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What Is Drunkorexia?: Cutting Calories for Alcohol
When an alcohol use disorder (AUD) is combined with and affected by an eating disorder, this is sometimes referred to as drunkorexia, a dual diagnosis condition hallmarked by replacing meals with alcohol. Although this term is not used clinically, laypeople often use it in reference to behaviors that include skipping meals, excessively dieting and exercising, or purging food as a way to offset calories accumulated from drinking alcohol.
While the DSM-V does not recognize “drunkorexia” as an official condition, it is also sometimes used informally in health care settings that involve the treatment of alcoholism or eating disorders.
Drunkorexia as a Trend
Over the last few years, both eating disorders and alcoholism have become significant concerns for teens and young adults, especially females. As a result, eating less and drinking more is becoming a popular trend among young men and women who enjoy drinking while socializing but seek to maintain a certain weight. In fact, some research has suggested that 80% of college students, many of whom were actually male, recently engaged in at least one behavior associated with drunkorexia.
But it’s not just those individuals who are in college. Studies have revealed that an estimated 30% of women in their early twenties reported skipping meals to drink more alcohol. Unfortunately, drinking on an empty stomach not only increases blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at a more rapid rate but also can result in dangerous alcohol-associated behaviors, such as driving drunk, engaging in violent assaults, and uninhibited behaviors, such as having unprotected sex.
Drunkorexia Is a Dangerous Condition
There are many reasons why drunkorexia is dangerous. For one, those who are not getting enough calories from food but too many from alcohol are at risk for vitamin deficiency, dehydration, and other physical health problems. Another issue stems from the fact that food helps absorb alcohol, so those who eat little or nothing will experience more alcohol more rapidly in their bloodstream and, therefore, get intoxicated much faster.
Also, individuals engaging in reduced eating and increased drinking may be at risk for binge drinking, which is classified as four or more drinks in a two-hour episode for females and five or more drinks during the same period for males. In addition to this, drunkorexia is also known to increase the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder or full-blown eating disorder, such as body dysmorphia, anorexia nervosa, or bulimia nervosa (a binge eating disorder)—if they haven’t already.
Behaviors associated with drunkorexia also lead to higher rates of certain health conditions than people who eat a reasonable amount of food before (or during) a drinking episode. These include memory loss (blackouts), alcohol poisoning (acute alcohol intoxication), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), or brain damage related to alcohol use.
Over the long term, the risk for alcohol-related health complications increases and may include liver disease, cardiac issues, osteoporosis, diabetes, and dementia. Alcoholics also face a heightened risk of developing certain cancers, including those related to the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, breast, and colon.
Students and others are also at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, sexual assault, unwanted pregnancies, DUIs, and hospitalization due to intoxication and loss of inhibitions.
We Believe Recovery Is Possible For Everyone.
If you or a loved one need help with substance abuse and/or treatment, please contact Just Believe Recovery at (888) 380-0667. Our specialists can assess your individual needs and help you get the treatment that provides the best chance for long-term recovery.
Drunkorexia and Appearance
There is a bit of irony to the phenomenon of drunkorexia: because this collection of behaviors is unhealthy for the brain and body, it can also affect physical appearance. Alcohol consumes the body’s vitamins and nutrients, hastening the aging process. Dramatic calorie reduction in conjunction with binge drinking can result in acne-prone skin and nails and hair that are brittle and thin. Malnourishment and abdominal bloating are also common.
Moreover, the condition may hamper weight gain, but in the end, it may be detrimental to one’s overall appearance. Heavy drinkers are also sometimes known for neglecting other aspects of appearance and personal hygiene, such as going several days without bathing or grooming during a lengthy binging episode.
Drunkorexia Signs
As noted, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach does make it easier to get drunk, and for many, this can seem like a reasonable way to manage stress and experience some enjoyment. While many erroneously believe that getting drunk faster and consuming fewer calories is a no-lose situation, it can significantly harm the body over time.
If you notice that you or someone you know has been drinking more and eating less, consider the presence of other feelings, behaviors, and habits, such as the following:
Worrying excessively about gaining weight and body image
Making frequent trips to the bathroom after meals (a sign of self-induced vomiting)
Engaging in extreme diets and overly-intense exercise regimens
Overusing laxatives or diuretics
Eating excessive amounts of food in a brief period followed by feelings of shame and guilt
Exhibiting low-self esteem
Experiencing depressive episodes
Exhibiting poor coping skills
Having inadequate feelings of being accepted
Having an irrational fear of losing control
Amy Winehouse: A Case Study in Drunkorexia
Amy Winehouse was an award-winning English singer and songwriter. She was well-known for her deep, expressive vocals and eclectic combination of musical genres, including soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues. She won five Grammy awards in 2008, including the Record and Song of the Year awards for her song “Rehab,” which honestly expressed her desire to avoid addiction treatment, as she was an alcoholic and was also known to engage in illicit drug use, which included heroin.
Winehouse was also battling bulimia and was described as having self- and body-image issues. She also tended to look unhealthy in many of the photos accessible to the public.
According to close friend Ian Halperin, she went more than a month (36 days) without eating a proper meal before her tragic death. He described her as “living on fumes in those final weeks.” Indeed, Amy succumbed to alcohol poisoning at age 27 in August 2011, following a drinking binge.
Getting Professional Treatment for Alcoholism
Alcohol addiction is a potentially life-threatening disease. Those who suffer tend to be malnourished or lacking in essential nutrients whether or not they experience a co-occurring eating disorder. These two disorders are intertwined and should be addressed simultaneously so the individual can recover fully from both. Failure to treat one or the other is likely to result in relapse regarding the other.
Just Believe Recovery center offers comprehensive, state-of-the-art programs facilitated by knowledgeable staff equipped to provide support and therapy for a wide variety of behavioral disorders (e.g., anorexia and bulimia) in addition to substance use disorders.
Our approach includes evidence-based services and activities essential for the recovery process, such as the following:
Medical detox
Behavioral therapy
Individual and family counseling
Peer group support
Relapse prevention
Substance abuse education
Health and wellness education
Art and music therapy
Aftercare planning
Alumni events
We Believe Recovery Is Possible For Everyone.
If you or a loved one need help with substance abuse and/or treatment, please contact Just Believe Recovery at (888) 380-0667. Our specialists can assess your individual needs and help you get the treatment that provides the best chance for long-term recovery.
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