Gaining/losing weight as marker of clinical depression ?
Q.There is a difference between saying "atypical" (or the implied "less common") and "VERY atypical" and your starring of "*true, clinical depression*" in the earlier post seemed to emphasize a belief that people who overeat are sad, not in "true" clinical depression. And now you've straightened that out. That's good.
A.The thread started when we were discussing the recent news story that the police were asking friends of Patsy's if she had been taking diet pills just before her daughter's murder. I observed that Patsy had gained lots of weight after the murder, possibly indicating that the pills had been taken away (by John?) after JBR died. Someone said that the weight gain might indicate that Patsy was clinically depressed after the murder. I said that clinical depression is typically characterized by weight loss, rather than weight gain, and we were off to the races! this is really a dynamite site, it seems to have excellent resource material and cites to back up the conclusions made by the board of doctors and researchers who have contributed to the site. They are unfortunately using old definitions ( from the DSM III) which are currently in revision) but I dont know if that fact is relevant to the current discussion. However, to put this in perspective. The discussion ( argument?) was whether or not weight gain was an atypical symptom of "clinical depression " Maggie took the position that it was. I took the position that it was not. Maggie started off by stating { speaking of Patsy Ramsey} : "And--yes, I know everyone reacts differently to tragedy --I think it very odd that a woman in such severe emotional straits as Patsy would *gain* rather than lose weight immmediately following her daughter's death. I replied that "Some people ,under stress/grief conditions,...eat uncontrollably with a seemingly limitless appetite. Many seek out comfort foods....some others lose their appetite completely...." Julia also took issue at which point Maggie replied: "Actually weight loss due to a sharply decreased appetite and insomnia are CLINICAL DEPRESSION ( my caps) , however in a minority of cases weight gain and hypersomnia appear." Julia took issue again and spoke of her own experiences and those of all of the people she is in contact with in her internet depression support groups .She also spoke of clinical depression vis a vis situational depression. Maggie reiterated "I dont want to question your personal experience but I will reiterate that weight *gain* is a very atypical symptom of a true clinical depression......one of the hallmarks of *true,clinical depressions* is a loss of apetite and weight" She also , rather cryptically, stated that there were "two primary food-related ways people react to stressful events" and you can tell which one will do which by looking at them ( ectomorphs lose their appetites and endomorphs tend to turn to food for comfort). She also stated "true clinical depression is characterized, almost always , by weight loss. " I inquired as to where she got that information from and I said "Many depressives (clinical and/or situational ) turn to food for comfort. I dont think it is atypical at all. ...." I also pointed out that the issue is complicated by the fact that almost all anti depressives cause weight gain.
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