How Stress Can Cause Eating Disorders and Depression

Stress has unfortunately become a part of the world's everyday life. According to the American Institute Of Stress, 94% of workers feel stressed at work, and the number of stressed individuals out of 143 countries worldwide is 35%. These numbers may not weigh heavy on us at first glance, but it is crucial to remember that stress has detrimental effects on our mental and physical health.

It has become so common that hearing "stress" often no longer instills a sense of alarm. Stress can have a powerful influence on our minds and bodies, leading us to behave in ways that can be harmful. With stress come various physical health issues and mental health disorders. Yes, stress can cause eating disorders and depression.

What Is Stress?

The World Health Organization defines stress as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. It is our body's response to things that need our attention or action, like going to work, performing at school, or studying for an exam.

Stress can be good, such as eustress, which encourages us to take on a challenge and feel rewarded when we accomplish it. However, stress is mostly bad, causing negativity that can sap our energy and make us feel overwhelmed, weakening our mental health.

Causes of Stress

Stress can come from anywhere in this world where people have to hustle to survive. Add in the presence of stressors like unrealistic job expectations, financial stress, difficult relationships with family or peers, and other problems that come with life. Here are some of the common stressors that anyone can encounter:

• Unhappiness in our jobs

• Too many responsibilities

• Long working hours

• Discrimination and harassment

• Death of a loved one

• Divorce

• Financial obligations

• Marriage

• Moving to a new place

• Illnesses and injuries

• Traumatic events

• Caring for a sick family member or friend

• Conflicts with family, friends, or coworkers

• Unhealthy relationship

There is really no end to the list of stressors. In fact, anything and everything can be a cause of stress! Stress also differs from person to person. What may seem like a stressor for one person may not be stress-inducing for another.

Signs and Symptoms

Stressors can create a cascade of physical and mental disorders. Stress manifests in various physical symptoms, such as the following:

• Mood swings

• Insomnia

• Headache

• Low energy

• Decreased sex drive

• Digestive problems

• Gastrointestinal problems

• Physical pains

• Tension in the muscles, especially the neck, and shoulders

• Frequent sickness

• Grinding teeth

• Racing heartbeat

It is important to know that signs and symptoms of stress may also differ from person to person. Some people show they are stressed through physical signs, while others experience stress as more of an emotional issue. Generally, signs of stress can be psychological, emotional, physical, and behavioral.

What Happens to You When You Are Stressed?

Stress can make our hearts pound, our palms sweaty, and our bodies tense. Stress actually triggers your body's fight-or-flight response. It causes the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, or the stress hormone, which speeds up your heart rate and slows your digestion. It also shunts blood flow, which leads to changes in other autonomic nervous functions.

Once your acute stress is gone, your systems return to normal function. However, if it’s chronic stress or episodic acute stress, the body remains in a heightened state, causing physical and mental health issues ranging from mild to severe.

Eating Disorder

A common result of stress is an eating disorder, which can have serious physical and emotional repercussions. The National Eating Disorders Collaboration defines eating disorders as complex and life-threatening mental illnesses. They are disturbances in behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes toward food, eating, weight, and body shape. ANAD said that eating disorders affect at least 9% of the world's population.

Types of Eating Disorders

Many types of eating disorders affect people of all ages and genders. Here are the most common:

• Anorexia nervosa: An obsessive fear of gaining weight, leading to extreme calorie restriction.

• Bulimia nervosa: An obsession with food and its consumption, resulting in binge eating and purging.

• Binge eating disorder: Eating a significantly large amount of food in a short period without compensating through purging or fasting.

• Pica: Eating unusual substances without nutritional value, like dirt, paint, chalk, or even ice.

• Rumination disorder: A newly-defined eating disorder where people chew their food and spit it out or regurgitate it after meals.

• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Refusing to eat certain food groups due to an emotional or sensory issue.

Causes of Eating Disorders

Various factors contribute to eating disorders. Family history, stress, trauma, and the desire to meet cultural standards of beauty are all potential causes. Mental health issues such as anxiety and major depression can also lead to abnormal eating habits.

Signs and Symptoms

Generally, we need more studies to understand the causes of eating disorders better. And like stress, they can manifest differently in different people. Some of the mental, behavioral, and physical severe symptoms include the following:

• Dramatic weight loss

• Preoccupation with body weight and food

• Eating in secrecy

• Avoiding social situations involving food

• Digestive problems

• Intense fear of weight gain or loss

• Binge-eating and purging

• Excessive exercising

• Severely limiting, restricting, or refusing the amount and types of food

• Atypical lab test results and thyroid problems

• Sleep problems

• Irregular menstruation

• Difficulty concentrating

• Dry skin

• Brittle nails

• Thinning hair

• Weakness of muscles

• Poor immune system function

Calluses across the tops of the finger joints could also be a sign of induced vomiting because of a purging disorder.

Depression

Another stress-related condition is depression. It is a mental health disorder affecting our thoughts, feelings, and acts. According to the WHO, about 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression, and it is the leading cause of disability, contributing majorly to the overall global burden of disease. Depression causes feelings of sadness, leading to various problems that decrease the ability to function.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, some types of depression include persistent depressive disorder, severe depression, clinical depression, perinatal and postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, and major depression. Persistent depressive disorder is one of the most common types, which is having depression that lasts for two years or longer.

Causes of Depression

Depression, also called major depressive disorder, differs from sadness or grief. It is a serious illness that needs treatment. It involves brain chemicals, and when symptoms occur, it can involve a major depressive episode. Causes of depression can include the following:

• Abuse

• Age

• Certain medications

• Conflict

• Death or a loss

• Environmental factors

• Gender

• Genes

• Major events

• Personal problems

• Medical conditions such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

• Health conditions such as heart disease

• Substance misuse

Older adults and more women experience depression than men, although depression affects people of all genders and ages. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, and people experiencing depression often need medication, psychotherapy or talk therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and other treatments.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of depression are perhaps the most challenging to recognize. People may think that they are just sad, while in reality, they have signs of depression. Moreover, some people with depression also seem completely functional or, at the very least, appear to be able to fake being fine.

Generally, the common symptoms of depression include the following:

• Feeling sad

• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed

• Low self-esteem

• Weight gain or loss without dieting

• Insomnia

• Too much sleeping

• Loss of energy

• Increase in purposeless physical activity or slowed movements or speech

• Feeling worthless

• Difficulty in focusing

• Thoughts of death

• Suicide attempts

Depression has already taken many people's lives, with some not knowing they had the condition. It also leads to more mental disorders, such as anxiety disorder, mood disorder, and bipolar disorder, which the National Institute of Mental Health described as experiencing manic episodes or unusually elevated moods.

The Link Between Stress, Eating Disorders, and Depression

Stress has been directly linked to the risk factors for mental illnesses like depression. However, there is no clear correlation between stress and eating disorders. Nevertheless, stress has been proposed as a possible cause of eating disorders since stress can lead to depression, which leads to a change in appetite. A person with an eating disorder often has symptoms of stress and depression.

Unsurprisingly, chronic stress leaves people feeling helpless and vulnerable, causing depression and other disorders. And those feelings may bring about stress-induced behaviors, such as overeating or undereating, that lead to an eating disorder. When stressed, some people rely on food for comfort or as a stress reliever, making them feel guilty and even more stressed afterward. Conversely, stress can also lead to decreased appetite and weight loss.