Depression Food
So, I'm a little ... I don't know, bummed I guess. I'm just not feeling right. I don't want to get out of bed, I'm being anti-social, all I do is work all night and sleep during the day. It's been dismal for a few weeks.
It's nothing serious, it will pass, it always does. I know it's particularly intense this time because I have no interest in food or cooking. The other day I had to cook for my great uncle's birthday, but aside from that, nada. I don't even really post on SE lately!
Anyhow, when I'm bummed, I don't really eat. I snack. Nothing unhealthy, I just don't eat a "real" meal. For example, today I had chips and salsa and a corn from the corn man. That's it.
What does everyone else eat when they're feeling blue? Do you not eat, do you eat too much? Do you indulge in bad food or try to feel better through healthy eating?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
32 Comments:
I hate to say when I am down I either don't eat anything OR I eat every bad thing available. Try to get out in the sun whenever possible and eat chocolate!!!
I hope you feel better soon.
renee59 at 10:29PM on 01/09/09
Make yourself something really decadent that you know you want but you know isn't good for you. It will give you something to do to take your mind off your troubles. I like to make myself a Philly Cheesesteak when I'm in a downer. Hope this helps. The thought of shoveling snow tomorrow is kinda making me feel a little down right now.
dmcavanagh at 10:46PM on 01/09/09
chocolate. fruits. salads. comfort foods (whatever your family defined as such. although they tend to decrease my social-ness. im ok with wanting to curl up and watch tv or read, but if thats not your plan, you may not want to go that route.) you might also try some salmon or tuna... if you like them they have a lot of the sun vitamins.
blizcheetah at 10:49PM on 01/09/09
Hope you get out of your funk soon.
What kind of corn does the corn man have?
A well-made bowl of pho always brightens me up when I'm feeling down. I think it's the blend of light, meaty but not greasy broth, texture of the cool bean sprouts, Thai basil and citrus undertones. Sriracha helps. I usually order my beef slices raw and place them in my soup, then dip the meat slices in sriracha and nom. My husband knows when I'm not 100% so he drives me over.
Cassaendra at 11:32PM on 01/09/09
Get your sleep you need after work and make plans to go out for a meal before time to go back to work. I would feel better if I eat healthy during a slump. Fresh fruit and veg can be a real pick me up. I bought a cantalope today in January. It was delicious and a promise that spring and summer will return again. I have worked night for many years during my nursing career and I know it can drain you that leads to depression. Eat well, spend time with friends and family. Fit them in before work for hopefully for a good meal.Do something besides work and sleep. Look for that day shift job. In the mean time you will feel better if you eat healthy. Good Luck.
vickiee at 11:34PM on 01/09/09
this time of year ...the post holiday blues ... it will pass. you need a bunch of yellow tulips to brighten your home. this time of year is kind of blah, don't know where you live... but here in ny state ... it's pretty cold.
you need a zippy salad dressing: fresh lime juice, anchovy paste, fresh garlic and olive oil..... this will wake up your taste buds...... invite a friend over and allow yourself a time out.....
pooch at 12:04AM on 01/10/09
Relax. Don't fight the funk, just let it happen. I find over-thinking it sometimes only makes it stick around longer. Eat what you crave, and enjoy it. Ultimately - go with the flow and you should bounce back pretty quick. Fish oils are great mood boosters, and luckily fish (think salmon) is pretty easy to cook - pair it with some steamed veggies and a little rice or quinoa and you've got a great meal! Maybe season it with a little citrus for a nice bright flavor?
I tend to pick and snack when I get depressed too, but sometimes getting down a really good breakfast (a high protein berry shake) is enough to get my day off to a good start. Hope you feel better!! :-)
thinkingincrayons at 12:30AM on 01/10/09
I hope you get out of it soon.
That said, I do not eat when I'm like that. I may cook, but I don't eat. I may snack, like you do, but I don't "eat" eat, you know. Sometimes I may just have some wine, and that's it.
brooke29 at 12:39AM on 01/10/09
The corn man? That sounds interesting . . . can you tell us about him? Does he sell the roasted ears of corn on the cob--I love those! That would be enough to put me in a good mood.
Hope you are feeling better soon--I totally understand that crappy blah feeling. I tend to get it in winter mostly--maybe SADS?
gourmetgal at 12:42AM on 01/10/09
I wish we had a "corn man" here. You'd think we would being this close to Mexico. Now I'm bummed. Seriously, try something really spicey. The heat causes a release of endorphins, causing a temporary feeling of well-being. If nothing else, you'll have a full stomach. :)
beth1 at 12:46AM on 01/10/09
I tend to not eat either. I go to bed late, as a rule, and I wake up late-ish. When I'm depressed, I go to bed later, the sun might be coming up, and then I make sure that I'm not in bed when the kids come home from school at 3:15.
If you can make yourself do something with your friends, that helps. Cold and gray are very supportive of depression. I tend to self-medicate. Tasty, but not as effective as Zoloft. Antidepressants really work. When you're like us and you lose interest in everything, including food, you may need more than you can do for yourself.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 12:51AM on 01/10/09
Gah! For your safety, don't leave your tel# here. :( She can be reached by PM on her myspace page in her profile.
Cassaendra at 2:00AM on 01/10/09
Oh get this way and it will pass. I will not touch food during this period of time just try and get some Odwalla smoothies.
pjracz10 at 4:23AM on 01/10/09
Yeah what is a corn man, how much do they charge for a ear of corn? I never heard of a corn man before?
pjracz10 at 5:45AM on 01/10/09
I'm sorry you're feeling bummed out right now....I'm alot like you when I feel bummed...I tend to eat mini-snacks or cold cuts or anything I can get out of a jar like olives and giardinera (pickled veggies) You just don't have the energy to cook when you have the "blahs"...I think you may be going through the "winter blahs" ---Alot of us tend to get like this around winter time...
Italiancupcake at 7:22AM on 01/10/09
Having eaten pho yesterday in this winter, I can't help but agree with Cassaendra. The broth is rich, but it's the cilantro, Thai basil and lime juice (replacing salt) that are fresh and green, and remind me of spring and summer.
When I was a kid, we lived in Europe and back then, there were few fresh vegetables and fruits, and I don't recall seeing those flash-frozen bags of veggies you get in grocery stores now. And unlike today, South American and Israeli produce wasn't imported to Europe in the dark of winter. We had to eat a lot of pickled and canned vegetables and fruits. So summer always brought fresh vegetables and it was a big deal in the house. For me, eating fresh fruits and vegetables is a mood picker-upper.
Hope you feel better; I've worked many nights in my time and it can really mess up your environment. I remember seeing a NatGeo article on Siberia and they had schoolkids strip down to skivvies for sunlamp sessions, to get Vitamin D. I figured the light also brightened their moods in such a place.
TikiPundit at 7:25AM on 01/10/09
Bah. I can't stand the thought of a medication ruining a perfectly good bad mood. It is what it is, ya know?
I head for a tanning bed, get all whored up and then have margaritas with the girls. The zing of the lime, smack of the salt, tequila aint no joke either plus that little glow from the bed, boobs in full cleavage effect, laughs with the posse...its just how I roll.
ChelleyD01 at 10:31AM on 01/10/09
When your down and you feel icky go to the mall. Shop therapy works wonders. Williams Sonoma is having an in store 75% off sale. Pick up some discounted gadgets, utensils, tools.
Going out with your friends is a great idea. Go get some lunch at the mall and order some drinks. Try and enjoy yourself. Is this a boyfriend related thing? You often talk about him.
JerzeeTomato at 11:20AM on 01/10/09
PumpkinBear - it's not uncommon to feel bummed after the holiday rush turns into deafening silence. I have a solution, but you won't like it.
Get yourself out of the house/apartment. Even if it's for a half hour or an hour. Window shop, go shopping for dinner, drop off your dry cleaning. You would be surprised how being outside changes your perspective - and it's mercifully distracting. A half hour may turn into more and before you know it, you haven't spent the whole day breathing the same air and looking at the four walls.
Oh, if that wasn't challenging enough - here's another! (She said with glee...) Call a friend and arrange to do something - out of the house. At least out of your house. Even if you go to a friend's house and prepare a meal with/for your friend - maybe a short shopping trip together for ingredients beforehand? Spending time with another person is sometimes what you're trying to avoid - but it's also exactly what you need.
BTW...I know from whence I speak. Feel better ((Hugs)). And to your original question, some really excellent, rich cocoa never hurt anybody.
therealchiffonade at 1:08PM on 01/10/09
Thanks for all of your good advice, guys. I really appreciate it.
@Jerzee, it's not really boyfriend related. This has happened all of my life. High highs followed by low lows. It is what it is, I guess.
PumpkinBear at 1:23PM on 01/10/09
Ah grasshopper you are so young the world is yours on a string. Hind sight is 20/20 they say. When I think about how melancholy I was when I was young and what a waste of energy it was. Life is about living. Hormones make you moody, daylight savings time makes you feel off, bad days make you grumpy. Everyone has highs and lows.
You can shake off that feeling. You just have to find your trigger and flip it around.
When you feeling it coming on get some Caribbean Therapy Bath Soak or Bath Salts from Aveda, put on a CD, pour a glass of vino and sing like its Kareoke night. Then invite that young man over and breathe in the being alive.
JerzeeTomato at 4:46PM on 01/10/09
FWIW...My brother and one of my best friends both suffer from (I hate acronym conditions) SAD. I'm telling you it's like clockwork. Right after the holiday distractions, both of them dive way down. My bro lives in Jersey and my friend lives in Pittsburgh. NEITHER of these places is friendly to SAD sufferers. I used to say it was ironic that I love winter and I'm the one who spent 6 miserable season-less years in Florida.
I've often told them to get one of those lights you're supposed to sit in front of in the morning during winter. Failing that - make sure you have plenty to keep you busy and before you know it, we'll be springing ahead again.
therealchiffonade at 5:29PM on 01/10/09
For those funks that I occasionally get in, I keep a couple boxes of Stouffers macaroni and cheese in the freezer. Wallow for a bit, nuke the mac and cheese, eat, wallow some more. The next day or week or so, when I've wallowed so much I feel guilty, I tell my self to suck it up and move on and eat a nice big salad. Hope you feel better soon.
dhorst at 5:40PM on 01/10/09
My favorite comfort food for this sort of thing is to boil up some thin spaghetti, mix it with butter and top it with Parmesan cheese and black pepper. I usually cook up the whole box and then eat myself into a food coma. It works.
Amandarama at 5:51PM on 01/10/09
@Cassaendra~Thanks for having my back. Houston already yelled at me. I think it's funny that you know my schedule. Are we friends on facebook?
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 10:33PM on 01/10/09
I have two levels of depression. Regular and total devastation. Total devastation (unexpected breakups, death, etc.) means no food at all. Maybe an apple or something if I start feeling sick from not eating. Regular depression, that's another story. I tend to sit around listening to Ryan Adams and Cat Power on endless loop and eat lots of (a) mashed potatoes and gravy, (b) Spaghetti-Os (shut up) or (c) Big Mac and Fries.
I know I'm starting to feel better when the craving for salad kicks in.
@pumpkinbear - I go through the same thing sometimes. I work and then come home and lock myself in the house, phone turned off. It can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. It's hard to explain to people because it's not due to anything I can put my finger on. I'm just all of a sudden all blah.
chisai at 2:18AM on 01/11/09
You have Bipolar Disorder. Get thee to a shrink and/or tanning salon for some sunshine.
chuckjustice at 10:41AM on 01/11/09
@Alaina~I'm guessing you're the one who put the band aid on my blunder? Thanks. Everyone was yelling at me. =)
@everyone~Thanks for yelling at me. = )
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 2:34PM on 01/11/09
Hope you feel better soon. I've heard good things about the full-spectrum lightbulbs you can find at natural foods stores. For a quick pick-me-up, eat a nice juicy orange and pretend you're eating sunshine. And be sure to keep in regular contact with your friends and family. Let them know how you're feeling.
Best thoughts and wishes are coming your way from your SE friends!
Kerosena at 3:42PM on 01/11/09
I really wish you the best; stay positive and look forward to the little things that make you smile :D
When I'm blue I eat a lot of salty things. I really love classic salted potato chips, popcorn, pretzels, cheesy breads, and dipping things in ranch. Maybe try a little of my items--see how you feel? Best of luck!
P.S. A little extra vitamin D and some B-multi vitamins would add to a smile on your face and your insides
hungrychristel at 6:57PM on 01/11/09
I would advise eating seafood or flax. Omega 3 has been shown to improve depression...in fact a lot of diagnosed "depression" can be linked to nutritional deficiencies. My advice-see a therapist and start eating fish and/or flax daily.
The Alchemist Chef
http://alchemistchef.blogspot.com
alchemistchef at 8:57PM on 01/11/09
Pumpkin, I totally know what you're going through. Battle the blues alot myself.
I find a pot of tea and a sleeve of fresh fig newtons makes me feel so comforted.
Call a friend, invite them over, and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" together...that helps too.
Hugs.
juliebugsmama at 10:51AM on 01/12/09