FOOD

[alys511]

Does anyone use food to make themselves feel better?  A comfort thing, for example.  What about strange eating habits or craving? 

[RedAlex76]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if most of us on here have 'Comfort are' at some point in our struggles !

I know for a fact I have and 2013 Was practically a year of doing so (which of course makes things worse for me )!

I have a feeling you are not alone Alys! Was there a reason behind the question???

[Pip]

Actually I am probably the weird one here as I lose my appetite when I'm very depressed. 

[JC]

Hi alys511

I do not use food to make myself feel better but, unfortunately, I do turn to alcohol and drink excessively at times. I am going through one of those episodes at the moment.

You are not weird Pip  I have a very poor appetite and only eat to stay 'fuelled up' as I have my little dog to look after, work full time and need to keep going. When I do eat though my diet is pretty poor, which is not ideal combined with misusing alcohol. The really stupid thing is that I am well aware of the effects that alcohol misuse can have on my health, my work and personal relationships but I carry on regardless!

I suppose we all find our own coping mechanisms and turn to whatever we feel helps at the time.

[Fig]

You're not weird, Pip.

Actually, I have an eating disorder. I restrict my food very much, weigh and measure everything I eat. I take in very little and obsess about my weight. I don't eat when upset...I can't.

[alys511]

Thanks.
Good to hear from everyone.  I do lose my apetite sometimes but love eating, it's the process of eating that I love.  I guess it's something to do sometimes.  I need to gain weight, so I shouldn't feel guilty.  But, I do feel a bit guilty that I may be indulging.  Ridiculous really, we all need to do what we have to, but we're always made to feel guilty about one thing or another.

I can see why people turn to alcohol.  Not something I do myself, but very understndable. 

[Pip]

I used to enjoy having a drink but these days I can't drink much.  It's probably just as well for general health as well as depression.  A dew months ago we bottle of Walkers whiskey and I haven't drunk much of it.  It will probably be sitting there for a few years before it's all drunk 

[JC]

Using alcohol for comfort is not the best thing to do. As we all know alcohol is a depressant so drinking is counter productive to taking anti-depressants but, for me, it avoids having to deal with my emotions if only for a short while.

Pip's comment about the Whisky made me smile; it was my late partner's favourite tipple and a bottle would be considered a 'vintage' in our house if it lasted more than two days

[alys511]

I'm interested in people's comfort foods. 

[Fig]

Comfort food:

Macaroni and cheese

Grilled cheese sandwich

[JC]

Okay alys, I understand, enough about alcohol.

When I do have the urge to eat the foods I find most 'comforting' are:-

Anything with pasta - macaroni cheese, baked ziti, lasagne, spaghetti.

Anything with rice - paella, risotto, byriani, egg fried rice, sushi.

Baked potatoes - middles scooped out and mixed with butter, cheese and fried bacon then put back in the skin and in the oven to crisp the top.

Scrambled egg on toast.

Looking back over that little list and seems to be anything with starch!!

[FluffySeal]

I don't have much of an appetite most days as I get too down in the dumps to feel hungry
I recently lost my furry best friend of 17 and a half years and have barely ate in 2 weeks.. just enough to get by

I don't have a great relationship with food but the foods i sort of find comforting are:

Fried cheese sandwich
Bacon
Fried chicken with stir fry noodles
Crispy aromatic duck
Egg fried rice
Mc Donalds plain cheeseburger

[alys511]

Oh, I do love a bit of junk!  Some pf those comforts aren't that bad for you actually, I don't think.  Can anyone give me information to stop me feeling bad about indulgence? 

[RedAlex76]

Personally I'm not sure anybody should feel too bad about indulgence as long as it is something that is at least semi controlled!

A lot of it will depend on the reason for the indulgence and how you can manage that! Each persons reason may well be different and therefore will need a different approach to make them feel better about such a thing!

[Pip]

I struggle to eat when I am very depressed so tend to do something simple that can be put in the freezer if necessary such as pasta and veg or chili.  I eat fruit and raw carrots as well so I'll chop up stuff like that mix it together and add dried fruit and stick it in the fruit so can pick at it when I feel a bit peckish.