By: Gabrielle Morreale M.A. LPC.

Eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are two distinct mental health conditions, but they often intersect in ways that can complicate diagnosis and treatment. Both involve intricate relationships with thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, which can overlap and exacerbate the severity of one another. In this blog, we'll explore the connection between eating disorders and OCD, the similarities and differences between these conditions, and how they can interact in a person’s life. As someone who personally struggled with, I know how intense these diagnoses can feel. Gentle reminder you are not your disorder and healing is possible. Now let’s jump in!!

What is OCD?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) performed to alleviate the anxiety caused by those thoughts. For example, someone with OCD might obsess over things being just right or perfect and may perform rituals to reduce the anxiety associated with the fear of things being different or unplanned. These compulsions may temporarily reduce distress, but they often interfere with life and functioning.

What are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are mental health conditions that involve a preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape. These disorders often include, but are not limited to restrictive eating, binge eating, excessive exercise, and purging behaviors. Some of the most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Some less common are ARFID, orthorexia, and pica. Eating disorders can involve a distorted or distressed body image and a constant pursuit of an “ideal” body type. However, let us be real all bodies are good bodies and the perfect body does not exist.

How OCD and Eating Disorders Are Related

While OCD and eating disorders are separate diagnoses, they share many similarities. First, they both are anxiety disorders at their core. Both conditions involve maladaptive behaviors driven by distorted thoughts or anxieties. In fact, research has shown that individuals with eating disorders often experience OCD-like symptoms, and vice versa. Let's delve deeper into how these two conditions are connected:

1. Obsessive Thoughts and Control

In both OCD and eating disorders, obsessive thoughts are central. For someone with OCD, these thoughts may revolve around a lack of control or fears of contamination, harm, or symmetry. In the case of eating disorders, obsessive thoughts often revolve around food weight and shape concerns. The need to control food, exercise, and other compensatory behaviors can become all-consuming and downright exhausting. These intrusive thoughts can mimic OCD.

2. Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals

Both OCD and eating disorders often involve compulsions or rituals that are performed with the intention to decrease anxiety and distress. In OCD, these behaviors may be things like:

Tapping
Checking
Counting usage such as restricting food, purging, or binge eating.

These compulsions are driven by the need to alleviate the distress caused by obsessive thoughts, but in both cases, they only provide temporary relief and can lead to exacerbated anxiety and an increase in compulsions over time.

3. Perfectionism and Control

Perfectionism is a common trait in both OCD and eating disorders. Individuals with OCD may strive for perfection in many areas of life, particularly in completing tasks or adhering to certain rituals. Similarly, people with eating disorders may have an extreme desire to attain a "perfect" body or ideal weight. This need for control, often fueled by anxiety and fear, can drive disordered eating behaviors and repetitive rituals related to food, exercise, or weight. Both those struggling with eating disorders and OCD can also Strive for perfection in their academic and personal lives. This can bring its own set of challenges and often contribute to symptom and compulsion usage.

4. Overlap in Symptoms

OCD and eating disorders share a tendency to manifest as rituals or routines that provide a sense of control or relief. For instance, an individual with OCD might feel compelled to exercise excessively to relieve anxiety about body image or food. Similarly, an individual with an eating disorder may feel the need to count calories, weigh food, or follow rigid meal plans, much like a compulsion seen in OCD.

5. Co-occurrence of OCD and Eating Disorders

Studies show that OCD is more prevalent in individuals with eating disorders than in the general population. People with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa often experience OCD-like behaviors, especially when it comes to food, weight, and body image. Statistically, it is reported that there is an overlap of 11-69% depending on the study. It also isn’t uncommon for those with OCD may develop eating disorder symptoms as a coping mechanism with their intrusive thoughts. For example, someone with OCD who obsesses over contamination or someone with “just right” OCD might develop an eating disorder by severely restricting their diet or avoiding certain foods they perceive as “unsafe” or “wrong”.

The Impact of OCD on Eating Disorder Treatment

The intersection of OCD and eating disorders is not uncommon and recovery is possible with treatment. In some cases, eating disorder symptoms may be seen as a manifestation of OCD, while in other cases, the two conditions will be treated separately. Treatment should always be individually tailored to the individual.

For instance, treatment might focus on challenging the obsessive thoughts related to food and body image while also addressing the compulsive behaviors associated with OCD, such as excessive exercise or restrictive eating. Exposure and response prevention (ERP), a therapeutic technique commonly used in treating OCD, can also be helpful in reducing compulsive rituals related to food or weight. However, for others, ERP is not the right intervention and it is up to the client and their therapist to find the exact right fit for the individual. Remember you are the expert on YOU!

Conclusion from an Eating Disorder Therapist in New Jersey

The connection between eating disorders and OCD is complex but undeniable. While both conditions are distinct, they share common features, including obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, and a deep need for control. It is essential to recognize the overlap and co-occurrence of these conditions to provide more comprehensive treatment for individuals struggling with both. Understanding the relationship between OCD and eating disorders can help improve outcomes and guide the development of more effective therapies for individuals dealing with these challenges.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder or OCD please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is passionate and trained to diagnose, assess, treat, and clients with both eating disorders and OCD. It is an honor and a passion to share in the journey of those who may be struggling. Most importantly always remember healing is possible.

Other Mental Health Services Offered in PA, NJ, DE, SC, MD, CT, VT, and FL

We offer a wide variety of services related to eating disorder recovery including trauma therapy! We offer Weekly Support Groups, Nutrition Services, and Family and Parent Therapy as well as Coaching, all tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual. We offer our services for Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, and Orthorexia as well as Maternal Mental Health, and eating disorder therapy for athletes online in New Jersey, Delaware, South Carolina, Maryland, Florida, Vermont, and Connecticut! We are here to offer our support and understanding in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

We have immediate openings right now for eating disorder therapy in:

Delaware, New Jersey, Florida, Maryland South Carolina, Connecticut, Vermont, and Pennsylvania.

And recovery coaching worldwide.

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Recovered and Restored is an eating disorder therapy center founded by Gabrielle Morreale, LPC. We specialize in helping teens and young women heal from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, and binge eating disorder and treat disordered eating, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. We provide eating disorder therapy in the towns of Horsham, Upper Gwynedd, Lower Gwynedd, North Wales, Lansdale, Hatfield, Blue Bell, Doylestown, and nearby towns with eating disorder therapy. Also providing virtual eating disorder therapy in New Jersey, Delaware, and Florida. Some towns served virtually but are not limited to Pittsburg, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Center City, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Mount Laurel, Cape May, Avalon, Brick, Dover, New Castle, Bethany Beach, Marydel, and Oceanview