Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBinge Eating and ADHDComplicationsDiagnosisTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Binge Eating and ADHD

Complications

Diagnosis

Treatment

Coping

Research shows that people struggling with aneating disorder, especiallybulimia nervosaorbinge eating, are more likely to havecomorbidADHD.While those studies haven’t confirmed that ADHD causes those eating disorders, the data suggests that it can put someone at a higher risk of developing disordered eating habits.

Here are some factors that explain the link between ADHD and binge eating, why ADHD can make overcoming binge eating disorder more difficult, and some strategies you can use to start recovering from disordered eating.

The Connection Between ADHD and Binge Eating

ADHD impacts dietand eating habits in a lot of ways.

Managing Side Effects of ADHD Medications

Complications of ADHD and Binge Eating

By the time someone with ADHD decides they want to stop binge eating,ADHD symptomscan make it especially difficult to do so. That same impulsivity and executive dysfunction that caused cycles of starving and binging make it difficult to stick to a meal plan or build healthier eating habits.

Meanwhile, poor attentional control makes it feel almost impossible to stop thinking about food. The harder you try to focus on something else, the more fixated your brain seems to become on food, pushing you to indulge the desire to binge so that you can get rid of the thoughts.

Diagnosis of ADHD and Binge Eating

While eating large portions doesn’t automatically mean you have binge eating disorder, people with ADHD who struggle with eating can often develop disordered eating habits in the process. That’s because living with ADHD can feel like you have no control over what you do or when you do it, including when and what you eat.

That feeling like you have no control as you eat so much food, sometimes to the point that you feel uncomfortable or painfully full, can become so distressing that what started as a consequence of your ADHD symptoms escalates into binge eating disorder all its own.

Some symptoms that might point tobinge eating disorderinclude:

Finally, to distinguish binge eating disorder from other eating disorders, there should be a lack of compensatory behaviors, meaning you don’t use laxatives, fasting, self-induced vomiting, or other tactics to purge the food. If you have strategies to compensate for eating, you might fit the criteria for bulimia nervosa or other types of disordered eating.

The Difference Between Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders

Treatment of ADHD and Binge Eating

As helpless as you might feel about eating, recovery is possible. Therapy and medication can help you establish healthier eating habits and reduce binge eating.

Medications

Coincidentally, one of the first-line medications for treating binge eating is one of the same stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD:lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse). In addition to helping treat some of the underlying ADHD symptoms that led to the disorder, the stimulant seems to help reduce the number of binge eating episodes.

If you already take stimulant medication for your ADHD and still struggle with binge eating disorder, your healthcare provider might recommend one of the following:

What Medications Are Used to Treat Binge Eating?

Psychotherapy

In addition to medication, therapy can be extremely helpful, especially for people struggling with both ADHD and binge eating. Some of the most commonly used approaches include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Eating Disorders

Coping With ADHD and Binge Eating

Recovering from an eating disorder is hard enough on its own. When you’re also dealing with ADHD, it can feel like nothing you do works, and none of the advice acknowledges the ADHD symptoms at the root of your binge eating.

Lifestyle Changes

While professional help is usually the best way to treat binge eating disorder, there are some self-care steps you can take to address the underlying ADHD symptoms that are contributing to your binge episodes.

How to Use a Planner With ADHD

ADHD Support Groups

Support groups can help you connect with people who know what you’re going through because they’ve gone through it themselves. They’re a great place to get advice and encouragement from people who understand your experience.

How to Find an ADHD Support Group

Binge Eating Support Groups

Just as an ADHD support group can give you advice and encouragement to manage your ADHD symptoms, a binge eating support group can help you address your binge eating disorder.

As you figure out what strategies and treatment options make the most sense for you, it may help to address both the disordered eating and the ADHD symptoms that might be contributing to it or making your recovery harder at the same time. If possible, try to find healthcare providers that understand how your ADHD and binge eating are linked so they can help you develop an ADHD-friendly treatment plan.

Best Eating Disorder Support Groups

A Word From Verywell

However you choose to approach your recovery, remember to practice self-compassion and forgiveness. Both ADHD and eating disorders often come with excessive self-criticism and low self-esteem,and those only work against you when you’re trying to work toward something better.

If you can’t show compassion and forgiveness to yourself, explore the support group options listed above. There are people in this world who know what you’re going through, who have felt exactly as hopeless and worthless as you might be feeling right now, and they made it through to the other side. You can get there, too.

If you or a loved one are coping with an eating disorder, contact theNational Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helplinefor support at1-800-931-2237.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are coping with an eating disorder, contact theNational Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helplinefor support at1-800-931-2237.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kaisari P, Dourish CT, Higgs S.Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) and disordered eating behaviour: A systematic review and a framework for future research.Clinical Psychology Review. 2017;53:109-121. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.03.002Kaiser Permanente.Topiramate for binge eating disorder.McElroy S, Guerdjikova AI, Mori N, O’Melia A.Pharmacological management of binge eating disorder: current and emerging treatment options.TCRM. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S25574.Beaton DM, Sirois F, Milne E.Self-compassion and perceived criticism in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(Adhd).Mindfulness. 2020;11(11):2506-2518. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01464-w

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kaisari P, Dourish CT, Higgs S.Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) and disordered eating behaviour: A systematic review and a framework for future research.Clinical Psychology Review. 2017;53:109-121. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.03.002Kaiser Permanente.Topiramate for binge eating disorder.McElroy S, Guerdjikova AI, Mori N, O’Melia A.Pharmacological management of binge eating disorder: current and emerging treatment options.TCRM. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S25574.Beaton DM, Sirois F, Milne E.Self-compassion and perceived criticism in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(Adhd).Mindfulness. 2020;11(11):2506-2518. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01464-w

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kaisari P, Dourish CT, Higgs S.Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) and disordered eating behaviour: A systematic review and a framework for future research.Clinical Psychology Review. 2017;53:109-121. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.03.002Kaiser Permanente.Topiramate for binge eating disorder.McElroy S, Guerdjikova AI, Mori N, O’Melia A.Pharmacological management of binge eating disorder: current and emerging treatment options.TCRM. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S25574.Beaton DM, Sirois F, Milne E.Self-compassion and perceived criticism in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(Adhd).Mindfulness. 2020;11(11):2506-2518. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01464-w

Kaisari P, Dourish CT, Higgs S.Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) and disordered eating behaviour: A systematic review and a framework for future research.Clinical Psychology Review. 2017;53:109-121. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.03.002

Kaiser Permanente.Topiramate for binge eating disorder.

McElroy S, Guerdjikova AI, Mori N, O’Melia A.Pharmacological management of binge eating disorder: current and emerging treatment options.TCRM. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S25574.

Beaton DM, Sirois F, Milne E.Self-compassion and perceived criticism in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(Adhd).Mindfulness. 2020;11(11):2506-2518. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01464-w

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