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The Connection Between Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders

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Eating Disorders

Abstract

Eating Disorders (ED) and Substance Use Disorders (SUD) commonly occur. In fact, approximately 50% of individuals with an ED report abusing alcohol or an illicit substance. Given the high rates of co-occurrence of ED and SUD, it is important to understand the connection between these disorders to guide prevention and treatment efforts. This chapter reviews shared etiological factors connecting ED and SUD. More specifically, neurobiological and candidate gene studies independently exploring SUD and ED suggest that similar genetic variants in both the dopamine and serotonin systems might influence ED-SUD comorbidity. Connections between ED and SUD are accounted for by shared characteristics related to reward sensitivity, impulsivity, executive function deficits, and emotion dysregulation. Additional shared risk factors include stress, environment, and trauma. These shared etiological factors highlight the importance of treating transdiagnostic mechanisms that contribute to both ED and SUD. Interventions that target the reward system, temperament, emotion regulation, and stressor-related symptoms are all essential to this work.

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Abbreviations

5-HIAA:

Serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid

5-HT:

Serotonin

ACC:

Anterior cingulate cortex

ACE:

Adverse childhood event

ACT:

Acceptance and commitment therapy

AN:

Anorexia nervosa

AN-BP:

Anorexia nervosa, binge/purge type

AN-R:

Anorexia nervosa, restricting type

AUD:

Alcohol use disorder

BED:

Binge-eating disorder

BN:

Bulimia nervosa

CBT:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

DA:

Dopamine

DBT:

Dialectical behavior therapy

DSM-5:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition

ED:

Eating disorder

ED-SUD:

Persons with comorbid ED and substance use disorder

ER:

Emotion regulation

MBRP:

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention

OBE:

Objective binge episode

OSFED:

Other specified feeding or eating disorder

PTSD:

Posttraumatic stress disorder

SUD:

Substance use disorder

UFED:

Unspecified feeding or eating disorder

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Claudat, K., Simpson, C.C., Bohrer, B.K., Bongiornio, G.M. (2022). The Connection Between Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Eating Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67929-3_16-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67929-3_16-1

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