Drinking alcohol is a common aspect of most social activities. However, drinking responsibly is something that many people struggle with. Poor drinking habits combined with caloric restriction can lead to drunkorexia. Drunkorexia can be incredibly harmful to your health and should not be taken lightly. If you believe that you may have symptoms of drunkorexia, you should seek help to help eliminate these destructive behaviors.
What Is Drunkorexia?
Drunkorexia is a non-medical term used to describe a practice in which individuals eat fewer meals throughout the day to compensate for the calories they consume via drinking alcohol. Drunkorexia can quickly lead to substance abuse problems and eating disorders. Most individuals who have drunkorexia are afraid of gaining weight from the calories in their alcohol, which is why they skip meals or even practice bulimia (in which they partake in self-induced vomiting after eating).
Alcohol and Eating Disorders
Alcohol abuse and eating disorders often go hand in hand. While not all individuals suffering from drunkorexia are diagnosed with an eating disorder, it is still a likely occurrence. Oftentimes, a person who has problems with body image, depression, or other negative thoughts will eat less or practice bulimia in hopes of losing weight. At the same time, the individual may be drinking more to compensate for their negative feelings. This is where drunkorexia comes in.
Risks of Drunkorexia
You may be wondering what is so dangerous about drunkorexia. If the person is eating less and drinking more, they are still receiving the same number of calories as if they drank less and ate more. However, the problem does not lie with caloric intake. The problem is limiting your food intake and drinking too much. Drunkorexia can lead to:
- Alcohol addiction
- Eating disorders
- Unsafe or overconsumption of alcohol
- A lack of nutrients that your body needs to process the alcohol
- A lack of nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy
Practice Self-Care
There are things you can do to help prevent or eliminate drunkorexia. While social activities and peer pressure may demand drinking, you can avoid drunkorexia by limiting your alcohol intake to one or two drinks per day and drinking non-alcoholic cocktails.
If you are concerned about calories, you should sacrifice your alcohol caloric intake rather than your food intake. There are alcoholic drinks with fewer calories than others. It is crucial to not skip meals to make room for alcohol. Your body needs the nutrients from food to function properly and metabolize the alcohol and help you recover from hangover-related symptoms.
Seek Treatment
If you believe that you are suffering from drunkorexia, you should seek treatment right away. While the first step may seem daunting, it can make all the difference. At Fairwinds Treatment Center near Clearwater, Florida, we can help you overcome drunkorexia. Fairwinds Treatment Center is a recovery center with over 30 years of experience treating patients with eating disorders, alcohol addiction, and other conditions.
As a pioneer of dual-diagnosis treatment, Fairwinds Treatment Center not only diagnoses conditions but also determines if there are any factors that may be contributing to or causing your condition. These factors often include past traumas that have led to unhealthy habits. Our dual-diagnosis treatment process has been invaluable in our patients’ recovery journeys.
Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center today to learn more about how we can help you conquer drunkorexia including eliminating caloric restriction and limiting alcohol use. We look forward to helping you lead a happier, healthier lifestyle. If you have any questions about our facility, treatments, or inpatient and outpatient care options, please don’t hesitate to ask.
