Why Am I So Hungry All of the Time?

We all need to eat a certain number of calories to be healthy and active, but sometimes a mental health issue can confuse our bodies. This can result in struggles with feelings of hunger.

Our highly skilled psychiatric nurse practitioners at Lewis Family Psychiatry realize people are more than their mental health challenges, which is why we use integrative psychiatry to care for the whole individual. 

We create personalized plans to treat a variety of mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns for patients throughout Florida using our convenient, innovative telemedicine platform.

Excessive hunger

Polyphagia, or hyperphagia, refers to feeling extremely hungry. It can have physical or mental health causes, and often, eating doesn't relieve the sensation.

Mental health and hunger

Mental health conditions that can lead to excessive feelings of hunger include:

Atypical depression

Also known as major depression with atypical features, this condition affects anywhere from 15-36% of people with a depressive disorder.

It involves the same prolonged feelings of sadness and hopelessness as experienced in typical depression. However, individuals with this variation find that their mood can temporarily improve after a positive or enjoyable event. They may also experience increased feelings of hunger and weight gain as they eat to assuage the sensation.

Stress

Experiencing feelings of stress can result in greater hunger. This is due to your body's release of the hormone cortisol, which increases your blood sugar level and appetite.

Anxiety

Similar to stress, anxiety can lead to higher levels of cortisol and greater feelings of hunger.

Emotional eating

Emotional eating may or may not be related to actual hunger and instead is used to suppress or soothe difficult feelings like stress, loneliness, and sadness. Anger, fear, and even boredom can also trigger turning to food for comfort.

Over time, it can become a habit where a person unconsciously and automatically reaches for a treat when they’re experiencing a difficult emotion. Eating can also serve as a distraction and something else to focus on instead of the conflict or problem.

Bulimia

The uncontrolled cycle of binge eating and purging afterward can lead to feelings of hunger, as can other behaviors sometimes associated with this condition, like excessive fasting and exercise.

Whether you’re suffering from extreme hunger or another mental health challenge, we use a combination of Western medicine, Eastern wisdom, and holistic treatments to customize a care plan that considers your whole person.

Click our contact button or call us at 561-303-0433 today for a virtual assessment or treatment appointment.

ALL EXISTING CLIENTS HAVE TEXTING ACCESS WITH THEIR PROVIDER.