Alcohol misuse disorders impact millions of Americans each year. Unfortunately, many people who struggle with an eating disorder also meet the criteria for an alcohol misuse disorder. When you have both an eating disorder and an alcohol misuse disorder, you have drunkorexia. Because of the severity and risks associated with the condition, which includes a decreased life span, eating disorder treatment is necessary in order to fully recover.
Eating disorders are a type of mental health condition that can cause you to significantly alter how much you eat and obsess over your weight. Anorexia and bulimia are two of the most well-known eating disorders. Eating disorders carry the highest mortality rate of all mental health conditions because the drastic reduction in calories and nutrients leads to physical issues, such as heart damage, and can cause fatal malnutrition.
At Crestview Recovery, our eating disorder treatment center in Portland, Oregon, provides the care and support people need to face an eating disorder. We believe in comprehensive treatment for eating disorders, alcohol use disorder, or both. If you or a loved one might benefit from this type of holistic treatment, contact our Crestview Recovery team today by calling 866.262.0531 or completing our online contact form. Often, the first step in recovery is to better understand eating disorders and related terms. For example, many people wonder, “What is drunkorexia?”
What Is Drunkorexia?
Drunkorexia occurs when you meet the diagnostic criteria for both an eating disorder and an alcohol misuse disorder. Some of the most common eating disorders include:
- Anorexia nervosa, which is when you drastically limit how much food you eat
- Bulimia nervosa, which is when you force yourself to vomit after you eat to control your weight
- Binge eating disorder
- Chronic dieting
Among certain populations, the prevalence of having an eating disorder and alcohol misuse disorder are exceptionally high. For example, young women are more likely than older women to have a drinking disorder, and more than 70% of women have both an eating disorder and a drinking problem.
Drinking disorders can include binge drinking, which is consuming more than five alcoholic beverages in less than 2 hours. When you struggle with alcoholism, you compulsively abuse alcohol despite wanting to quit or dealing with negative consequences. Alcoholism is also strongly linked with dietary issues such as malnutrition.
The risks of physical and mental health problems as a result of drunkorexia are extremely high. Eating disorders can cause heart problems and organ damage, while alcohol can hurt your liver. An anorexia treatment center offers is the best course of treatment in order to fully recover.
What Is Drunkorexia Treatment?
Drunkorexia treatment involves both inpatient and outpatient options, as well as a combination of evidence-based and holistic treatments. Inpatient programs at a drunkorexia and anorexia disorder treatment center in Portland, Oregon, are focused on giving you the support, skills, and guidance necessary to recover.
Drunkorexia causes both physical and mental health problems, as well as withdrawal. When you are physically dependent on alcohol, withdrawal symptoms can become disabling. Alcohol withdrawal can cause:
- Vomiting, dehydration, and stomach cramps
- Intense cravings
- Shakes, tremors, and sweats
- Delirium tremors and disorientation
- Aches and pain
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms increase your risk of relapsing because resuming alcohol use immediately alleviates your symptoms.
Drunkorexia treatment requires both mental health and substance use treatment. Eating disorders like drunkorexia often mandate a high level of care because of their complexities. Treatment centers can help improve your diet and address any deficiencies you have. Inpatient settings allow you to have access to treatment professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The increased support and supervision can significantly improve your chances of recovering.
Many treatment centers offer dual-diagnosis programs, which is especially useful if you have drunkorexia. Since nearly half of all people with a substance use disorder have a co-occurring mental health condition, rehabs are well-equipped to meet your mental health and addiction treatment needs.
Treatment Programs at Crestview Recovery
Our Crestview Recovery team uses a comprehensive approach to treating eating disorders and alcohol use disorders. Therefore, we provide a wide range of treatment programs so that each person in our care receives the customized treatment plan they deserve. When you choose to enter into treatment to work with our team, you have access to treatment programs such as:
- Gender-specific rehab
- Holistic drug rehab
- Trauma therapy
- Mental health disorder treatment
- Rehab aftercare
The bottom line is that our Crestview Recovery team is ready to help you or someone you care about begins to heal from an eating disorder, alcohol use disorder, or both.
Choose Crestview Recovery for Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Portland, OR
If you or a loved one is struggling with drunkorexia or only an eating disorder, reaching out for help is the first step in your recovery journey. At Crestview Recovery, eating disorder and drunkorexia treatment provide you with the specialized treatment you need to regain control over your life. Contact us today by filling out our online form or calling 866.262.0531 to learn more about your treatment options.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
