What Is Drunkorexia And How Does It Affect Us Psychologically?
Drunkorexia: what it is and how it affects us (JAVIER ARES) Drunkorexia is one of those psychopathological disorders in which it is clearly seen how two different disorders can reinforce each other. That is why, when faced with these types of mental health complications, it is essential to act quickly and seek professional help.
In this article We will see what are the main effects of drunkorexia and why it is so harmful.
Drunkorexia is a psychological and psychiatric disorder for which People who develop a psychopathological obsession with weight loss or avoiding eating a lot also develop a dysfunctional relationship with alcoholic beverages.. In most cases, this is reflected in people who present the typical symptoms of anorexia or bulimia and who also do so motivated at least in part by the idea of compensating for their propensity to drink too much alcohol (or too frequently). ).
In other words, drunkorexia is a pattern of behavior and thinking that is harmful to mental health because an action-reaction logic arises between excessive intake of alcoholic beverages and obsessive avoidance of adding calories.
Normally, the second is an “adjustment” that the person makes as a consequence of the first, so as not to gain too much weight due to the calories gained from drinking; However, there are also cases of people who eat very little to reach a state of drunkenness sooner, or even people who, having an alcohol addiction problem, decide to save as much as possible by cutting back on food expenses.
Now, given that these other versions of drunkorexia have very different causes of the problem, and given that this is a concept defined in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5, in practice the term is usually used to describe informally only the first of the behavioral patterns, which shows a more symmetrical combination between addiction and habitual eating disorders (ED), bulimia and anorexia. It has been seen that drunkorexia occurs mainly in young women, which corresponds to the prevalence data of these two EDs. Additionally, it is known that people who have developed an eating disorder have a much higher risk of also developing a drug addiction problem.
How does drunkorexia affect us?
As we have seen, drunkorexia is not an “official” clinical entity that appears in the diagnostic manuals used by psychotherapists or psychiatrists. However, it has become a useful concept that is used for pragmatic reasons, since it describes a reality that, although it is not yet very well studied or delineated from theory, is present in the daily practice of mental health professionals.
In this sense, the main characteristics of drunkorexia, the aspects in which its influence on people is noticeable, are the following.
1. Dysfunctional dynamics of impulsivity and self-control
In drunkorexia there is a pattern of behavior characterized by the imbalance between moments of iron self-control and moments of disinhibition, something that also occurs in bulimia. Thus, the person “lumps” with their behavior in relation to their health and calorie intake.
2. Feeling of guilt
As we have seen, in drunkorexia there are two apparently antagonistic components: the desire to control everything that is done, and, on the other hand, dependence on alcohol, a drug that, like all those that generate addiction, drags the person towards short-termism and towards urgent substance consumption. This makes the person feel very guilty right after realizing that he has indulged in excesses, and This source of discomfort, in turn, acts as a fuel for this psychological disturbance.generating a vicious circle.
Whatever the origin of drunkorexia in each person, this alteration means that as time goes by, both the addiction and the eating disorder become more and more rooted, given that both reinforce each other.
4. Tendency to hide what is happening
Usually, People with drunkorexia tend to assume that others don’t understand them and that they should hide their problems with alcohol and food. so as not to have to overcome the obstacles of friends and family trying to make them stop behaving like this (without forgetting that they feel guilty and ashamed of what happens to them, so they try to keep a discreet profile in this area of their lives).
Do you want to have psychotherapeutic support?
If you are interested in having professional psychological support, I invite you to contact me.
My name is Javier Ares and I am a General Health Psychologist specialized in emotional, anxiety and relationship problems in adults and adolescents. I offer in-person sessions and also online via video call.
