Text Link

Learn more about the results we get at Within

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Learn more about the results we get at Within

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Does anorexia cause mood swings?

No items found.
No items found.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious eating disorder that involves caloric restriction and a fixation on body weight and physical appearance. Individuals with anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of gaining weight, even when they are underweight. (1) These symptoms can interfere with physical and emotional wellbeing, and make it difficult to function in daily life. But, does anorexia cause mood swings? Well, one way that AN can affect functioning is by causing or contributing to mood fluctuation.

12
 sources cited
Last updated on 
November 4, 2022
In this article

The occurrence of anorexia and mood swings

People talk about individuals who have experience with anorexia mood swings, and researchers have explored this topic further to determine if this is a coincidence, or actually a real complication of AN. One recent study in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing found that patients with anorexia nervosa experience mood swings related to their weight. More specifically, healthcare providers report that a patient’s mood is dictated by their weight on the scale. Furthermore, people with AN may experience mood swings when they make changes to their diet or gain weight. (2)

Individuals with anorexia nervosa may have intense mood swings if the number on the scale is more than they would like, or if they are in a situation in which they are forced to change their eating behaviors. These mood swings can occur because of the extreme fear of weight gain and preoccupation with the calorie content of food. 

In addition, in some cases, the cycle of AN is linked to mood swings. Individuals with AN severely restrict calories, but sometimes, they may have episodes of binging. For example, individuals with the binge/purge subtype of anorexia do restrict calories, but they also have episodes of binging, followed by compensating for the binge with purging behaviors. (3)

Unfortunately, this binge/purge cycle can take its toll on mood. A recent study with patients with eating disorders found that several of them experienced mood swings. During these mood swings, they were likely to feel more anxious, depressed, or stressed, if they engaged in binging behaviors. (4)

You might be interested in

Factors contributing to mood swings

Beyond mood swings associated with food, dieting, and eating disorder symptoms, individuals living with anorexia may be predisposed to experience mood swings. For instance, studies have found that people with anorexia tend to have difficulty regulating their emotions. This means that changes in mood can feel and appear rather intense. For some people, behaviors linked to anorexia, including severe caloric restriction, may be an unhealthy coping mechanism for managing mood swings. (5)

A large amount of research has shown that individuals with eating disorders, including anorexia, have a difficult time managing emotions. Given this fact, mood swings in individuals with AN may occur simply because individuals with mood swings are more prone to develop eating disorders. While distress over eating disorder symptoms and weight can certainly contribute to mood swings, it may simply be that people who are more likely to experience mood swings are also more likely to develop anorexia. (6)

So, does anorexia nervosa lead to mood swings?

Each person is different, but there is evidence to support the existence of mood swings specifically associated with anorexia nervosa. Sometimes, mood swings occur because a person is reacting to distress from body weight, dieting, or the cycle of binging and purging that can occur with anorexia. In other instances, individuals experience anorexia mood swings simply because having an eating disorder makes a person more prone to mood disorders, especially if their body is not being properly nourished. 

If you’re experiencing an eating disorder and struggle with mood swings, getting treatment can benefit you. With the help of a treatment program, you can learn the tools for coping with stress without turning to eating disorder behaviors, while healing your body in the process.

You might be interested in

Disclaimer about "overeating": Within Health hesitatingly uses the word "overeating" because it is the term currently associated with this condition in society, however, we believe it inherently overlooks the various psychological aspects of this condition which are often interconnected with internalized diet culture, and a restrictive mindset about food. For the remainder of this piece, we will therefore be putting "overeating" in quotations to recognize that the diagnosis itself pathologizes behavior that is potentially hardwired and adaptive to a restrictive mindset.

Resources

  1. National Eating Disorders Association. (2022). Anorexia nervosa. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia
  2. Wu, W., & Chen, S. (2021). Nurses’ perceptions on and experiences in conflict situations when caring for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A qualitative study. Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 30, 1386-1394. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12886
  3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2016, June). DSM-IV to DSM-5 anorexia nervosa comparison. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t15/
  4. Leonidas, C., & dos Santos, M. (2017). Emotional meanings assigned to eating disorders: Narratives of women with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Universitas Psychologica, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.upsy16-4.emae 
  5. Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Dempfle, A., Konrad, K., Klasen, F., Ravens-Sieberer, U. (2015). Eating disorder symptoms do not just disappear: The implications of adolescent eating-disordered behavior for body weight and mental health in young adulthood European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 24, 675-684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0610-3
  6. Puttevils, L., Vanderhasselt, M., Horczak, P., Vervaet, M. (2021). Differences in the use of emotion regulation strategies between anorexia and bulimia nervosa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152262

FAQs

Further reading

Anorexia's effect on your organs

All organs are affected by anorexia nervosa (AN) and starvation, some...

Why does anorexia bloating occur?

Bloating is something that can occur in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and cause...

Why anorexia causes bruising

Bruising in the body results from outside pressure to the skin and tissue, such as a...

What happens to hair growth when you have anorexia?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder characterized by an extreme fear of...

What are the effects of anorexia on teeth and oral health?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a mental health disorder that can lead to...

Mental health and physical medical complications of anorexia nervosa

Individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa (AN) are in danger of developing a...

Understanding yellow skin in anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious medical condition that can cause damage to the...

The connection between anorexia and edema

Edema anorexia is common in patients with both subtypes of anorexia, with...

Refeeding syndrome and anorexia

Refeeding syndrome is a constellation of symptoms that can occur when an individual...

How does anorexia affect the brain?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a disorder of undereating, and results in profound...

How does anorexia affect eyesight?

The eyes, like any other organ, need proper nutrients to function. People living...

How anorexia nervosa can affect heart rates

Those who struggle with anorexia nervosa (AN) severely restrict what they eat due...
Anorexia hands

How anorexia nervosa affects your hands

You may not realize that the eating disorder anorexia nervosa (AN) can affect every part of the human body...

Does anorexia cause parotid gland swelling?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) does cause parotid gland swelling, particularly if AN is...

Does anorexia cause mood swings?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious eating disorder that involves caloric restriction...

Can eating disorders cause anemia?

Anemia is a condition that occurs when there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells in the...

Anorexia’s effect on hair growth

One body system, among others, that anorexia nervosa (AN) impacts is the...

Anorexia nervosa and brain fog: What is it?

Brain fog is considered to be a temporary mild cognitive impairment and sometimes...

Anorexia nervosa ketoacidosis symptoms

Ketoacidosis, or ketosis, is a metabolic state where the body has high con...

Anorexia and your digestive system

Anorexia nervosa (AN) can definitely affect your digestive system. One of the most...
Anorexia and kidney failure

Anorexia and the kidneys

Those who struggle with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) often develop...

Anorexia, bone pain, joint pain, and body aches

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious eating disorder that affects both the...

Anorexia and irritable bowel syndrome

Research highlights the increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome...

Anorexia and hypermetabolism

Hypermetabolism is when the metabolic system is hyperactive so much that the...

Anorexia and lower back pain

Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) live with an intense fear of gaining...
Gastroparesis anorexia

Anorexia and gastroparesis

Gastroparesis (literally meaning “stomach paralysis) is a condition that affects the movement and muscles...

Anorexia and cachexia

Cachexia is a very serious, complex condition that occurs with anorexia...

Anorexia and constipation

Most people experience constipation at some point. This can happen for many reasons...