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Carson's Post

Carson

Updated 1y ago

Does Depression Make You Crave Spicy Food?

ok this is a really weird question but i was talking to my therapist about this today and it really got me thinking. so, does anyone else with any sort of depression really, *really* like spicy food? i know this may seem random but hear me out. i always find myself craving spicy foods whenever im in a depressive episode and i was telling my therapist about this during our session and she said a lot of her other clients do as well. again this may just be a coincidence but i found it really interesting and wanted to get other peoples' input.

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InnocentRobot

I love spicy food with a burning passion.

Bun

i don’t but that might just be because i’m super white lollll

uriboo

spicy food triggers pain receptors on the tongue so its a sensation we can have without actually doing sh and it feeds us so win-win

noelieg

bruh all i do is eat spicy food... hmm lmao🤔🤔

Carolshine

Yeah but I think correlation doesn’t equal causation lolol

UnluckyUnicorn

I mean I’m Hispanic so I always crave spicy food since that’s really just my family’s home cooking. I always thought I craved it because I lacked the energy to cook while in my depressed episodes. I keep a jar of my mums jalapeños in the fridge so when I lack the energy to cook, I can just snack on them

jelly

i am not a fan of super spicy food and thought it was weird/interesting that some people crave spicy food during a depressive episode and i literally had severe anxiety earlier today and was craving chips and salsa soooo maybe?? but correlation doesn’t mean causation; that’d be an interesting research study

mew

yeah! i always love spicy food. i got the tip from a therapist once to eat something really spicy when i felt like self harming since the pain could sometimes be enough to distract myself

Lis

I honestly have never noticed it until you said it. But yes I do get random cravings for spicy foods while I’m in a depression state

Twitch

Loveee spicy foods!

Susanne

Yes, my guess is that we get a dopamine hit from it.

nikocada

I freaking LOVE spicy food. I mean, I’m Hispanic. But interesting

Alois

I like spicy food! My favorite is using chili garlic paste when I make soba noodles

monstermash

i dont like spicy food, is that like a symptom of depression or a symptom of being white

Byron

I wouldn’t say I really *really* like it, but I enjoy eating spicy foods!

Edens48

No I don't like hot things on my tongue.

kendra

capsaicin has been found to stimulate dopamine release in the brain! i found that when i noticed it myself & wondered if it was physiological lol

Shimari

I mean I crave it because it takes the attention away from my emotional pain that I cannot stop

Disorganic

For me, food I normally like often tastes way more bland when my depression gets bad. Adding a lot of spices to it helps it taste more interesting and less dull, so maybe that's part of it?

padparad5cha

same here. i theorize that, for me, it could be about the pain factor?? i eat a lot of spicy food that i cant handle but i still love the taste lol

Elisa

Oh yeah I love spicy food. I crave it when I'm down. Probably because it causes a spike in serotonin levels.

Toko

100% but I think its just because I grew up with it, not related to depression lol. Only of my only points of confidence is how I can handle super spice stuff haha

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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Does Depression Make You Crave Spicy Food?