Keto Depression


(Dawn Allen) #21

The idea of “comfort foods” is nonsense It is part of a mindset or coping mechanism that is total fiction. Food is FUEL. Until we take that statement into our being and get out of the idea that food can “fix” anything on an emotional level, we are going to be slaves to the addiction. I truly believe that I am addicted to sugar. But the idea that food has the ability to comfort me is part of the problem. Food can nourish us, sustain us and fuel us. That is it! Either you are ready to heal your body or you are not.


(icky) #22

Hey there,

I did “low carb” a few years ago and didn’t get low enough on my carbs and boy, yup I got this. It was awful. Really, really bad.

My partner said to me “Maybe it’s your diet?” and I said “Don’t be ridiculous, I’m eating healthier than I’ve ever done, why would it be the diet?”

But it got worse and worse and worse, so eventually I ended up googling and found tons of mentions of Atkins and depression and low carb and depression.

I’ve not had it on Keto AT ALL.

I think because my carbs are so much lower.

When I was getting the depression symptoms before (there’s a link between carbs and serotonin, which is why carbs make us “happy”) I was in the “in between state” where my brain wasn’t getting enough energy for carbs or fat.

On Keto, this hasn’t been a problem for me.

But I assume it’s possible to have this happen. Maybe you could go back to “SAD” and then try easing back into Keto much, much more slowly, so your body has time to adapt.

Sounds like your body may need more time/ a more slow and gentle approach than most?


#23

You’re right. I mentioned comfort food as part of my BED that I had suffered from for several years. With eating disorders, it’s not about food really. It’s all about control. Ofc this, too, is a pile of horseshit, no real control is gained. But one needs to snap out of it to see it clearly for what it is and realize what food is and especially what is not!


(icky) #24

Sorry - just to clarify, to you mean depression symptoms that have started SINCE you’ve been Keto?

Or depression symptoms you’ve had for longer?


#25

I probably won’t go into full therapy on here, just noticed an absence of something on Keto. Thanks for taking time to reply.


#26

Err…

but why not? <_<

Since it can nourish us PHYSICALLY, why not nourish us PSYCHOLOGICALLY also?


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #27

Yes, and so are PTSD, rape trauma, and all phobias. You could make a career of going around telling sufferers from those conditions that “it’s all in your mind.” People really enjoy hearing that. And those people probably never heard it before, so your telling them would most likely cure them on the spot. :man_facepalming: :scream:

Seriously, however, your statement indicates little familiarity with the power of coping mechanisms, especially unhealthy ones. They can be extremely hard to overcome, despite the fact that they are all in our minds. As an addict to several substances and a couple of forms of behavior, I can testify to the reality of the psychological elements of addiction, which are in their own way, just as powerful as the physical elements. I have also overcome a number of purely psychological problems, and as you can guess from the sarcasm in my first paragraph, the knowledge that it was “all in my mind” was singularly unhelpful. I was very fortunate—blessed, even—to encounter a psychotherapist who was able to show me how to work through the memories and the associated pain to find a resolution.


#28

:clap::clap::clap: well said.


(Justin Jordan) #29

Aside from anything else, they’re coping mechanism because they WORK.

At least to some extent - you wouldn’t stress eat if it didn’t provide some temporary relief. This may not be effective or healthy in the long term, but they do indeed work. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be a problem, because we wouldn’t do them.

And indeed, basically all you will ever learn from therapy are more effective coping and management techniques.


(Dawn Allen) #30

I have actually spent my entire life battling depression and anxiety. I survived horrific abuse as a child. The key was I survived. I never once implied that depression wasn’t real. It is very real. What I was challenging was the idea that we need to use food as comfort. There are tons of coping mechanisms that helped me survive, but part of my healing has been letting go of the ones that no longer serve me. I completely used food to cope for years. It no longer serves me and I have to let go of the idea that food is comfort. Changing my mindset to realize that food is in fact fuel is one more step in my healing. I NEVER implied that anyone suffering from depression should snap out of it or that it isn’t a very real and debilitating fact of life for millions of people. That would be like me telling someone with diabetes to snap out of it. It is unfortunately a common attitude of those who think depression is is weakness. There is nothing weak about the millions who struggle and survive with these horrible issues.


#31

Compassion is a great approach when dealing with emotive issues such as depression and food addiction. What approach you take with yourself is your business but in this forum I would ask you to treat others with the compassion they deserve. It is well-established that food and emotion are tightly woven for some and so the idea of comfort foods is not nonsense at all. You are entitled to your opinion but that is all it is - not fact. Please don’t be so condescending and, quite frankly, mean.


(Dawn Allen) #32

My intent was never to be either condescending nor mean. I was not implying that there is no connection between food and emotions. I apologize if that is the way the response was interpreted. I have struggled with food and depression for as long as I can remember. I was simply commenting on the fact that for me I had to change my mindset around food. I struggle much less when I approach food from the position that food is fuel and not a source of comfort. I NEVER intended to insult anyone. Thank you for asking me to clarify my meaning and intent.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #33

Thank you for your clarifying posts. Your original post makes more sense in the light of those comments; just coming out of the blue, it reads perhaps a bit differently from how it was intended. While I still find the word “nonsense” upsetting, I begin to see where you were coming from and how the word makes sense in those terms. I should have asked for a clarification before jumping down your throat, I’m sorry.

Please don’t let an old man’s ill temper put you off these forums. Now that we understand each other a bit better, I’m sure we can get along, and there is a lot of support for all kinds of issues here, as we all walk our keto journeys. I promise to be a bit more reflective the next time something sets me off, if you’ll promise to keep posting.


(Dawn Allen) #34

No offense taken. I suppose I could have chosen better words. I am a high school math teacher, so I have pretty thick skin! and it is entirely possible that as the end of the school year is upon me, I am a bit more snarky than intended as well! Thank you for your response! I promise I will keep posting!


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #35

Good!

My goodness, the end of the school year? Say no more! My mom was a teacher.


#36

?!?! Maths Teacher need thick skin? Why? O_O


(Diane) #38

My dad was a junior high school math teacher. Makes me compelled to say- thank you for your service! :smiley:


#39

Well I did have a feeling that might be the case. Thank you for clarifying things. It is very easy isn’t it to push what works for you so well on someone else? A simple rephrasing into “this is what works for me” always does the trick. It is so easy to lose the connection between what you mean and what you say via a keyboard and the internet - been there, done that!

I am very glad you have found a way to combat your depression and food addiction issues. xxx


(Dom DePlume) #40

My partner and I are experiencing something odd emotion/mood-wise that’s kinda throwing us for a loop. We’re both about 8mo into keto, and for the last three weeks, we’ve both felt very wonky: racing, looping thoughts, anxiety, anger, frustration, and negative emotional sensitivity. It’s hitting her harder than me, but I’m definitely feeling it, too. I’ve done some digging, and there are numerous (anecdotal) reports of people who were hard-core keto and suddenly started experiencing the above symptoms and more. Now, I’m trying to be very wary of “diagnosing” myself, but it really does seem to be quacking like a duck. We’ve both been pretty strict about our keto, especially the last 6mo. I’m typically between .8–2.0 when I blood test for ketones, and my blood sugar is good. She is typically between 3.5–5 when testing ketones (she’s within 15 of her goal weight: I still have 30-ish to lose, so it’s unsurprising our ketones are different).

So, I’m running a carb refeed experiment. I think our systems are a bit worn out, and (in her case, at least) her brain wants a break from ketones, and would benefit from some slow carbs. Tonight, I had a serving of whole-wheat pasta and marniara sauce with meatballs. She had half a serving (but to give you an idea of the emo sensitivity issue: she nearly burst into tears when she thought about the carbs, instead of treating it like a slight cheat for science). I think for right now, I’m going to n=1 this. I’m going to look at tonight as a toe-dip, then try and have 100g carbs tomorrow (real carbs, not Fruit Loops), and see how I feel. If this works (for the mood, as well as the months-long stall we’ve both been in), she’ll try it, and if it works for both of us, we’ll likely start doing a refeed every now and again to try and switch up our metabolisms. So, stay tuned…


(Omar) #41

Just my thoughts

anxiety and depression can be contagious specially when the 2 partners near confined to themselves.

So it is possible that is only your partner had depression while you got it from here due to the tense environment.