Managing ADHD in Eating Disorder Recovery

The road to recovery is paved with many good things, like goals, healthy habits, and knowledge that motivates positive changes. When recovering from an eating disorder while also managing ADHD, understanding how to navigate both can lead to a richly fulfilling life.

What are Eating Disorders?

The healing journey from an eating disorder is uniquely personal. As with all recovery, understanding these complex illnesses provides benefits to the process of reclaiming a person’s health. 

Some key things to know about eating disorders:

  • They are not a choice of lifestyle, but grave (and sometimes deadly) illnesses that impact eating habits/nutrition intake

  • They can cause obsessive thinking about body image, foods, and weight (particularly an intense desire to lose weight)

  • Common diagnoses include bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder

    • Bulimia nervosa - episodes of binge eating (meaning consuming large quantities of food quickly) followed by efforts to counteract what is consumed (through methods such as purging, fasting, extreme exercise methods, laxatives, and more)

    • Anorexia nervosa - excessive restriction of caloric intake as a means of control over food and weight, leading to extremely malnourished body weight and size, while having a distorted self-image and deep fear of weight gain

    • Binge eating disorder - repeated instances when a person feels they have no control over the amount of food they consume, binging on large quantities without purging or exercising episodes

What is ADHD?

ADHD (or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is more than simply missing occasional details in a conversation or being somewhat disorganized. This illness is not caused by a lack of understanding or knowledge, nor is it a sign of laziness.

The reality of ADHD is much more serious and can include:

  • Inattention: persistent struggles to maintain focus on tasks or be organized

  • Hyperactivity: extreme movement, fidgeting, tapping, talking, all beyond what is considered the norm for a situation

  • Impulsivity: having little to no control over their actions or words, frequently interrupting others, and often acting without giving thought to what consequences may occur

Treatment for Eating Disorders and ADHD

Getting help is the first step to recovery from any illness. Knowing that the brain is affected by eating disorders (as well as ADHD), it is important to implement a plan for successful healing. This will involve care by trained professionals who specialize in eating disorders and ADHD.

Treatment for eating disorders and ADHD can include:

  • Psychotherapy: essentially this involves regular conversations with a mental health professional who will guide the patient and help retrain the brain to incorporate healthy, appropriate habits that lead to recovery

  • Physical help/medication management: many eating disorders can cause additional physical complications that must be addressed as a part of any comprehensive treatment plan; sometimes, medication may be an assistance when treating either ADHD or an eating disorder

  • Resources: seek out area help groups, treatment centers, and other resources to offer support for the individual illness

Living a Fulfilled Life

When a person seeks help for an eating disorder while managing ADHD, finding a team of professionals who can facilitate a care plan that is unique to your needs and goals meets is critical to long-term success. There is no one-size-fits-all method to recovery, and at Focus Integrative Centers Knoxville, your recovered health is our priority.

Contact us today, so we can focus on you.

 

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Lauren Sterritt