Depression is the most common mental disorder, and is treatable. Depression can exist on a spectrum of severity, and diminish quality of life even in mild cases. People with depression may experience a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression may worsen eating disorders and eating disorders may worsen depression. The malnutrition of disordered eating can affect serotonin production and affect the brain, worsening mood and impairing sleep, concentration, and energy. Patients may struggle with distressing negative body image or persistent thoughts about food and body, further lowering their mood. Depression may diminish motivation for recovery. Despite the combined clinical picture of these coexisting disorders, treating both the eating disorder and the depression can improve both conditions. With treatment for depression, patients may stabilize their eating disorders through improved nutrition, improved energy, strengthened coping skills, and improved insight into the psychological symptoms of their eating disorder. When patients are on track with eating, evidence-based treatments for depression, such as psychotherapy and/or medication, work better, and patients have more energy and emotional space to recover from depression.
