Diet and depressed mood
During a diet that many people experience as a time of self-sacrifice and denying themselves their favorite foods or sweets, there may be irritability or depressed mood. Many people at this point begin to wonder if the symptoms they are experiencing are depression. It is very often the case that this serious illness is confused with sadness, which has the right to appear in many difficult situations.
Symptoms of depression
The ICD-10 classification is used to diagnose the diseasewhich describes the symptoms necessary to make a diagnosis. The diagnosis of depression is possible when several criteria are met. Firstly, two of the symptoms below should be present for at least two weeks:
- depressed mood,
- loss of interest and anhedonia (i.e. loss of the ability to feel pleasure, especially from things that previously evoked positive emotions)
- loss of energy, getting tired quickly.
Additionally, to diagnose depression, you should also notice yourself at least two of the following symptoms:
- concentration disorders, i.e. difficulties in focusing attention,
- lowering your self-esteem,
- Frequently experiencing guilt, feeling like a worthless person,
- negative thoughts about the future
- the emergence of thoughts about taking one’s own life, the use of self-destructive behavior,
- sleep disturbances,
- decreased appetite.
How To Deal With “Depression” While Dieting
Often times, sadness or a depressed mood, even during a diet, is confused with depression. Usually, however, it is not the same. It is worth considering the difficulties while losing weight may appear. However, they do not always require the help of a doctor or the use of pharmacotherapy. Therefore, to deal with difficulties while losing weight, it is worth taking care of several aspects:
- systematic eating five meals a day will allow you to reduce the feeling of hunger, which may contribute to the appearance of irritability and depressed mood;
- the diet should be sometimes healthy eating and not denying yourself your favorite products. Eating them in smaller amounts while maintaining a variety of nutrients is a good option;
- it is important to search during the diet support of loved ones people – being able to tell the other person about your problems is invaluable. This is the best way to deal with unpleasant emotions.
Depression is a serious illness
On the other hand, symptoms of clinical depression should not be underestimated. It is serious illness. In the United States, it affects approximately 20 million people annually. Women suffer from it much more often (the risk is 20 – 25%) than men (risk of falling ill – 7 – 12%). It is worth remembering that depression is a treatable disease, but the key is to accurately diagnose it. For just as often as sadness or low mood is mistakenly perceived as depression, it can be the other way round – serious symptoms of the disease are sometimes underestimated. The reason, apart from ignorance, is often shame – not only in front of the family, but also in front of the doctor. It is often difficult to admit depressive symptoms that are inadequately viewed by many as weakness. However, it is extremely important in such a situation to overcome your fears and ask for specialized help.