Anorexia: Other Health Problems That May Occur
Topic Overview
It is not clear whether other mental health disorders occur before or as a result of anorexia nervosa. Treatment can be difficult when a person has anorexia along with other mental health disorders. Some of the most common mental health disorders that can be present with anorexia include:footnote 1
- Depression, which occurs in up to 50 out of 100 people who have anorexia.
- Irrational fears (phobias), including social anxiety disorder.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, marked by a drive for perfectionism, orderliness, and control.
- Panic disorder or panic attacks.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Substance abuse, which can increase the risk of death in those who also have anorexia.
- Body dysmorphic disorder, which is an imagined belief that there is a defect in your body or your physical appearance even though none exists, such as seeing yourself as fat when you are thin.
Related Information
References
Citations
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer W. Stewart Agras, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry
Current as ofMay 3, 2017
- Top of Page
Next Section:
Related Information
Previous Section:
Topic Overview- Top of Page
Next Section:
References
Previous Section:
Related Information- Top of Page
Next Section:
Credits
Previous Section:
References- Top of Page
Current as of: May 3, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & W. Stewart Agras, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry