Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Issues
Eating disorders are obviously food-related illnesses. It is also important to note that often those with anorexia or bulimia have substance-abuse issues. The drug of choice may be legal or illegal, but the end result is still the same: abuse and/or addiction.
Stimulants are often abused by those with eating disorders, especially anorexia. Women or girls rely on large amounts of caffeine, such as that found in black coffee or diet drinks, to stave off hunger. Often, they take up smoking, looking to nicotine to serve as an appetite suppressant. Those with bulimia may turn to amphetamines and cocaine to provide energy and also decrease hunger. Alcohol is frequently abused, but due to its high calorie content, purging is usually part of the equation.
Perhaps the most dangerous and misused medications are over-the-counter diet pills, diuretics and laxatives. The health consequences of diet pill abuse are enormous and include high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, thickening of the heart muscle, and kidney damage. Diuretics provide the illusion of weight-loss, when in reality it is only water loss. Laxatives are used similarly. Although laxatives are rarely thought of as drugs of abuse or dependence, people can become dependent on them, some needing to take up to 200 pills a day. With prolonged use, a person’s colon can burn out to the point that it must be removed.
Remember...Medications or over-the-counter drugs are meant to address a specific need for a limited amount of time. Just because you can purchase a medication at the local store, doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you. Many medications can cause permanent injury or death.
Discover more about important topics related to eating disorders by checking out the Articles Library.
Resources
Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Treatment Directory
Find Treatment Centers for Addiction, Alcoholism, and other Co-Occurring Issues requiring specialized treatment and care.
Dallas Taylor, former drummer of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is a renowned drug and alcoholism interventionist who devotzs his time to working with recovering addicts and their families.
Intervention Service - Keith Fierman
Keith Fierman, CDAC is a counselor and associate at Alabama Therapy Associates specializing in addiction counseling. He is a professional interventionist and a preferred interventionist for the Betty Ford Center.
Articles
Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse
Survey: 4 Million With Co-Occurring Disorders
Dual Diagnosis - The Problem....Making an Accurate Diagnosis is Difficult
The Shopping and Food Connection: An Examination of Hunger Diseases
Alcoholism and Co-occurring Disorders