Not eating when you're upset Vs eating everything in sight?

[Food Lady]

I used to binge-eat, especially as a teen, and it was always tied to emotion. If I was angry or depressed, I would eat until I was numb, like a zoned-out druggie. One time I polished off a 1/2 gallon of ice cream, a bag of Oreos, and a half a loaf of bread, among other trhings. I remember getting in an argument w/ my brother and being so angry that I headed straight for the refrigerator.

I don't do it any more; if I am really stressed, I tend to lose interest in food, but I generally eat in response to hunger, which is how it should be.

[freeatlast]

Since my Dad passed away in June, I have not had much interest in food. I generally eat only when I get shaky (which happens if I go for long periods of time without eating.) From the time I found out, on a Thursday evening, I didn't eat anything until Saturday evening. I only ate then because I was so shaky. Since Dad passed, I have lost 15 pounds. I wanted to lose some weight, but this is definitely not the diet I wanted to use.

[4love]

I lose appetite in response to long-term stress- be it sadness, Life Event, whatever. Anything that lasts for more than a day or two. On the other hand, sometimes I get cravings for very specific foods- Arby's, for example, or mashed potatoes- and then I'll gorge myself on that but absolutely can't achieve satiation with any other food.

I don't understand how food can alter a person's mood, though. Even the yummiest food tends to lose my interest fairly quickly, and I never get... happy... from eating large quantities. Rather, they stress me out.