Easy to get anxious when hungry

[Corzhens]

It's not me but my husband. He has gastritis and lately confirmed acid reflux. I suspect that his stomach problems are borne from his too much worrying. In the recent years, I noticed that he has a temper whenever he gets hungry especially when we are outside. One time we went to a place with no eatery and we were not able to leave until lunch time, my husband showed his temper. On the way to the nearest fast food, he was driving and I noticed his shaking hand although in fairness to him, his driving was still okay. When I offered to drive, he got mad. But I did not mind his temper for I know it was caused by hunger. We went to the drive-through then parked the car somewhere to eat in privacy. After the meal, he apologized for his behavior. I said that he is always like that when hungry and he admitted it. But for me, that temper is better than anxiety attack.

 

[Sue]

Everybody is different and I am glad that he recognizes the problem and that he apologized after he had something to eat. Perhaps he should keep snacks in the car to have when he needs something to eat. Something like nuts, dried fruit, energy bars, etc. That way he won't feel so anxious when he gets hungry. It will be something to take off the edge until he can get somewhere and have a proper meal. I actually know a few people who get the same way when they are hungry so I think it isn't all the uncommon. The key is not to let the temper get to you and make it into something bigger which ends up causes more anxiety and stress.

 

[CarlosTL]

It's not me but my husband. He has gastritis and lately confirmed acid reflux. I suspect that his stomach problems are borne from his too much worrying. In the recent years' date=' I noticed that he has a temper whenever he gets hungry especially when we are outside. One time we went to a place with no eatery and we were not able to leave until lunch time, my husband showed his temper. On the way to the nearest fast food, he was driving and I noticed his shaking hand although in fairness to him, his driving was still okay. When I offered to drive, he got mad. But I did not mind his temper for I know it was caused by hunger. We went to the drive-through then parked the car somewhere to eat in privacy. After the meal, he apologized for his behavior. I said that he is always like that when hungry and he admitted it. But for me, that temper is better than anxiety attack. [/quote']
Assuming your husband does not have an eating disorder, I think that kind of behaviour is linked to the body reaction to the feeling of prolonged hunger. The body secretes testosterone hormone to be able to get by without food by burning available fat, but this increase in testosterone also makes people more aggressive and may get upset or irritated easily. It is nothing out of the ordinary, most people are like that, though some are better than others at controlling their emotions and impulses.

 

[kelden]

Or even when you're not hungry. Obesity could be a cause of anxious eating. Sometimes when I'm not doing anything and I just ate something, I feel some urges to eat again just to sate this fleeting sense of fake hunger.

 

[amy88]

I definitely am more irritable when I'm hungry - and I think that does contribute to my anxiety at times. I'm one of those people that likes carrying snacks with me, like a granola bar or something, so that if I feel myself getting hungry I have a way to stop it before I get snappy and then possibly anxious.

 

[sidney]

Hunger does make people irritable and impatient, but for me it doesn't cause anxiety. I would have to say that people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) get their stomachs messed up and they experience nausea as well, even when they aren't hungry.