Most of the time one does not think of eating disorders and drug rehab going hand in hand.  Eating disorders have long been seen as something that only affects adolescent girls. But now it is becoming an epidemic among women of all ages and even men.

There are three main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is when a person does self-starvation and that leads to excessive weight loss.

Binge eating disorder is when a person sits down and eats a lot in one sitting. It turns into a disorder when a person does this over and over.

Bulimia nervosa is when a person binge eats and then self induces vomiting afterwards.  They are compensating for their binge eating by vomiting.

People who have drug addiction can also show signs of eating disorders. This is when dual diagnosis is needed and treatment needs to be tailored to the individual.

Eating disorders can start at a young age. They can start due to low self-esteem, feeling inadequate or depression.  Eating disorders can also result from troubled family or personal relationships and even societal pressures.  Eating disorders can also run in families meaning they could be genetic.

Eating disorders along with addiction can be difficult to treat. This is because the treatment for the addiction focuses on abstaining from the substance you are addicted to. Having an eating disorder brings in another factor, because a person cannot give up food entirely, like they can with other substances.

When a patient achieves sobriety, often times their eating disorder can even become worse.  That is why it is important to enter a facility that can help deal with both problems as one and not separately.

Eating disorders and drug or alcohol addiction can be tricky to treat. But as with anything it’s all about hard work and the right program.

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