Eating disorders are mental health disorders that quickly affect the physical body. Most folks living with an eating disorder are diagnosed when they are younger, however, they can affect people of all ages.
Sometimes, people living with an eating disorder also live with other mental health conditions. These can include anxiety, depression, and many other diagnoses. If you would like to talk to us about how Change Creates Change can help, book a free 15-minute consultation call.
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In this blog posts, we’ll chat about…
- Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Diagnoses
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Substance abuse
- Self-harm
- Counselling and Support
Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Diagnoses
Eating disorders often occur at the same time as other psychiatric disorders and disturbances, such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and issues with social functioning.
Fact: The mortality rate with anorexia nervosa is 5% per decade, making it one of the leading contributors to mortality of any of the psychiatric disorders.
Sometimes in eating disorder recovery, the eating disorder is the only focus in treatment. Unfortunately, this leaves other issues such as depression and anxiety untreated. This becomes an issue because these may be the root cause of their eating disorder. If the depression/anxiety continues to be untreated, there is a higher chance of relapse.
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are very common in people living with an eating disorder. Sometimes, eating disorder behaviours, such as binging and purging, can be a coping strategy used to control anxiety.
In children and kids, it is common to show signs of anxiety before showing signs of an eating disorder.
Depression
Depression is the most common mood disorder, and it is common among people living with an eating disorder. For some folks, living with an eating disorder can lead to depression. For others, living with depression can trigger an eating disorder.
No matter which came first, treatment is very important in recovery. Living with untreated depression can lead to substance abuse and other medical disorders.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is defined by unwanted obsessions. These unwanted obsessions are relieved through repetitive behaviours called compulsions.
Sometimes, the obsessions and/or compulsions can relate to eating. When we live with both OCD and an eating disorder, it’s very important that we get help for both diagnoses.
Substance Abuse
It is common that folks living with an eating disorder also live with substance abuse. The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) specifies caffeine, alcohol, and 8 other classes of substances abused in this disorder. Sometimes, substances that are abused in folks living with an eating disorder are laxatives and diuretics which can be considered a purging behaviour.
Self-Harm
Self-harm is any behaviour that is done to hurt one’s self. This could include scratching, hitting, or other forms of harm. Sometimes, this is a way to manage intense emotions such as sadness or anger.
About 30% of individuals who self-harm also have an eating disorder, especially among the adolescent population.
Counselling and Support
There are many ways to treat and manage mental health disorders. Every person is unique, so recovery looks a little different for everyone. At Change Creates Change, we provide wrap-around care with a team of dietitians and therapists to treat the body and the mind.
To learn more about our team and to connect with families affected by eating disorders, click below to book a free, 15-minute consultation call with us.
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