Devika Ghosh* was 19 when she was first diagnosed with depression. Now 25, Ghosh shares that she did not know at first what was happening to her. She started feeling restless and would often feel heaviness in her chest. She did not know back then that this heaviness is what experts call anxiety.

“It was 2017 and I, who loved food, suddenly stopped taking any interest in eating. I lost around eight kilograms within the period of three and a half months,” she says.

A similar story of sudden weight change, though this time, it is about weight gain is shared by Ritesh Sharma*, 27, a journalist. Only a year ago, Sharma decided to move out of his hometown to Delhi in search of a job. Not knowing what the new city had for him, he started feeling lonely. “I missed my circle a lot. Since I was so far away from my friends, I began to cut off from them,” he shares.

Sharma shares that he, who loved to work out, suddenly stopped going to the gym. His interest in working out shifted to eating his favourite meals. But it was beyond a reasonable restriction. He started to stress eating and sleeping more. “As a result, I gained around 25 kilograms in seven months,” he shares.

Khyati Joshi*, 23, who is currently working as a Program Officer at a think tank, shares that she was 14 when she started facing mental health issues. Her relationship with food became uneven. She would sometimes not eat for a very long stretch, whereas on other days, she would overeat. “I witnessed a frequent fluctuation in my weight. At a go, I gained around seven kilograms, while at one point, I lost 10 kilograms in a month. I also dealt with some episodes of self-harm,” she says.

Joshi had similar experiences again when she was 21. Only after that was, she finally diagnosed with three different disorders that she has denied sharing. While Joshi and Ghosh reached out to a mental health professional, Sharma thought it was best to talk to his friends about it.

They all now are more aware of the situations that may trigger these symptoms and therefore try to practice mindful eating. For Sharma, he is trying to switch his lifestyle and is now focusing on working out. While Ghosh is on medication, Joshi has her friends around who are helping her to maintain mindfulness.

Also Read: 8 Proven Strategies to Strengthen Your Mind and Build Mental Resilience

Indu Punj, Founder of Stories Matter, an organisation that conducts workshops with parents, students and teachers on mental health and communication and corporate trainer and counsellor with 20 years of experience says that the experience of weight change may differ from person to person.

“Some people, when they feel sad, tend to do emotional eating. They eat something that can make them feel good. Which is why it leads to sudden weight gain. Whereas some people deal with grief differently. They lose interest in food and skip meals, leading to extreme weight loss,” she says.

Punj shares that dealing with sadness can differ, the people who choose to sleep more, and binge-watch to lift their moods are more likely to indulge in emotional eating and can thus experience weight gain. Thus, it is important to maintain a complete harmony of mind, body and thoughts.

“Eating mindfully can be a way to resolve such issues. But one must be first aware of what is happening with them. That is why it is extremely important to break the stigma around mental health and start talking about it,” she shares.

Eating mindfully means that one must be aware of what one is consuming and the quantity of what is being consumed. This will prevent one from emotional eating and can keep their weight in check.

“There are now many ways one can reach out for help. They can talk to their friends or family or can google mental health and wellness apps that can give you guidance from the comfort of your homes,” she continues.

However, Punj also warns against any unsolicited advice that comes from non-professionals. “It is important to seek help, but also ensure that the advice you get is not misleading,” she says.

* Names have been changed to protect their identity.

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