindness. Do something nice for someone. It will matter to them, and to you.

3 - Treat yourself to something. To me, things like a cup of fancy tea or hot cocoa/sipping chocolate are great for this. Something you don't have often, something nice that requires enough effort to make that you think "hey, I better not waste this!" Plus you can sip it slowly, which feels better if you haven't eaten in a while.

4 - Pray. Think about the vastness of the universe. The intricacy of living organisms. How small, yet special life is. Think about the future, not the past. Realize how little we actually know, even though we think we're so smart. Make an inspirational quote your motto for the day. Think of one thing to be thankful for today.