Depression & Eating

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Calm_Lotus_06
Calm_Lotus_06 Posts: 104 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am Bipolar and manic depressive and I find myself eating when I am not hungry all the time. I am having a heck of a time breaking this cycle. I need any help/advice people can offer. I also have a major sugar addiction I have been struggling with as well. Please help!

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  • bainsworth1a
    bainsworth1a Posts: 313 Member
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    I feel for you. I am an emotional eater. I eat when I am sad, depressed, happy, angry, you name it. There are even certain food groups that are related to emotional eating. crunchy foods (like chips) are particularly good for anger.

    I learned these statement from one of the many diets I have been on and they help me.
    "if hunger is not the issue, food is not the solution" the other one is even better. before eating something ask "what am I expecting this food to do for me"?

    If you are seeing a therapist discuss this with him/her.
    MFP has a lot of good information about eating healthier.

    Good luck to you
  • lydiakitten
    lydiakitten Posts: 132 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Being "an emotional eater" is not quite the same as a more serious psychiatric disorder, such as Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depression is just another -older and obsolete- name for Bipolar).

    I need to ask some things, if that's alright. Have you had a professional diagnosis, or are you self-diagnosing? Do you know if it's Bipolar I or Bipolar II? Are you under medication? (If not, you probably should be; it will improve your quality of life tremendously.) And also do you overeat only during the depressive periods, or do you also overeat during manic/hypomanic periods?
  • Calm_Lotus_06
    Calm_Lotus_06 Posts: 104 Member
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    well, i believe she said I was a mix. I am under medication but I need to get it reviewed. I over eat mostly when I am depressed.. its so very hard to pull myself out of it.
  • ChristineRoze
    ChristineRoze Posts: 212 Member
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    My mother has bipolar, words and advice don't help. Unfortunately in her case she had to see many doctors until she finally was on the correct prescription of medication. If you are depressed and suffering from bipolar I suggest you seek help before trying to lose weight because you're not going to just succeed through will power, the mental illness doesn't let you.
  • MargaretSobers
    MargaretSobers Posts: 167 Member
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    If you are depressed and suffering from bipolar I suggest you to do some exciting activities related to you health. If you are following a healthy diet and including a simple workout you can eat as much as you like.
  • peterjens
    peterjens Posts: 235 Member
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    Calm_Lotus_06 wrote: »
    I am under medication but I need to get it reviewed.

    Ask your doctor about the benefits (and side effects) of Bupropion XL. It was key for my turnaround. Good luck.
  • lydiakitten
    lydiakitten Posts: 132 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Ah, yes Bupropion; that was why kind of I was asking what medication she is taking, myself. Because something like Agomelatine will help you sleep better and be calmer, but might end up making you more lethargic and push down your TDEE, while something like Bupropion will actually push up your energy levels and make it easier to exercise, make you less likely to comfort eat - though it can cause some insomnia.

    Medication matters a lot in cases like these.

    Anyway, you can also try to incorporate an exercise habit into your life, and if you overeat when you are depressed, try having less food at home, and having a warm beverage instead of eating, when you are not eating out of hunger but out of emotional need. Still, taking the right medication to fight the root of the problem is what will help most in the long term.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Seek counseling and I would recommend incorporating exercise into your routine to stave off boredom and help battle depression. Talk to your MD/psychiatrist about your medication if you think that it has a significant impact.

  • katalinax87
    katalinax87 Posts: 146 Member
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    I have bipolar ll and gained a lot of weight after being diagnosed while I was adjusting to medication. Once I had the medication sorted I was able to start losing weight and exercise again so I think your GP or psych team are the first port of call. Fighting the cravings for me was like going to war and I was so weak mentally at the time I had no fight in me. What got me to change to healthier habits was to get my medication sorted and start exercising. The added bonus that better nutrition and exercise also help allieviate the symptoms of a lot of mental health issues. Also read up on the illness, take responsibility for your disorder and become an expert so you know how to read your symptoms and tackle them head on.Take care of yourself

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