eating when depressed
By sameroad
@sameroad (3178)
United States
February 11, 2009 10:04pm CST
Why do we seem to eat a lot more or a lot less when we are depressed?
why do some find comfort in food while others might be disgusted by it?
do you eat more or less when your depressed? do you try to control your eating habits while being depressed?
I've been feeling depressed lately and earlier today i picked out because of it.
I had ate a sub... and then i just kind of snapped and was like "OH CAKE AND ICE CREAM" so i had a bowl of cereal, piece of cake and some ice... after i had just ate a sub...once i was done eating it all. I sat there for a moment was asked myself if i was happy. lol and my answer was no... I worked out later on in day to make up for eating all of that stuff... but still... why do we just sometimes snap and eat without thinking until its all gone? what is is about food that gives us comfort or whatever it is that makes us just eat..even if we aren't hungry?
6 people like this
14 responses
@lologirl2021 (5541)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I usually dont eat when im depressed. This entire week i have been depressed i havent been eating during the day as much as i used to. My boyfriend moved out and when he was here i ate so much and now i never find myself eating i barely even eat dinner maybe its because i always ate with him and now that he isnt here i find myself to be lonely at times. During the day i used to eat when i was bored and today i did that a little but then i stopped right when i felt as i was just starting. Not sure what it is but i know im down this week and depressed and missing him since he was always next me to me in bed also.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
19 Feb 09
i dont know hon. but i eat when im nervous
like if im worried about something and here lately thats most of the time. living with one of the people i live with. anyway, if im depressed which is a little different, i dont eat hardly at all i dont think of it.
like if im worried about something and here lately thats most of the time. living with one of the people i live with. anyway, if im depressed which is a little different, i dont eat hardly at all i dont think of it. 
@ajithlal (14716)
• India
25 Mar 09
I also have the problem with eating more when I am depressed. Sometimes when I am really depressed I eat very little and sometimes vomit back what I have eaten. Sometimes when I am stressed out due to my job, I tends to eat lots of snacks and other junk food. I think I eat more than I used to eat normally when I am depresed most times.
@aisaellis22 (6445)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Hello sameroad! When I am depress I don't have any appetite to it. I mean, I can't taste the food. My mind would be field with many things that's why food would be the last thing on my mind. But I heard that many people will eat a lot when depress too.
@strawberrychocodahi (4817)
• Philippines
13 Feb 09
We tend to eat a lot when we feel disappointed or angry. For me when i feel moody, i really eat a lot, whether its cake, chocolate, ice cream, pop cycles, candies, sour fruits, milk shakes, etc.
If pizza parlor were just near here, i would have been ordering a lot too. I don't mind if i gain weight by that. As long as i ate the foods i like.
I don't know any one here if they do this things too like me whenever i feel disappointed or angry.
@eabaterina (501)
• Philippines
27 Mar 09
when i am not happy at work, i get chubby LOL, some former office mates will say I got bigger and I will reason out that it is because the work is stressful. we take advantage of breaks and lunch to get out of the office and we maximize those breaks up to the last minute before going back to the office. then i tend to satisfy myself with food if everything else is not going the way i want it to be. =( look up sigmund freud and he has some explanation on this eating when depressed behavior
@Vivianh (331)
• China
13 Feb 09
Sometimes food will make us happy,just like choclate.Yes, sometimes I will eat much when I'm upset.
@cursedsoul (925)
• India
12 Feb 09
I still haven't got the idea behind comfort food but definitely like the way it helps you when you're depressed. 
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I don't know! I think maybe we are remembering the love of our families when we sit down together to eat or our moms giving us a popsicle on a hot summer day and feeling her love. That's probably why we eat when depressed, we're looking to re-capture that feeling of love and acceptance.
@lazeebee (5461)
• Malaysia
12 Feb 09
Hi Sameroad, I don't have much appetite for food when I'm depressed, anxious or worried. In fact, I could go on without food. It's only when I'm relaxed or happy, that I eat more.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
13 Feb 09
When I am depressed I hardly eat anything at all, I just don't feel like eating. If I am very worried about something I usually react the same way. I normally love candy, chocolate, cakes etc, but when I am really depressed I don't even want to eat sweet things. I lost some weight when I had my last depression, because I didn't eat much, but the antidepressants gave me back my appetite and then I suddenly had the opposite problem, because I started eating too much. Now I suddenly have to control my eating, the medicine makes me hungry, and that doesn't make it any better.
I have sometimes used food as a kind of comfort especially if I felt rejected, but I think it depends on my feelings and how strong they are. I only feel like eating sweets when the feelings of hurt and rejection aren't too strong. When I am really, really hurt or depressed I don't eat at all.
@Toofancy (548)
• United States
13 Feb 09
When I am truly depressed, I cannot eat a bite. I have gone through bouts of depression, and lost a lot of weight. My sister, on the other hand, eats everything in sight when she is depressed.
@Jae2619 (1482)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I am not a big eater by nature, but mine really depends on my mood. There are times when my feelings are hurt, I go straight for the sweets, something about sugar makes me cheer up and forget things. If I'm mad. I will not eat anything, because it will only upset my stomach and then I gotta deal with being mad and having to feel like i gotta run to the bathroom.... I am glad, I don't get my feelings hurt to much, or my bottom would be huge.. 
