Eating Disorders: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What Is an Eating Disorder?

An eating disorder is a physical and mental health illness that occurs when someone becomes fixated on aspects of their body which leads to disturbances in their eating habits.

Less commonly, eating disorders do not involve concerns about body image but rather focus on other things like sensory issues related to food or fear of choking. There is a wide range of types of eating disorders and some can be life threatening if left untreated.

An eating disorder is considered a mental health condition and is included in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM). Mental health professionals use the DSM to diagnose mental illnesses. Most people can successfully recover from an eating disorder with proper treatment.

Types of Eating Disorders

There are several different types of eating disorders including:

• Anorexia Nervosa: When you severely restrict your food intake due to the belief that you are overweight. People who suffer from this disorder are often extremely underweight and carry the highest health risks of any of the other eating disorders.
• Binge Eating Disorder: When you experience something called out of control eating. This means you continue eating after you are full and eat large quantities in a small amount of time.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Marked by a period of binge eating followed by some form of purging whether through induced vomiting or laxatives.
• Pica: An eating disorder describing someone who eats things that are not considered food and do not have nutritional value. This may include eating things such as dirt or paint chips.
• Rumination: A condition where someone throws up partially digested or fully undigested food. Then, they chew and swallow the regurgitated food again or spit it out. This is different from bulimia in that the vomiting is involuntary rather than induced.
• ARFID Eating Disorder: Stands for avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder. People with this disorder are highly selective in what they eat and sometimes have very little interest in eating at all. This disorder is not linked to a desire to lose weight.

How Common Are Eating Disorders?

Disordered eating is fairly common throughout the United States. Some recent studies show prevalence rates of eating disorders. One report reveals that 9% of Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime.

It also shows that the occurrence of eating disorders across the world increased from 3.5% to 7.8% between 2000 and 2018 and 22% of children and teenagers globally show signs of disordered eating.

The same report details that in a one year time span .32% of US females and .05% of US males will suffer from bulimia nervosa. In addition, .96% of US females and .26% of US males will suffer from binge eating disorder and .16% of US females and .09% of US males will suffer from anorexia nervosa.

Symptoms and Causes of Eating Disorders

Eating disorder symptoms and causes can be different depending on the specific type of disorder you have.

Anorexia symptoms include:

• Intense fear or anxiety around gaining weight
• Excessive exercise
• Low body weight
• Having a distorted body image (i.e., believing you are overweight when you are not)
• Fixation on body weight or shape
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue

Bulimia symptoms include:

• Induced vomiting or improper use of laxatives
• Excessive exercise
• Chronically sore throat
• Sensitive or decaying teeth
• Dehydration

Binge eating symptoms include:

• Eating large amounts of food in a short period
• Continuing to eat even when you are full
• Eating alone or in secret
• Feeling ashamed after eating food
• Frequently going on diets

ARFID symptoms include:

• Lack of interest in eating food
• Avoiding types of food based on sensory characteristics
• Concern about how you may feel after eating certain foods
• Nutritional deficiency
• Weight loss

While the exact cause of eating disorders is unknown, researchers believe that multiple factors may contribute to the development of these conditions. This includes your genetic and biological makeup, behavioral factors, psychological conditions and social influence.

How Do I Know if Someone Has an Eating Disorder?

You can look for several different signs if you are concerned that a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder.

Physical signs include:

• Weight loss
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Sore throat
• Decaying teeth
• Thinning hair
• Dizziness or fainting

Psychological signs include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fixation on body image or weight
• Withdrawing or isolating from others
• Confused or slow thinking

Behavioral signs include:

• Excessive exercise
• Skipping meals or eating very small amounts of food
• Frequent trips to the bathroom after eating
• Eating large amounts of food quickly
• Eating alone or in secret

Where Can I Find Information About Substance Abuse Treatment?

If you or a loved one is struggling with co-occurring substance use disorder and eating disorders there is hope. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a 24 hour helpline to support anyone who needs help for mental health conditions, including eating disorders. You can call or text 988 to speak to someone about your treatment options.

You can also visit the Rehab.com website to find a list of treatment centers in your area that address substance use disorders. You can also search for programs that offer dual diagnosis care.

Speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about any symptoms of an eating disorder you are experiencing and ask for resources to help in your recovery.

Search for local support groups and meetings that you can attend for free to link up with others navigating a similar journey.

What Type of Treatment is Recommended for Eating Disorders and Co-Occurring SUD?

Eating disorder treatment varies based on the type of eating disorder you have and the severity of your symptoms.

Some of the treatments you can expect in all cases include:

• Regular meetings with a registered dietician to discuss and monitor your nutritional intake and your attitudes toward diet and exercise
• Therapeutic intervention with a mental health provider to manage psychological symptoms and learn coping skills
• Medical monitoring by professional staff to ensure your physical health is maintained

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder treatment may also include medication to treat some of your symptoms. Your care team may also recommend medications for any co-occurring mental health issues such as anxiety or depression.

Inpatient treatment may be necessary if your symptoms are severe enough to need around the clock care and monitoring for some time. Intensive outpatient or standard outpatient care will be used for those in a more stable physical and psychological state.

Alongside treatment for your eating disorder, a specialized dual diagnosis care facility will offer evidence-based care to address your substance use disorder.

This may include medically supervised detox to facilitate your safe withdrawal from drugs and alcohol and inpatient rehabilitation to support you in early recovery through robust supervision and clinical care.

If you are medically stable or you have completed inpatient treatment for co-occurring substance use disorder and eating disorder, you may enroll in an outpatient treatment program to provide continuing care tailored to your individual needs.