Food Self-medicating with food

[uni]

Have you ever heard the term "self-medicating with food"?

When I think about it, it makes sense. That's what I do when I'm depressed, lonely, etc. The comfort of certain foods allows me to enter a different zone for a while, a pleasure zone that temporarily soothes my troubles.

I think everyone does this from time to time. I becomes a problem, though, when I'm turning to food as an escape day after day after day. That's where my depression has been taking me. Needless to say, having to buy fatter clothes for fatter me is not good for the mood, self-esteem or bank balance. Not to mention that my GP is going to be very unhappy with my cholesterol numbers. Bleah.

I'm able to put the brakes on (to some degree) now that my depression has lifted a bit, but it will take some doing to get back on track. Likewise with moving my body (eg. walking and other exercise). I realize that I can only expect so much so fast, and I'm not yet out of the depression woods, but even so I just had to go somewhere with this frustration!

It helps me to share my food-related issues here once in a while. The people around me just brush it off because I'm not obese, and don't realize it's not about what I eat, but rather why I eat. I want to get back to a "normal" appetite, not these stupid cravings, that's all, and it seems to be taking forever

I like that I'm starting to come out of it, but boy this comfort eating has got to stop!

[Determined]

For some time I wasn't able to discern different flavours, like my brain didn't register them so eating was just a mechanical thing. I got severe anxiety at meal times. It just freaked me out and I had to eat as fast as I could to get through it. Sometimes I couldn't finish a meal. Now that I am feeling better I am back to snacking but mostly at night. I'm not sure if it's the meds that make me want to eat but it's like I get the munchies. I will eat just about anything from fruit and vegetables to baking or chocolate. Lately I've been mowing down on soft toffee. Just figure I am making up for the time when I couldn't enjoy food. I know this doesn't address your issue uni but it's kind of strange the role food can play in our lives and how soothing (and tasty) it can be.

[paul m]

Hello Uni. There are a variety of terms, but yes I have heard of self medicating with food. An article from medicine.net (link at the end) had this to say:

"Emotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food -- usually "comfort" or junk foods -- in response to feelings instead of hunger. Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions.

Many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems. Eating becomes a habit preventing us from learning skills that can effectively resolve our emotional distress."

Seasonal affective disorder and depression are very similiar illnesses and may infact both occur at the same time. However a good doctor may be able to tell which one we are suffering from by asking very through and probing questions. One of those questions is: Do you crave carbohydrates, rather than food in general? Carbohydrates are usually founds in large quanities of junk food. I can' speak for anyone else, but come Feb, I have an awful time passing up chips and I way over eat on bread and I could eat a whole pan of lasgna all by myself. All are loaded with carbs.

I'm not saying that depression can't cause me to overeat, just the above two are the most likely culprits. Take Care. paul m

Emotional eating: http://www.medicinenet.com/emotional_eating/article.htm

S.A.D. Facts from MDAO: http://www.mooddisorders.ca/faq/seas...e-disorder-sad

[astronaut]

I'm like Ted, I eat rather mechanically. I rarely ever crave things, whether I am depressed or not. I tend to feel hungrier when I am exercising a lot but otherwise my eating is all over the place. I guess the closest I've even been to emotional eating is "boredom eating." That's when I am so bored that I look for something to eat.

That's interesting about carbs, Paul. I have heard that carbs help boost seretonin levels so that might explain why people feeling depressed would crave carbs.

[uni]

What excellent links Paul, thank you! They are definitely worth bookmarking. I especially like the emotional eating one, with the slideshow, etc. It's the kind of info and help I can use.

I still use the Sparkpeople site (it's free) for tracking nutrition and fitness and for online support, but have been inconsistent this year. Here's the link if anybody is interested:

https://www.sparkpeople.com

I agree that the symptoms of SAD and the symptoms of depression are very much alike. I have had depression at various times of year, and I suspect SAD gets thrown into the mix too, although I've never been specifically diagnosed with it. No matter. I do whatever I find that works. Sometimes nothing works, though, if I'm really down. Anyway, where there's life there's hope, eh?

[paul m]

Hello All. Good points that everyone is making. However I'd like to stress a couple of generalities. Most people who are depressed and un mediated often lose weight. People with SAD crave carbs and often gain weight. It's a often a key distinction between the two. Why the importance of making that distinction? Well if SAD is the key factor, antidepressants may help, but they also may come with a weight gain factor. Plus and this is a big plus, SAD can often be treated without medications. it's when we get medicated or more often when improperly medicated that the weight gain often comes into play. Nothing seems to ful hunger like taking an anti-depressant that isn't working.

SAD used to be thought of winter blues, but it now known that it can happen at any time of year that we don't get enough bright light and that the symptoms can be quite severe. People in Florida get SAD.

Shift workers may suffer from SAD in the brightest of summers. So can people who suffer from depression and /or an anxiety disorder and who don't go outside much. Shut ins at hospitals and nursing homes have been often diagnosed with depression, when it was probably SAD.

Of course then we have the emotional/self image/self worth problems that in some people may to lead to depression as well. Take Care. paul m

[astronaut]

hmm. Based on your description, Paul, I really seem to be more of a "depression" sufferer than a "SAD" sufferer. I nearly always lose weight and don't crave food or certain foods very often.

Hey, a little off topic but not quite. Does anyone here lose weight when they are manic? Is that somewhat common?

astronaut

[AJ]

I lose weight when I'm manic. Perhaps in part because I'm too 'busy' to eat, and sometimes because I've stopped taking my meds (stupid I know), and they do contribute to my weight gain.

[dave]

Almost always when I am manic enough that I don't sleep for days I also don't eat. When I am depressed I don't eat because I have no desire or interest in food. When I am manic its different, I go without eating because I don't "need" to eat.

I have a joke with my wife, when I am manic or becoming manic and I know she knows I smile and tell her that food and sleep are no longer necessary. During these times my saying appears to me to be particularly clever and amusing even though I have already shared it dozens of times previously.

[paul m]

Hello Astronuat. I'm a little late with my answer in regards to " does anyone lose weight when they are manic?"

If I was lightly hypomanic, I did not lose weight. If I was really hypomanic, I did lose weight as I was too busy to eat. Unless you count drinking countless beer, while eating chips etc, in a bar a balanced diet. When I was pure manic, I didn't eat much at all. Take Care. paul m

Hello everyone. While this is a good discussion, when I said that people with depression lose weight, I also said that was a generality. I've also known many people with depression to gain weight and especially so if the psych med they are taking is not working well and they end up in that " I can semi function , but I hate my life," style of depression that many of us seem to get. Nothing like a few psych meds to help pound on the weight. Take Care. paul m

[astronaut]

thanks for the insight!

[A.E.V.]

I tend to gain weight when depressed.
just this weekend I scoffed down so much food, I probably could have fed a family with it!! I can't seem to stop putting food in my mouth when not feeling well.

sigh.....

[Kaight]

Not sure if I gain or loose weight...
I am sure I loose muscle mass when I'm down though!