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.