hallo,does anyone know if chocolate is depressive?(and I dont mean when you want it and havnt got any,heheh!)Ive had depression on and off for years,but Im trying to keep off anti depressants,not doing too badly ,i do still get low,but it usually passes .However,ive noticed if i eat more chocolate than usual,i start to feel down(and of course,weve just had mothers day! - -)lovely weather like this,i should feel great!

am no expert, but i think it is the sudden 'sugar high' then the drop that might make some folk a bit 'down' when eating chocolate. someone more experienced than me will come on and put you right am sure!

thanks,could be,but its more a sort of cumulitive effect(bet thats spelt wrong!),im ok for a couple of days,then start to feel low and realise im eating more chocolate than usual-wish id more willpower,but sometimes,when you feel low,any willpower vanishes!vicious circle.must try harder!thankyou!

Don't eat it very often, if it's in the house it's soon gone so tend not to buy it! Google chocolate & depression, I was surprised.

Chocolate can interfere with the absorption of some vitamins - not sure if it would affect any that might affect depression though.  I would think in your case that the chocolate is boosting your serotonin which is why you start to eat more.  But there is the sugar crash, and I reckon there's such a thing as a serotonin crash too as it's coming from an unnatural source (if that makes sense) so gets boosted for a while then sinks again.

One thing I can suggest is increasing your omega 3 intake - I've had depression since I was 13, no 'lifestyle' cause, it's a nutritional problem.  Saw a nutritionist, she looked at all my various problems and said that omega 3 deficiency was the problem - since taking supps and eating more oily fish I must admit my depression has been a heck of a lot better.

Not taking any pills for it either - I was on prozac for 18 months but it stopped working, tried a few others but they didn't agree with me and I got fed up with the cycle of depression, tiredness, side effects etc.

I'm sure chocolate is supposed to make you feel happy not glum, it boosts the serotonin levels in the brain, it might depend on what sort of chocolate your eating, if there's more sugar than cacao in it I suppose that might be the problem.

Thanks for reminding me about the omega 3 Nikita - I have been feeling a bit down over the past few days (despite being on max no of anti- depressants) will need to start up the omega 3 capsules again I think !

thankyou for your replies!Sometimes I think lifestyle and problems other people cause you,can drag you down(could well be in my case,!)as when im ok,the same probs are still there but they dont bother me then,then,ive been like it so long(nearly 30years on and off)that i wonder if it is a seratonin deficiency-can one cause the other,i wonder?i already do take omega 3,but i ll up the dose,worth a try,and im going to google chocolate and depression,thanks for the thoughts and ideas,and i hope youre feeling ok nikita,no joke,is it.

You do need to take quite a big dose of omega 3 for it to work I find - more than the recommended dose - vitamin B is good too or D if sunshine is lacking ( when is it not in this country? ;-) ) My GP recommended sunvit D3 as it doesn't include the calcium dose that most do.

thankyou,its definatly worth a try!

>thanks,could be,but its more a sort of cumulitive effect(bet thats spelt wrong!),im ok for a couple of days,then start to feel low and realise im eating more chocolate than usual-wish id more willpower,but sometimes,when you feel low,any willpower vanishes!vicious circle.must try harder!thankyou!

I think it is more likely the opposite way round than you are thinking.  I would think that you are possibly at the beginning of feeling low but not recognising it and your body begins to crave feel good chocolate for the self medicating properties as the endorphins are released but it is only once you have been eating more chocolate that you make the connection.  Or summat like that.

I'vw suffered with depression and never found chocolate to be a trigger. However, I tend to crave chocolate (& give in to the craving & stuff my face with it!) when I am feeling down, so for me chocolate-eating is a symptom.

> lovely weather like this,i should feel great!

Don't beat yourself up over not feeling great - you'll only make yourself worse. We're all entitled to feel a bit glum, even when the sun is shining! so don't make yourself feel down over a low day :)

thanks,that could well be right,ive been notorious for not actually registering feeling down,i tend to find ive less energy,everything becomes an effort,and i dont want to face people-yes,and i eat like crazy,which makes you feel worse,FINALLY it dawns!Well,Il leave off the choccy and see how I go!thanks everyone,sorry to hear so many of you get down too,and thanks for caring.

would just like to tell you i feel loads better now(so you dont think im always a misery!)Maybe the extra omega 3 helped!Not QUITE off the choccy,but you cant expect miracles!Thanks for your help everyone!

> would just like to tell you i feel loads better now

Brill :)

@ColliePam @Nikita @mastifflover

Hmmm....I can't quite see that there's any Connection.....whatsoever....between Chocolate....and Depression...

Personally....I think Dark Chocolate is just Exquisite...Scrumptious...and...Absolutely Fabulous....and Will eat it....whenever I Darned Well feel like it...!!! :)

So my advice to all those feeling depressed....anxious....On The Edge ETC ETC.....BLAH BLAH BLAH....I would say....

OPEN THE GOODY CUPBOARD....AND....BLOOMIN' WELL STUFF YOUR FACES WITH IT... :)

MWAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA........! :)

Have a Nice Day My Lovelies....xXx :)

> OPEN THE GOODY CUPBOARD....AND....BLOOMIN' WELL STUFF YOUR FACES WITH IT...

LOL, now that is always a great plan :-D

not half!

well done fos we wholeheartedly agree

> Not QUITE off the choccy,but you cant expect miracles!

Who would want to be - get the Ferrero Rocher out !!!