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Anxiety & OCD Specialists • (408) 384-8404 |
Strong Link between Eating Disorders and Anxiety
If you often have anxious feelings and end up overeating, bingeing and purging or restricting your food, you are not alone. A large study led by Dr Walter Kaye at the University of Pittsburgh found that anxiety often precedes the development of an eating disorder. 672 individuals with anorexia and/or bulimia were assessed for the presence of Axis 1 disorders as well as perfectionism and obsessionality. About two-thirds of the individuals with eating disorders had one or more anxiety disorders at some time in their life, with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (41%) and social anxiety (20%) being most common. Most of the people who reported an anxiety disorder said it started when they were a child before they had an eating disorder. The researchers made a few conclusions:
- There may be certain traits that make people vulnerable to an eating disorder.
- Eating disorders may be a strategy some people use to reduce anxiety.
What does this mean for you?
If you currently have an eating disorder and an anxiety disorder, it may be essential to learn skills to manage your anxiety so you will no longer need to use your eating disorder as a coping tool. Skills like deep breathing, relaxation, mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, interpersonal effectiveness and others can help you manage anxiety and make it easier for you to follow through on your eating disorder treatment. If you are a parent of a child with anxious traits, get help for your child to reduce the probability that he/she develops an eating disorder as well as other life problems related to anxiety.
Source: Comorbidity of Anxiety Disorders with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa in American Journal of Psychiatry, 2004.
Laura L.C. Johnson, MBA, MA, LMFT
Certified Cognitive Therapist by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFC48807
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFC48807
1475 Saratoga Avenue, Suite 168
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 384-8404