Inpatient Care of the Substance-Abusing Patient With a Concomitant Eating Disorder

Substance abuse rehabilitation programs have been increasingly faced with the difficult task of treating patients with both an eating disorder and a chemical dependency disorder. The authors discuss screening patients with substance abuse for eating disorder and describe a strategy for care that integrates an eating disorder treatment protocol with a standard chemical abuse rehabilitation program. Elements of the treatment protocol include a thorough medical evaluation, nutritional stabilization, strategies to stop the patient's aberrant eating behavior, psychotherapy, medication, and discharge planning that actively addresses both the substance abuse and the eating disorder.