Depression is a common mental health disorder that can affect your overall mental health and wellness. It typically involves symptoms of hopelessness, a loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed, and changes in your daily life and routine.
But depression can impact various aspects of life beyond just mood, including your eating habits. This could mean either binging on foods or the complete opposite of consuming little to no food.
Let’s learn more about how depression can affect your relationship with food.
Emotional Eating
Eating is associated with trying to satisfy hunger. However, that’s not the only time we turn to food. When we experience challenging, stressful, or negative times, we may emotionally eat to try to cope. While this is normal, it can become a long-term problem.
Depression can lead to cravings for junk food or other comfort foods as a short-term solution for feeling better, but over time, can lead to unwanted weight gain , low energy, or nutritional issues.
Appetite Changes
One of the main signs or symptoms of depression is a change in eating habits. You might feel less hungry or less inclined to pay attention to your appetite because you have no interest in eating. Additionally, low energy associated with depression may make you feel too tired to eat.
Physical sensations like nausea or gastrointestinal distress also may make it difficult to maintain consistent eating patterns.
On the other hand, you may feel an increase in appetite. You may crave carbs, which can lead to overeating high-calorie foods.
Food Choices and Cravings
As mentioned above, along with appetite changes comes cravings. Instead of eating a healthy and well-balanced diet of protein, grains, fruits, and veggies, depression can cause someone to crave things like fast food and sugary sweets, as carbohydrates can boost serotonin levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood.
This can lead to a poor diet cycle. Unhealthy foods can provide satisfaction and a little mood boost, but this is often short-lived. Once the instant gratification wears off, a person might feel worse about themselves and their food choices, which can also lead to gaining weight and further exhaustion.
Mindful Eating Challenges
Mindful eating is a way to bring awareness to your eating habits. While mindfulness can help someone stay grounded and help bring them back to the present moment, it can be difficult to practice mindful eating when depression is consuming you.
Low interest and low energy associated with depression can make it hard to find the motivation to actually practice mindful eating. When you’re just struggling to get through the day, putting mental effort into mindfulness can seem impossible.
Social Isolation and Eating Habits
Depression and eating habits have a connection, but there is also a connection between depression, social isolation, and eating alone. Social isolation can be another sign or symptom of depression, so it makes sense that there’s another link between this also having an impact on one’s eating habits.
People who tend to self-isolate or withdraw from their loved ones tend to make unhealthier choices compared to social individuals. This is one of the many reasons to lean on loved ones and have a support system in place for the ebbs and flows of life.
Next Steps
Depression can impact multiple areas of someone’s life, including their relationship with food. If you or a loved one are struggling with your eating habits, depression, or a combination of the two, it’s important to seek additional help as soon as possible.
While there are certain lifestyle changes that you can make to improve these signs or symptoms, the recommended treatment plan is to reach out to a licensed and trained mental health professional. We’re here when you’re ready. Reach out today to set up a consultation.
