As many as 37% of all people with eating disorders also develop substance use disorders.[1] The co-occurrence of these conditions can make the treatment of either one much more difficult if they’re not targeted at the same time. If you’re struggling with these concerns, drug treatment in Arizona is available. Finding a program that addresses both at once is the best way to start healing.
But why do eating disorders and addiction co-occur so often? Learn more about the factors that can leave you battling both of these potentially fatal conditions and how to get the assistance you need to move forward with your life.
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Understanding Eating Disorders and Addiction
To understand treatment options, it’s helpful to take a closer look at what these diseases are.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are psychological conditions that impact the relationship that you have with food and your body image. They involve persistent disturbances in eating, which are accompanied by distressing emotions and thoughts. Eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa, have the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition.[2] The most common eating disorders include:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
- Avoidant/restrictive food eating disorder
The symptoms of eating disorders depend on the specific condition, but they always involve problems with how you think about food, your weight and shape, and the process of eating. Eating disorders can impact your mental health and physical well-being, too, putting you at risk of serious issues. You could face health concerns such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and esophageal ruptures.
Substance Use Disorders
Substance use disorders are behavioral conditions that lead to the compulsive use of substances like drugs and alcohol. Using these substances causes a flood of dopamine in the brain’s reward center, leading you to seek out the next dose.
Drug and alcohol use disorders are chronic and relapsing conditions that bring structural changes to your brain. These make it more difficult for you to stop taking the substance.[3] Over time, your body gets so used to functioning with the drug or alcohol that abruptly stopping their use leads to withdrawal symptoms, some of which can be fatal.
The Connection Between Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders
There are several reasons why these disorders tend to appear together so often. Here are some of the major driving factors behind the co-occurring nature of eating and substance use disorders.
Shared Genetic Factors
Genetics plays a role in both illnesses. Just as specific medical issues are passed down from one generation to the next, issues like addiction and eating disorders can also be inherited. There are genetic links to conditions like anorexia and bulimia, for example, that make people with close relatives with these diseases more likely to develop them.[4] The same is true for substance use disorders.
Shared Environmental Factors
Something to understand about eating disorders and substance use disorders is that their environmental causes are very similar. The factors that can launch one issue are almost identical to those that can lead to the start of the other.
Having a home life that is unstable or having experienced abuse or other traumas, especially early in life, can jump-start both conditions. Peer pressure is another factor. Being in an environment where drinking alcohol or using drugs is seen as the norm and where substances are widely available makes the chances of developing an addiction very likely.
The same is true for eating disorders. Being surrounded by people who have unhealthy relationships with food and body image can lead you to struggle with the same problems.
Addictive Behaviors and the Need for Drug Treatment in Arizona
Both eating disorders and substance use disorders cause addictive behaviors. These include compulsive actions you can’t stop despite the negative consequences they cause. They also encompass ritualistic and obsessive behaviors that don’t allow you to focus on anything else but the condition.
Both lead you to lose interest in the things you used to love doing, and they escalate over time. Eating disorders and substance use disorders also have high relapse rates, making them especially difficult to treat.
Structural Changes in the Brain
The more you use a substance, the more structural changes the use disorder makes to your brain. That’s one of the biggest challenges in treating these disorders. Recent studies have shown that eating disorders, especially anorexia, also impact the brain’s structure.⁵ Although the conditions affect different areas of the brain, they point to the difficulty of healing without appropriate treatment.
Treating Co-Occurring Conditions During Drug Treatment in Arizona
Substance use disorders and eating disorders often occur together. People experiencing the overwhelming symptoms of an eating disorder may turn to substances to cope, leading to dependence and then addiction.
To be effective, treatment programs have to address both conditions simultaneously. This is done by focusing on behavioral health, including dealing with negative thought patterns that impact moods and behaviors. Individual and group therapy sessions are important because they help you learn the tools needed to make positive behavioral changes.
Group therapy also allows you to see that you’re not alone with these disorders. They assist you in building a support system, too, which will make a difference when you get back to your regular life.
Aftercare services are another vital component that rehab centers must offer for substance use disorder and eating disorder treatment. Extended care options help you avoid relapses and provide guidance during the transition between a structured treatment program and everyday life.
Drug Treatment in Arizona: Get Care for a Dual Diagnosis
If you have an eating disorder and a substance use disorder, you need a rehab in Arizona that can help you overcome both conditions. At Desert Cove Recovery, we provide the support you need. From intensive outpatient programs to extended care, we can help you throughout your entire recovery process. Contact our alcohol and drug rehab center to learn more about your options.
Sources:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4689437/ [2] https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-2433-8 [3] https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction-substance-use-disorders/what-is-a-substance-use-disorder [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010958/ [5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352939318300484
