How to lose weight when depressed

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SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Also visit the online treatment locator.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

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Last Updated: 08/30/2022

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"Dietary depression"

Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Head of the Department of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology of the Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University Tatyana Alexandrovna Meshkova told the magazine "Women's Health" about dietary depression.

Is dietary depression a new phenomenon in psychology?

- This is most likely a new term. But the phenomenon is old. It's just that these days, the connection between diet and depression has been identified and proven.

But here is a case from my practice fifteen years ago. Teenage girl. Impulsive, emotionally vulnerable, with bright and strongly expressed desires. And overweight - 84 kilograms. On the advice of doctors, the girl is put on a carbohydrate-free diet - without bread, potatoes and sweets.

Three months later she lost ten kilograms. But at the same time she began to get tired of minimal physical exertion. I couldn’t study in the tenth grade - distracted attention, inability to force myself to study. Plus - vulnerability, tearfulness, low mood. And even statements like “I don’t want to live.”

As a result, a confirmed diagnosis of depression. By the way, the weight came back very quickly. There was no time for a diet - the girl had to be taken out of a severe depressive state.

— Is the absence of sweets and bread in the diet capable of inflicting such a blow on the psyche?

- First off, cutting out carbs is just the tip of the iceberg. Certain nutrients, obtained with a particular food, run a lot of processes in the human body. If some group of products is taken and withdrawn from "everyday life", these processes either change or stop altogether.

Dietary depression occurs at this “biochemical” level. After all, a sufficient amount of serotonin ceases to be produced. And dopamine. That is, the hormones of joy and good mood. The result is at first simply a depressed and tearful state. And there - close to depression.

Secondly, if we are talking about teenagers, then many of them restrictive diets are contraindicated in principle. Especially if the child is impulsive, emotionally unstable.

At a young age, it is very difficult to cope with dietary restrictions solely by willpower. Because the areas of the brain responsible for the will have not yet “grown up”. And any ban does not last long - a breakdown is sure to follow.

— What are the main causes of dietary depression in adults?

- Imagine your body is exhausted by stress. Diet. Control and will power. Since the main sources of sweets for mood are banned, where will he “scoop” his sweets in a constant mode? That's right, nowhere. And then he sounds the alarm. “Escaped” by depression from a state in which it is difficult to fully live.

There are certain personality traits that can also trigger depression. Say, an increased degree of neuroticism. When an adult is very unbalanced, psychologically unstable. Diet can "unbalance" it even more. And as a result, signs of depression will appear.

Excessive perfectionism can also be called a risk factor. Oddly enough, in the matter of losing weight, this can be pretty hindering. Because where other people forgive themselves for an extra cookie or the wrong candy, the perfectionist will be harassed that he couldn’t, “didn’t pull it”. And in this state, it can easily “slide” into depression.

It is even more difficult for obese people. Especially women. They already live in constant anxiety because of their weight. That is, the body is already on the verge of stress - and it is also put on a diet. Vicious circle.

- It is often recommended to replace food with shopping or other pleasures. Will it prevent depression?

— Of course, you can buy new clothes instead of a cake. But if it helps, it doesn't really matter. Short term. This is an additional load on the control system of the brain.

A woman is losing weight. The body is deprived of the usual food. It changes biochemical processes. Feeling worse.

A similar situation with the psyche. You have to keep yourself on the diet. The psyche is tense. And you are trying to translate it into an interest in shopping, preening or walking. For a while, this can, of course, be distracted. But only for a while.

— Are more women affected by dietary depression? Or do men suffer too?

- Women generally suffer from depression two to three times more often than men. In addition, representatives of different sexes actually have very different attitudes towards their own weight.

We have conducted family studies on eating behavior. So, in men, guilt after overeating or improper eating occurs only in 4 percent of cases. And for women - at 20. This is despite the fact that the body mass index of 75 percent of the men we interviewed is above the norm. And for women, this figure is much lower - only 50 percent.

Simply put, men worry about overeating and weight almost five times less than women. Accordingly, dietary depression occurs less frequently.

— What are some signs that a person may suspect dietary depression?

- The first "sign" is actually your reaction to the diet.

And then - "classics of the genre." Lethargy, apathy, increased tearfulness. Bad mood, irritability. Unwillingness, and sometimes inability to work or study. Rapid fatigue, sleep disturbances. Problems with the stomach and intestines. The main “symptom” is that life does not bring joy and pleasure. And the person gradually sinks into the "cocoon" of depression, withdraws into himself.

— How can you lose weight without becoming depressed?

- Depression is not an obligatory weight loss companion. We are all different. There are people whose genotype is initially more adapted to stress. And they are unlikely to face depressive manifestations.

In some cases, depression can be provoked by the weight loss format itself. I mean group psychological trainings for weight loss. For people who adapt to stress faster and easier, such therapy is justified. But those who have difficulty adapting to new conditions, difficulties, suffer more with this approach to losing weight. Their weight is reduced more slowly. And instead of reaching for the group, the person, on the contrary, “slows down”. Gradually falling from this into a depressive state.

And so my main advice is that in order to “prevent” dietary depression, you need to lose weight consciously. Ideally, under the supervision of a specialist. Perhaps not even one.

Let's say a nutritionist who will take care of your diet and body. A nutritionist who will tell you what supplements to include on the menu. And a psychotherapist who monitors your emotions and psychological reactions.

But such an ideal is hardly achievable. But to be aware of the problem is quite achievable. Before you start losing weight, go through a medical examination. Find out and weigh not only the advantages of possible harmony, but also the risks.

Listen carefully to yourself, your organism, your body. If even the most wonderful food system makes you feel bad all the time, think about whether it is yours.

As a rule, successful weight loss without depression is the result of a conscious choice. When you understand all the cons that await along the way. If there is understanding, there are ways to minimize the negative. And successfully lose weight, while not "rolling" into depression.

Marina Fokina

Reference

Published at the source: March 19, 2018

Is it possible to lose weight from depression: why people lose weight and lose weight

Emotional and psychological disorders have a strong influence on eating behavior. Depression can cause an increase in appetite or lead to significant weight loss. The patient constantly eats, trying to get rid of fear, stress, increased anxiety, or suffers from a complete loss of appetite. Weight loss is unintentional, may occur over several weeks or months, and may indicate mental or physical health problems. A sharp weight loss can be a symptom of cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine systems and other pathological conditions of the body. The reason for the decrease in muscle mass and weight loss is age. One of the main causes of weight loss is stress.

Chronic stress is characterized by low mood, depression, apathy, irritability, leads to the development of depression, neurosis and other mental illnesses.

Why people lose weight when they are depressed

Studies have identified various causes of weight loss and found out why people lose weight when they are depressed. A depressive disorder causes a violation of immunity, metabolism, the taste perception of food decreases, the sense of smell is disturbed, and appetite decreases. The food seems tasteless and insipid. Malnutrition, stress lead to the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis. The patient feels discomfort after eating, excludes various foods from the diet, begins to lose weight.

Weight loss occurs when organs and muscles are deprived of nutrients and send signals to the brain. To preserve the functionality of organs and systems, to obtain the missing nutrients, the body uses reserve reserves - adipose tissue. Weight loss of one to two kilograms is considered normal. If there has been a loss of more than 5% of body weight, you should consult a specialist. A depressed person can rarely adequately assess his condition, a strong weight loss should be a signal for relatives.

In old age, age-related weight loss is exacerbated by depression, which is common in this population. Various chronic diseases complicate the patient's condition. With a large weight loss, patients of the older group are prescribed tests for the content of vitamins B12 and D in the blood, diagnostic tests for depression, and cancer screening are carried out. Recent studies have shown that weight loss has a beneficial effect on a person's physical condition, but has a negative impact on mental health. Weight loss causes a bad mood, irritability, fatigue, apathy appear.

Depression is a consequence of dysfunction of the endocrine organs, metabolism in the brain. Diseases of the pituitary gland and thyroid gland often lead to weight loss, increased anxiety, and the development of depression. Disturbances in the work of the endocrine organs, changes in the hormonal balance can cause an increase or decrease in the patient's body weight. If diseases of the endocrine system are suspected, blood tests for hormones, glucose, and MRI are prescribed. Is it possible to lose weight from depression, what complications causes an untreated disorder, a psychotherapist will tell you who you need to contact if there are symptoms of the disease.

Depending on the severity of the depressive disorder, treatment is prescribed, which consists of psychotherapy sessions, physiotherapy procedures and drug therapy. With concomitant depression diseases, the patient is assisted by other specialists - an endocrinologist, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, a gynecologist.

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How to lose weight when depressed

SAMHSA’s National Helpline | SAMHSA

Main page content

Suggested Resources

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

FindTreatment.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

National Helpline

Disaster Distress Helpline

"Dietary depression"

"Dietary depression"

Is it possible to lose weight from depression: why people lose weight and lose weight

Why people lose weight when they are depressed

Courses that may interest you

Olga Butakova. Elementary school of health for all

Olga Butakova. Antistress. 67 ways to get out of stress

Olga Butakova. Panic attacks. 128 ways to get rid of anxiety

Olga Butakova. Health of the male reproductive system

Olga Butakova. Health of the female reproductive system

Alexander Petrishchev. Oratory Special Forces. (Platinum).

Vladimir Vyatkin. Secrets of birth and the magic of sex

Maria Udovichenko. Energy Immunity