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If PTSD is elevated, do you eat way less?

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leggirl

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I noticed if l am slumming thru with my PTSD haze of breathing weird, afraid to think thoughts to starve off depression, my desire for food seems nonexistent. And if l eat, l don't do it consciously. It's just a awkward chore that provides nothing of value to me.

I have triggers associated with food in general, and not stressors. Eating food is just a painful reminder l am still in my same situation. And nothing as changed. But l am too nervous to try antidepressants. My anxiety has tapered off since last year, and since l quit working.

Does anybody fight with this also?
 
Yes, my appetite is pretty non-existent when I am struggling. Overall as a person, I love to eat, I love food, I love to cook and consider nutrition. But when I’m struggling, it feels like I have to force myself…there is no appetite. I commonly forget to eat or decide not too because the thought makes me feel sick. I lost a tremendous amount of weight because of it. But sticking to routines has helped and I’m back to a healthier weight. I also noticed if I eat breakfast I usually will have less struggle eating other meals during the day compared to when I skip breakfast.
 
I’d say my appetite is affected. That can me I’m eating a bunch of empty calorie comfort food or it can mean I’m forcing myself to eat anything at all.

Do you see a therapist? Have you explored why food is such an issue?

Not judging just wondering. Personally I like food too much so it’s saying something when I have to force myself to eat.
 
i'm fairly confident that there is more than on cause for this phenom. in my own case, i believe my stomach produces excess stomach acid. the big for sure is that attempting to eat while i am anxious guarantees epic stomach pain and often vomiting and/or diarrhea

another certainty in my own case is that not eating will usher in starvation psychosis which escalates my ptsd unmercifully. it's important for me to push past it and eat, whether i want to or knot.

but that is me. . . steadying support while sort your own case.
 
I tend to more or less stop eating when my ptsd is active. Its not a conscious thing, I just get through the day as best I can, start to feel a little weak, dizzy and shaky and realise I haven't eaten at all that day.

Then when I do get around to eating, I find I've almost forgotten what you're supposed to do with food.
 
Loosing appetite when in stress is quite common. It's not necessarily a sign of disordered eating, more a sign of high stress. When you're under high stress the body shuts down anything that isn't needed for immediate survival and being hungry just isn't a priority. In certain cases you can get so tense you throw up.

I can combine with disordered eating but it isn't the same thing I think. It still can be shitty to manage, I did loose and gain up to 20% of my weight in the space of a few months, depending on if I'm being symptomatic or not.
 
I eat different for sure. I use an app called MyFitnessPal a few times a year just to see where my nutrition/calorie intake is and I find its usually good.

I have found even when my eating is messed up I still manage to eat decently over the day. Meals can be really messed up but they kind of balance out over a day or two.
 
Yes, my appetite is greatly affected when I am retraumatized or stressed out. I would go days without eating solid food. Since Covid hit, I've lost 45lbs. Fifteen of those lbs since I was raped again in March 2022. I now know to drink protein shakes and smoothies when I'm in a trauma reaction or highly stressed. I cannot physically chew and tend to choke if I do try to eat solid food. My appetite is back for now, so that's a good sign that healing is taking place. I will not give up! I hope that you find some peace in your storm as well. All the best!!
 
When I'm at my absolute worst, I start getting food stuck in my throat. I feel like I'm unable to swallow, and it sets off an anxiety panic attack that lasts the entire day. My appetite just doesn't exist. I go days without eating. Food is a chore most of the time. I've had it described that it's disordered eating but it isn't an eating disorder. If that makes sense.
 
When I'm at my absolute worst, I start getting food stuck in my throat. I feel like I'm unable to swallow, and it sets off an anxiety panic attack that lasts the entire day. My appetite just doesn't exist. I go days without eating. Food is a chore most of the time. I've had it described that it's disordered eating but it isn't an eating disorder. If that makes sense.
I was told the same. It's a symptom of trauma this "disordered eating" and not an actual eating disorder. I actually just learned this recently. All these years I thought I had an eating disorder and it was just a reaction to trauma and stress. Knowledge is power!!
 
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