Weight loss in depression: how should you take care of yourself?

What to do if you lose weight because of depression

Depression is one of the mood disorders with the highest incidence in the world population, being one of the main pathologies of psychological origin treated by mental health specialists.

Although it occurs mainly during adolescence and in a considerable number of people during the third and fourth decades of their lives, as indicated by Coryell (2020), the truth is that depression can occur at any stage of the life cycle. Among many of the symptoms that we find in relation to this disorder, is weight loss due to depression. How do you know if you are losing weight for this reason? How should you take care of yourself? In this article we tell you.

What exactly is depression?

Let’s start at the beginning, because to understand if you are losing weight due to depression, we must first understand what this disorder is. Depression is a term often used to describe different depressive disorders, including: major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, also known as dysthymia, and other specified or unspecified depressive disorder.
Even premenstrual dysphoric disorder, depressive disorder due to another illness, and substance/drug-induced depressive disorder are also included in this terminology, as indicated by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association.
This type of disorder affects all areas of the life of those who suffer from it, affecting their appearance and physical health, their interpersonal relationships and even their cognitive abilities, which has a negative impact on each of the activities they carry out on a daily basis.

Most common symptoms of depression

Patients who have some type of depression may present different symptoms that cause dysfunction in many areas of their lives. Among the most common are the following:

On a cognitive level, the person with depression may have difficulty concentrating, memory problems and slow response.

Depression also affects the psychomotor area, which can be evidenced in a slow walk, with a lot of fatigue that is not explained by physical reasons that justify it.

In addition to this, there is a marked lack of interest in everything, including the activities that used to be enjoyed.

One of the symptoms that can be easily perceived are weight changes, it can be due to drastic increases or decreases in a short time. And it is that depression can generate changes in eating behavior. While some people have anxiety that leads them to eat more compulsively, in other cases the opposite symptom occurs, which is a complete loss of appetite.

Is it common to lose weight from depression?

Depression is a very complex disorder that can become a real challenge for specialists when carrying out an evaluation and subsequent diagnosis, since its symptoms can be very varied.
In some cases, patients with depression usually present weight loss, without this occurring voluntarily or through any type of diet or physical exercise that could explain it. This fact can be cause for concern for the person, who sees that he is losing weight without even wanting it, when he is not aware of what is happening to him.
However, many other patients are aware that their eating behaviors have changed, that they have lost their appetite and that they really don’t feel like eating, not even their favorite foods, since the loss of interest is reflected in everything, even in this area.

How can I know if I am losing weight due to depression?

To find out if you are losing weight due to depression, it is necessary to take into account if there are or are suspected the existence of other symptoms related to this disorder, such as those mentioned a few lines above.
In addition, you can follow the guide used by health specialists to determine if there is a weight loss by performing a weight check. To do this, you must establish a period corresponding to 1 month, 3 months or 6 months.
For this, attention should be paid if there is a weight loss that is equivalent to 5% or more in a period of 30 days. In the case of doing it quarterly, it will be to evaluate if there is a weight loss of 7.5% or more or 10% in a period equivalent to 180 days.
Although, apart from the fact that you yourself can evaluate if you have a remarkable weight loss with this technique that we have mentioned, it is best that you go to your doctor or a mental health specialist, they will be the one who can best guide you and help depending on your specific case.

Weight loss due to depression: a symptom that should not be neglected

Sudden weight loss, even when it is due to eating less food due to loss of appetite, is a symptom that should not be taken lightly, as it may be indicative of a health problem that may represent certain levels. serious.
On the other hand, some types of cancer and/or tumors can manifest through this symptom, like HIV, hyperthyroidism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, adrenal insufficiency, parasitic infections, diabetes, tuberculosis, endocarditis, among others.
For this reason, it is extremely important to give due importance to sudden weight loss, see a health specialist promptly and tell them if there are any other symptoms, including all those associated with depression.
Weight loss when suffering from depression is a symptom that can occur without this being due to a serious physical health problem. This type of symptom usually occurs very frequently in elderly patients, but this is not decisive.
Some young people with depression may also lose weight because of their mood and not caused by another illness. In addition, there are other factors that can be the cause of involuntary weight loss, such as the consumption of some drugs and even high levels of stress and anxiety.

Depression, a complex disorder and the importance of asking for help

Depression is a highly complex disorder because its symptoms can be very varied. In some cases they can even be contradictory when reading the mandatory bibliography for their understanding and diagnosis.
If you have experienced unintentional weight loss or any other symptoms related to depression, please seek help from mental health professionals; remember that:
“Your emotions shouldn’t be crippling. They shouldn’t fight back. They shouldn’t stop you from being all you can be.”
-Wayne W. Dyer-
Weight loss due to depression is something that you must take very seriously and you must know how to take care of yourself so that it does not lead to a major health problem. For this, it is best to put yourself in the hands of a mental health professional who can help you in the best possible way and with the appropriate therapy according to your own needs.