Ebriorexia: symptoms, causes and treatment

A psychological phenomenon in which anorexia and alcohol addiction overlap.

The action of drinking and eating is basic to survival, but as the type of behavior it is, it is also prone to give rise to the development of psychopathologies. After all, wherever there is behavior, there is the possibility that it can be transformed into harmful behavior, as Clinical Psychology shows us.

In this article we will focus on an eating disorder in which both eating behavior and excessive drinking occur. It is called ebriorexia, also known as alcoholorexia.. Let's see what it consists of.

The ebriorexia: combination between anorexia and alcoholism

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that enjoys great popularity and social acceptance, to the point of being part of the idiosyncrasy of a large number of cultures. It is associated with socialization and disinhibition, and its consumption often begins in adolescence.

It is also at this age that some adolescents is also when some adolescents may begin to develop eating problems, often based on the search for food.It is often based on the search for acceptance by the group at a stage when they are still searching for their own identity. Sometimes, both elements can be associated in a disorder of great danger for the life of the sufferer, and here comes into play the ebriorexia.

It is called ebriorexia or alcoholorexia a dangerous eating behavior disorderIt is characterized by the progressive substitution of food intake by alcohol consumption with the aim of the patient to lose or reduce weight.

People with this disorder suffer from an intense fear of gaining weight and gaining weight. an intense fear of becoming fat and gaining weight.which appears together with a high level of body distortion that makes them perceive themselves as extremely fat. This, together with the obsession and overvaluation of thinness, makes them decide to limit their intake or resort to purgative behaviors in order to lose weight.

In the case of ebriorexia, the person decides to replace the calories to be acquired through food with those obtainable from alcohol, This means that in practice they stop eating and focus on drinking.. In many cases, they also use other purgative behaviors, such as making themselves vomit to lose the calories they may have acquired from alcohol.

On the other hand, the use of alcoholic beverages has to do with a poor management of the anxiety generated by the development of the disorder itself: the consumption of this substance is used to try to alleviate the discomfort, something that generates a feeling of guilt and immediate regret.

Generally, this disorder, which is becoming more and more frequent and is included in other specified eating disorders, is suffered by young people and adolescents, is suffered by young people and adolescents. Although there are cases in both sexes, it seems three times more frequent in women.

Great risks and consequences

It is a highly dangerous and potentially fatal disorder that combines the consequences and risks of eating disorders such as anorexia and those of alcohol consumption, abuse or even dependence. The alterations can be physical, neurological or even psychological, altering organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, brain or Blood vessels.altering organs such as heart, kidneys, liver, brain or blood vessels.

In this sense, we find an excessive loss of weight up to a clinically dangerous underweight, which can lead to amenorrhea, insomnia, dizziness, tachycardia, arrhythmia, hypopressure, anxiety, cyanosis, renal and hepatic problems.It can also lead to renal and hepatic problems (even up to renal/hepatic failure), pain, constipation, alopecia, fatigue, suicidal ideation or depression.

It also causes problems of attention and concentration, memory, physical capacity, irritability or decreased libido, as well as a tendency to lie (especially in relation to food).

In addition to this, there are alterations typical of alcohol dependence, such as liver problems like cirrhosis.In addition, the patient may suffer from gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular problems, hallucinations, confusion, inability to concentrate, memory problems, renal failure, coma or even death. Also irritability, anxiety, depression and social conflicts with family, partners and friends.

In addition, performance problems appear at the academic and work level, and can even lead to dismissal. Legal and judicial problems may also arise.

In addition, it must be taken into account that the fact of not eating makes alcohol have a greater effect on the brain and the body, which facilitates the appearance of consequences.This makes it easier for negative consequences to arise with its use. For example, it is more likely that neurological or digestive problems may appear. It is also more likely that disorders such as Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's syndrome may appear.

Causes of this disorder

The causes of ebriorexia are not completely defined, considering that this disorder has a multicausal origin, as is usually the case with all psychological disorders in general.

Among the different factors that may affect or facilitate its occurrence are the transmission and overvaluation of beauty canons centered around thinness. It is common for those who suffer from this disorder to have feelings of insecurity.

In many cases they may have lived experiences of rejection that have made them suffer to a great extent, a rejection that they may have linked to their body shape. These experiences may lead them to resort to elements such as alcohol to disinhibit themselves or feel more accepted. At a personality level, they often have a personality that is either rigid and perfectionist or extremely emotionally labile.

Parental role models can also have a certain effectIn the case that overvalued ideas about body shape are transmitted or if the image of alcohol is transmitted as a way to solve or avoid problems.

On the other hand, it is estimated that there are also genetic predispositions that influence the probabilities of developing ebriorexia. However, these are not clear, and in any case it would be a matter of many genes interacting with each other. In no case can a psychological disorder be developed solely by genetic factors, but these are related to the development of the organism in interaction with its environment.

Treatment

Treating ebriorexia requires a multidisciplinary a multidisciplinary intervention that takes into account both the eating disorder and the possible alcohol dependence, as well as the importance of the social context.as well as the importance of the person's social context.

Firstly, if the patient is in an emergency situation, hospital admission may be necessary, in which the first step will be to stabilize their state of health and help them to regain a minimum weight, while monitoring their condition and controlling their vital signs.

Another possible route of entry in the case of ebriorexia is ethylic intoxication, or the effects or alterations of the effects of alcohol.Another possible route of entry in the case of ebriorexia is ethyl intoxication, or the effects or alterations caused by the absence of nutrients and intoxication or the effects of alcohol consumption on multiple body systems.

Once the patient is stable, we should work on the elaboration of an adequate diet and use strategies such as cognitive restructuring to combat dysfunctional beliefs.

Another useful strategy for both intake restriction and alcohol consumption is through exposure with response prevention to anxiety-producing stimuli.. Of course, it is first necessary a deep work at a cognitive level.

Before this, it will be necessary to generate a desire to change, making the patient gradually become aware of the existence of a problem and its consequences and risks. Subsequently, it is possible to help to make a decisional balance that allows to see the need to make a change and to leave behind the previous conductand gradually establish guidelines and plans to make and then maintain the desired change over time.

Working on stress management and social skills can be useful. The practice of psychoeducation with the affected person and also with his or her environment can be useful so that everyone can understand the process that the affected person is following, as well as to offer various guidelines and assess possible complications in the treatment.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association (2014). DSM-5. Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales. Madrid: Panamericana.
• Adam, B. (2012). Drunkorexia: Understanding the Co-occurrence of Alcohol Consumption and Eating/Exercise Weight Management Behaviors. Journal of American College Health. 60 (3): 236 - 243.
• Blackmore, N.P.I. & Gleaves, D.H. (2013). Self-induced vomiting after drinking alcohol. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 11(4): pp. 453 - 457.
• Knight, A. (2013). Drunkorexia: an empirical investigation of disordered eating in direct response to saving calories for alcohol use amongst Australian female university students. Journal of Eating Disorders 1(1), p. 6.
• Stoppler, M.C. (2008). Drunkorexia, manorexia, diabulimia: New eating disorders. MedicineNet.