Navigate ADHD and concomitant power disorders

“Food is my heroine,” said Haley (a pseudonym), 28, comparing her ADHD and her excessive food disorder to a drug problem. “It seems dramatic but it is true. As hard as I try to prevent frenzy, it’s like driving on the same puffy that blows your tires every day.” It is a feeling that could be taken up by one of the more than 30 million Americans who will suffer a diet at some point in their lives. It is a feeling that is aggravated by a co-diagnosis of attention deficit and hyperactivity (ADHD).

About 22 million Americans live with ADHD, a disorder characterized by challenges with attention regulations, control of pulses and executive function (for example, planning and time management organization). These features can complicate a person’s relationship with food. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), people with ADHD have up to 12% chance of developing a food disorder. In particular, research confirms the association between ADHD and excessive food disorder, which shows that 26% of people with ADHD also had excessive diet behaviors, compared to two percent ADHD.

For patients, this can result in a more complex lifestyle than those without diagnosis. A particular patient, a 35 -year -old man (pseudonym Alex), thought that the only thing that could relieve him the chaos of his ADHD was food. Certain nights, Alex could consume four burgers, four large fries, a pizza, two bags of croustilles, two ice gallons and a dozen cupcakes. For more than a decade, after each frenzy, he said to himself that he would never spoil himself again.

For Fernando (another pseudonym), 44, who fought with bulimia and ADHD since he was 15 years old, controlling his weight resembled his only success. For those who suffer from bulimia, food can be misinterpreted as a means of self-medication when they experience anxiety, stress, anger or boredom.

There are many behavioral, psychological, neurochemical and biological factors that contribute to the reason why people with ADHD are predisposed to develop food disorders. See the treatments through the lens of ADHD-MANGER disorders is essential and must be at the heart of treatment.

There is a link between the two disorders

According to research from the National Library of Medicine, up to 80% of adult ADHD patients present another psychiatric disorder. Although ADHD does not cause food disorders, children and adolescents with ADHD must be monitored for food disorders, as there is a high prevalence of disorderly among this group.

There are characteristics of ADHD that lend themselves to food disorders.

People with ADHD often experience emotional deregulation, which can make them more likely to use food as an emotional adaptation mechanism. Impulsiveness, another characteristic often found in a person with ADHD, can cause incoherent eating habits and can cause bingles, meals, meals, purge and other disorderly eating practices. Some people with ADHD may have difficulties with structured routines that could make it difficult to stick to an essential component of treatment of food disorders such as prescribed meal plans. Finally, sensory treatment problems that involve increased sensitivity to taste, sounds, light and other stimuli can also affect their experience with food. These problems can lead to an admission avoidance / restrictive (ARFID) disorder, a food disorder that is characterized by increased sensitivity to the texture of food and leads to very narrow diet and inadequate nutrition.

ADHD and concomitant diet can intensify symptoms of each other. Impulsiveness can lead to excessive diet or purge and emotional deregulation can make it difficult to face the difficulties of life. The fight against ADHD and food disorder at the same time can better forge the path to healthy recovery and adaptation.

Approaches to treat ADHD and food disorders together

Recovery is possible with the right type of intervention and support. These strategies are part of an effective treatment program:

• Custom meal planning – Planning of structured but flexible meals helps meet nutritional needs, in addition to providing a feeling of balance and predictability to meals This may look like a written plan with integrated options and flexibility that can be adjusted day by day depending on the progress of recovery.
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) – DBT offers tools to manage emotional reactivity and impulsiveness, currents in ADHD and food disorders. DBT focuses on learning and the practice of mindfulness, distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills that can help reduce impulsive behavior around food. Practice with DBT skills and tools can benefit the whole family to help manage the unpredictability of these conditions and lead to progress in recovery.
• Cognitivo-behavioral therapy (TCC) – TCC helps to identify and move disorderly thought models and build healthier behavior while taking up challenges related to ADHD, including impulsive decision -making and the difficulty of launching tasks. TCC can also improve body image and self -esteem.
• Medication monitoring – Stimulating drugs used for ADHD should be carefully managed to ensure that drugs do not remove a patient’s appetite and interfere with their recovery objectives. Non -stimulating drug options should also be more strongly taken into account for those who suffer from food disorders or those predisposed to the development of food disorders. Therapeutic patterns must be carefully coordinated with the medical resources prescribed by the patient and close communication is essential.
• Executive function – Patients who acquire planning, organization and time management skills tend to have easier results and lasting habits and routines.

Recovery is possible

When food disorders and ADHD coexist, it can be difficult, but loved ones can be of great help in recovery by creating a space for open conversations and without judgment on emotions, daily experiences and food choices. With compassion and patience, relatives can provide support for a predictable daily routine.

Tools such as visual timetables or timer can also help provide a structure around meals, snacks, school, work, activities and essential breaks. By remaining closely linked to the care team, relatives can better understand the challenges the patient is confronted and help them celebrate their progress along the way.

Tackling a food disorder that coexists with ADHD requires desire and dedication, treatment and professional protocols, and support for the House of the Family and Caregivers. With all this aligned, there is no reason why individuals are unable to achieve their recovery goals and enjoy a healthier life.

Photo: Thinglass, Getty Images

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