Submitted 3 weeks ago by AloneDownUnder@quokk.au to [deleted]
Just wondering about this.
I have a friend who sometimes just specifically craves a certain dish from a certain food chain. (Like wicked wings from KFC or something)
Or they suddenly feel like watching a specific show (Like Boston Legal)
How does that work?
I never seem to experience something similar to that.
Is it common to feel like that?
For me i think it’s your brain giving you an incentive to eat something you need nutrient wise, most of the time it’s bog standard hunger you need calories to function and that’s the fuel gauge light coming on.
But if you are needing iron maybe you want meat and you want something that fills that particular need. If a dish covers multiple bases with veggies meat and carbs it may be more generally desirable because it meets several criteria.
It’s still not something i feel very strongly but i think some people experience it more because they are more in tune with the needs of their bodies.
I wonder if there is a way to improve this faculty of knowing what you are missing. Perhaps some kind of elimination diet where you would eat enough calorie wise, but stick to only a few ingredients. Then you might be able to feel like you still want to eat something, but it will be more specific?
I was a vegetarian/vegan for a few years, and the specificity of my cravings increased dramatically. I wasn’t ever just “hungry”, I had specific cravings for specific foods.
I think this is the general formula:
The Serotonin decides (expected reward). The expectation of biggest reward in the shortest span of time with the least amount of effort and sacrifice of other things.
If time is prolonged, the reward needs to be bigger.
Being hungry moves you towards the food, not being hungry will move you towards the TV show.
If he is not that hungry he might choose the TV, but if he gets hungry while watching he might change his mind and go for the food, despite being in the middle of the show.
If money is short the dish will decline in priority, especially for people with functioning frontal lobes.
But there can be many many factors that are weighed not consciously but emotionally. Research shows we are way more guided by emotions than we think, we do what our emotions tell us, and then we rationalize it afterwards to convince our consciousness that it was in control all the time, despite it wasn’t.
So what is going on when people don’t get the right signals?
Like if I don’t drink for a full day, I don’t experience thirst. But sometimes I do. Not sure what makes the difference.
Once, I tried to just drink a specific amount every hour or something. But I also had a situation where I had to vomit (just water) presumably because I drank too much in a short while.
Is there some way to train yourself to be aware and able to tell these signals correctly again? Nowadays I usually drink something when I feel a headache because apparently that is also typical for dehydration.
If you don’t get the right signals, it definitely is detrimental to having the right behavior.
Regarding thirst it is well known that elderly people don’t feel thirst to drink as much as they should.
This harms the kidneys and people may actually die earlier from such a thing.
I am not aware that this can be trained. You should ask a professional, if you urine is dark yellow you should definitely drink more water.
I've noticed the specific food craving thing around my period. It needs to replace iron or whatever, so I suddenly want a hamburger.
But how does that connection happen? Is my body releasing hormones in a specific way that my brain understands before and after the burger, and then in the future, the "give me iron" hormone is translated into me fantasizing about hamburgers by my brain?
https://www.parents.com/what-to-know-about-pregnancy-cravings-7507166
I figured pregnancy was when people get weird cravings the most. Hormones go so wild then, it really makes me think hormones are the culprit here, with the brain translating them as best it can.
The like three articles I looked at on this all warned about how pica (craving for nonfood items) might mean you have low iron.
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6357/6/3/26
The connection with iron and pica makes me think there is something concrete going on here (don't eat concrete. go see if you need iron supplements). But your hormones and brain are both flailing around trying to keep you alive, so it can get weird.
Outside eating, the craving is probably the desire to return to some feeling. Music especially seems to get associated with times and people who were around then, and specific states of mind. I permanently associated one song with a cool scene from a story I was reading, and now I get an echo of the feeling from that scene when I hear it. And when I want that reading a cool action scene feeling, I can listen to that song on purpose.
TLDR; probably brain translating desire or need by making us want things it associates with filling those needs. With food, hormones seem involved.
I rarely listen to music because I can’t really concentrate on anything else while music is playing.
I do like music though, and sometimes I have a random song playing in my head. Makes me wonder whether that is also related to some moment or memory then. I can’t tell though.
Do you have aphantasia?
I have it and assume people get an image of Wicked Wings from KFC that pops into their head and now that they “see” it they crave it. Just like seeing it in a commercial.
I don’t think I have aphantasia. I can picture things in my mind. But it’s very vague. And i can’t keep focused on something for long
Very vague. I would have said my “images” were very vague before I learned I had it. It’s almost like I can see them but they just aren’t there.
Like when you picture an apple does it have color?
Do you read a book and imagine it playing out in your mind? Do you get disappointed when watching a movie based on a book you read that the visuals do not match what you had imagined?
Do you get random imagines popping into your mind that you don’t control?
ah. so you’re the the one those commercials were made for
Not really. For example I cannot pull up an image of the gieco gecko in my mind. I think gieco gecko car insurance, I would have to think deeper to think more. Like does my car need insurance, would the gecko save me money, etc… And I’m just not going to do that for a commercial I’m actively trying to avoid.
Commercials are more for imagers. The ones that need to see the cheeseburger before they buy it. The ones where a gecko seems like a great thing to do business with.
I’m not immune to their propaganda though.
Put your hand on a hot stovetop. You’ll rapidly become overwhelmed with the desire to remove it.
Ha, that’s definitely the case for me. I would even say that I’m more sensitive than other people in that sense.
But that’s more about avoiding or disliking something (which I can tell relatively easily) I don’t seem to crave or desire specific things though.
So most of my life is decided by things I want to avoid, rather than things I actually want myself.
I think even my choice of studies and work was made that way, and now I realise that I don’t really like those either, and I don’t know what to do instead.
I don’t know if you do (and it’s none of my business, so I’m not asking), but if you suffer from depression, or are on some medications for it, a lack of enthusiasm can be a side-effect, and a review with your doctor may be needed.
…Do you never know what you want? 🤨
Pretty much.
I can tell when I don’t want something though. Usually because of pain or fatigue.
Well, to quote the Fallout TV series:
“I feel like I’m hungry, but not for food.”
They were talking about drug addiction, but it kinda applies to everything just not necessarily as intense as an addiction.
* Not a doctor or professional, just rambling as a lay person *
Brains are complex, but seem to boil down to input in, output out. The inputs are sensory stimuli (sights, smells, etc) as well as various hormone and other chemical levels in your body and brain. The outputs are things you think and do.
The brain will use chemicals like dopamine and serotonin to encourage behaviors. Dopamine acts like the “remember that thing? ohh that would be really good right now” messenger chemical, and serotonin is the feel good reward messenger chemical when the task completes.
Those chemicals have to actually attach to receivers in cells to work, and other chemicals can take their spot under certain conditions (this is why caffeine keeps most people from getting sleepier — it takes up the space that the “we’re getting tired” messenger chemical would otherwise attach to).
* Again, not a doctor or professional, just rambling. *
But If I had to guess, some part of that process is not working as expected in your brain. Dopamine not being produced when it should be, or serotonin not attaching when it should be, or something like that. If you also experience symptoms of ADHD or depression and/or your symptoms impede your life or otherwise bother you, you should consider seeing a psychiatrist to narrow down what’s actually happening and find possible solutions.
I’ve been to a psychiatrist and many psychologists, but I never seem to be able to communicate my problems with them. They just see a person that seems fine and is friendly.
I have tried medication in the past, but they always make me feel more overwhelmed and at some point I have to stop. I haven’t really tried much though.
Only meditation seems to help a bit, but I need to do 2-3 hours per day to notice a small change.
There’s a… “activation potential” for each need and want. If it get’s over the inhibitors (like, you lazing on the couch), you’d get to it.
And the wants are mostly fed by relation and wishes.
While in the case of food, it’s the chemical lab in your belly telling you, that you need something (with more weight on calories-dense stuff (evolution), so, careful).
Some people aren’t picky at all in my experience. Like my cousin Jack. He’s always ready for a meal and doesn’t care what it is as long and someone else is buying/cooking!
Evolution explains it. Hunger = need food. As we evolved, our needs got more complex and it’s no longer trivial to identify specific needs from behaviors. If you crave KFC, maybe your system needs sodium, protein, and 11 other herbs and spices. Boston Legal is a popular show because it makes many people’s brains produce some of the neurotransmitters they need at the moment. If you fall in love, your brain might think the person would maximize opportunities for reproducing over time. Different humans will fall in love for different reasons as their body attempts to satisfy different combinations of needs.
Makes sense that your body would let you know you need food when you are hungry. But can it really be that precise?
Does that come with experience, or with certain experiences of deprivation? I’ve heard something about pregnant women craving dirt because they don’t have enough iron or something?
But for me, I’ve never experienced it like that. Even if I don’t drink for a full day, I don’t even feel thirsty. I do feel hungry, but rarely for something so specific.
It’s not specific or precise. You cast a wide net to meet needs based on what your brain thinks you need and where you can get it. The part of your brain that says I’m thirsty might not work well but some other part convinces you to drink anyway, otherwise you wouldn’t be alive. Your nutrient needs can get met by a variety of sources. Maybe your system adapts well to just the basics. If it gets x proteins and y carbs, it’s happy. The part of a brain that develops cravings in other people hasn’t needed to develop in you. Or maybe stomachs needs a certain nutrient that yours produces naturally while others have to seek it out.
For me, the food I eat and stuff I watch on TV do two things: they either provide novelty and stimulation (new stuff) or comfort (old, familiar stuff).
As a person who is AuDHD (autism and ADHD), I really need both to thrive (or sometimes just exist).
So, if I feel under or overstimulated, my brain will crave whatever will help get me to equilibrium.
At least that’s how I see my system when it comes to cravings and whatnot.
I was also diagnosed with both autism and ADHD.
But my experience seems to be a bit different. I’ve spent a lot of time playing games or watching shows, but I never seem to be able to stick with something for long.
It’s almost like I’m trying to avoid thinking, and I need something new to keep working as a distraction.
I’ve never rewatched a movie or show, and also never really replayed video games after finishing them.
I also never crave playing or watching something specific. So I tend to go by whatever I have in my list or what’s new at the moment.
The more of your comments I read, the more convinced I am you have severe CPTSD and have existed in a state of dissociation for so long that you don’t know any other way to be. I have a friend who’s exactly the same; childhood trauma (which isn’t always what you think - my friend considered their childhood to be pretty good and didn’t realize how it was affecting them) caused them to shutdown so hard, they never felt any emotions until their 30s and just acted on logical reasoning. They’re in therapy now and have slowly been relearning how to feel and connect with their body’s natural impulses.
I think back to times I’ve eaten a thing and remember the sensation, then try replaying the feeling to see if it would be just as satisfying.
At the moment, I’m in the mood for a snack. I’m thinking about the dried fruit I had yesterday and the sensations it elicited when I ate it. Those same sensations of flavor and texture sound agreeable, so I’m thinking that would be nice.
Not everyone has this form of recall all the time. Some people have it intermittently. I asked my partner what she wanted to eat and she said she could not tell if she was hungry or if any food sounded good. I took this as a warning and we stopped at the nearest restaurant immediately. Fortunately, this was the right decision and we both felt better afterwards.
If you’re feeling hungry, imagine the smells of a food. Sense memory tends to run deep in people. If you find that you can’t recall or reject a sensation, that’s okay! Plenty of folks are in the same situation.
I think sense (and emotions) are some of the most difficult things to remember for me. Which might explain why certain things which are easy for others are very difficult for me. While other things are much easier to me than for most people.
I think its just a sudden crave of taste and it is represented via familiarity.
eg: craving something sweet or salty
that person just associated the salty with the wings.
youll find this with some people will crave gummy worms or specific chocolate bar and its just the sweetness.
later in life as you learn how your body works youll just grab the closest thing available if that thing isnt around.
The boston legal thing i get cuz once in a while dont we all crave a bit of James Spader now and again? that’s a flavour you cant substitute.
Maybe i’ve never really spent time learning how my body works and what I want. I’ve always felt like I shouldn’t really have any needs because then I would take space from other people. Not sure where that comes from.
I donno, you just do. It’s hard to explain, one time I was going home at like 8pm and I wanted KFC potatoes and gravy, i didn’t want store in a container, instant, real mashed. I specifically wanted KFC and only KFC. I don’t I was there for a year or two before that.
Must be kinda funny to be just sitting there one moment, and then the next suddenly you need to have KFC. Do you find it odd yourself, or you just go out immediately to get your potato and gravy?
Regarding activities, I usually find I crave certain activities when I get burnt out on other activities and need a break from that activity while staying occupied. For instance, if I’m doing a lot of writing at work, I may crave a spatially stimulating activity at home. It is my mind signaling I’m doing too much of one activity and I need a different one to keep from wearing out.
How do you experience this craving?
Like what do you feel that makes you realise you want to do a spatially stimulating activity at home?
To me it’s amazing you can tell something like that!
It’s hard to describe as a physical sensation. Best I can do:
If I’m craving a hamburger, I get a very strong, vivid memory of the feel and taste of biting into a burger, and a strong belief that eating a burger would make me feel very satisfied right now. The same way that, when I’m thirsty, I instinctively know with certainty that drinking is what would make me feel better.
its a craving. it just is. maybe something stimulates it but from my experience it can be pretty random.
Is it possible for somebody to not experience such random cravings then? Probably it’s still based on some experience you had in the past no?
I dunno. Maybe chemicals or random firings of neurons.
On my commute I like to play a game “what Iam in the mood for?” - I usually have to discard the first three things, then focus on foods I usually don’t think of.
First three if interested: fried chicken, tenders chocolate bar (Milka) and cake. Tho sometimes I do play what kinda cake I would want.
Usually I end up not eating anything ftom the list - but I have fun without gaining back weight.
Probably your friend has a ‘background process’ that supplies him with what in the mood answers all the time.
I wouldn’t even be able to come up with 3 things.
I would just think, seems like I’m hungry or something. What should I do? Just go home and look at the fridge I suppose
It is more active thinking than conjuring out of thin air. Like when I pass by an Italian restaurant i will ask: carbonara? (Pizza is on the too easy answer list) Meatballs? Canolis? Passing a burger joint would make me think of which burger would I get… like do I want a chicken sandwich (then I would realize that it is again on the too easy list) or do I want the burger from Shake shack? Or in a mood for InnOut?
Who knows maybe if you try this method it will work for you. It doesn’t hurt or vosts money :D tho if you have bad impulse control I can’t guarantee that you won’t gain weight!
I understand it as “brain hunger” rather than actual hunger. Ideation around food noise, you know?
Brain hunger is a very good description for what is probably a conditioned unhealthy dependency.
474D@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
… it sounds like the concept of remembering?
Buffalox@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
For humans its normal. The “simple” function as you call it, is actually the foundation of consciousness.
BladeFederation@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Not saying this is OP specifically or anything, but I have long suspected that some fellow humans just aren’t as…conscious/sapient as the rest of us. Like literal NPCs. It would explain a lot. No I’m not talking about anything race or eugenics related, not going there at ALL. Just sometimes I’ve met people and wondered “…did we grow up on the same planet?”
Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Plus memory, and probably some chemical trigger (like dopamine or some other).
AloneDownUnder@quokk.au 2 weeks ago
For me it’s not simple though. Does that make me non-human? I’m really surprised this is considered a basic thing.
AloneDownUnder@quokk.au 2 weeks ago
I suppose it’s normal for most people. Somehow it’s difficult for me to remember what I like? Is that strange?
One example is that I don’t like pants with sideways pockets, I prefer them to be straight. I can remember this now, but when I actually go out and buy pants (which might be in a year or so) I will likely not remember at that time and buy the ones I don’t like again.