Depression: How are they linked with eating disorders?

It is true that depression and eating disorders are interlinked. Whether depression leads to eating disorders or vice versa is not exactly understood. People with eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia feel the need to lose weight in spite of not being overweight. They suffer from feelings of hopelessness and lack of control. By starving and purging themselves, they attempt to get some sort o control over their lives and feelings.

They strive to lose weight and feel like failures when they do not lose weight fast enough. All these feelings of hopelessness, low self esteem can result in depression. Some biochemical changes are also associated with both depression and eating disorders. Scientists have found that there is an abnormal level of serotonin and nor epinephrine in people with eating disorders and also in people who are depressed.

The levels of cortisol and vasopressin are also elevated, indicating that there is a certain level of stress associated with both conditions. People who suffer from eating disorders also suffer from malnutrition. They become deficient in the amino acid tryptophan, which is fund in protein rich foods.  This in turn results in decreased levels of serotonin, which in turn causes mood and thinking problems. Many people tend to resort to food for comfort from emotional stress, mood swings, and relationship problems. This results in binge eating, compulsive eating, and bulimia