Co-Occurring Eating Disorders and Substance Use

There has been a well-documented co-occurrence of substance abuse alongside eating disorders. The reasons for this are not at all well understood, but people with an eating disorder report higher rates of substance use disorder than the general population. Additionally, certain eating disorders are linked to a higher incidence of co-occurring substance use disorder than others. For example, several studies have found that eating disorders that involve binging and purging are much more frequently co-occurring alongside substance use disorders compared to restrictive eating disorders.

According to the International Journal of Eating Disorders, around 50% of people with an eating disorder also suffer from drug or alcohol abuse. This is significantly higher than the rest of the population, in which around 9% of people suffer from drug or alcohol abuse. The opposite is also true, as over 35% of people with a substance use disorder also have a co-occurring eating disorder which, again, is significantly higher than the 1-3% rate among the general population.

According to one study, some of the most commonly abused drugs by people with a co-occurring eating disorder include cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, and alcohol. Within this study, almost a quarter of those with anorexia, bulimia, or an unspecified eating disorder reported current cocaine use. Furthermore, almost half of those with bulimia and just over a third of those with binge eating disorder reported drug dependence at some point in their life.

In addition to the high rate of co-occurrence between substance use and eating disorders, there is also a documented trend that people who have these conditions together are more likely to suffer from an additional mood disorder or personality disorder. Furthermore, co-occurring conditions such as these often result in a much poorer long-term outcome than in either condition on its own. That being said, there are dual diagnosis treatment centers available that specialize in treating these co-occurring and synergistic mental health conditions. Getting help for both conditions at the same time will give someone the best possible chance for achieving long-term recovery from both substance use and an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are often misunderstood by those who have not struggled with these difficult issues themselves. Due to this, we have listed educational resources so that someone can become more informed on these issues, and hopefully be better able to offer care and support in someone’s time of need.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness: A non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of mental health issues, including eating disorders. They provide educational guides and links to further support resources so that you or a loved one who may be struggling with an eating disorder can be informed about the condition.
• Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment for Eating Disorders (FEAST): This organization is for the parents and families of those who may be struggling with an eating disorder. They provide a wealth of support resources for the loved ones of those in recovery from an eating disorder, as well as resources for the families of those who have not yet found recovery from an eating disorder.
• Academy for Eating Disorders – The Purple Book: A comprehensive guide to help those with eating disorders or their loved ones identify an eating disorder and take the appropriate steps to find treatment. It provides a wealth of information about the dangers, signs, risk-reduction strategies during treatment, and the most effective recovery practices.
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD): A non-profit group that provides informational materials for someone suffering from an eating disorder and their loved ones. Their article “How To Help A Loved One” is a fantastic place to start if you are trying to help someone you know that is struggling with an eating disorder.
• National Institute of Mental Health – Eating Disorder Statistics: A look at the prevalence of eating disorders in America today across all age and gender groups. This page helps to paint a clear picture of just how common eating disorders are in today’s world. They also provide informational guides for loved ones, including About More Than Food, Let’s Talk About Eating Disorders, and a full page of shareable resources on eating disorders.