Why Am I So Hungry All the Time?
Excessive hunger can have many causes, from physical conditions like diabetes to a variety of mental health issues. Read on to learn more about what could be causing this sensation.
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.
