Stopping Stimulant Use in Eating Disorder Recovery

The last complication to cover in the treatment of ADD and eating disorders is how and when to stop prescribing stimulants.

There are so many reasons people start taking stimulants: as an appetite suppressant, when given them by friends, for depression or for previously diagnosed ADD. So stopping the medications often take a complex, winding road.

First, if stimulants work for a clear ADD diagnosis then there is no reason to stop taking these medications. As explained in previous posts, the key is to be sure both diagnoses are treated and that any potential side effects are attended to.

In other situations, stopping stimulants is more nuanced. For people clearly abusing these medications, the best step is to stop them and work on addiction as part of the treatment. Since stimulants are easily accessible, treatment must include attention to addiction and cravings otherwise a prescription isn’t necessary to continue the medication use. The addiction can vary from severe abuse to relying on these medications as an eating disorder coping mechanism. 

In addition to focusing on addiction, it means focusing on the eating disorder symptoms as well. Without the physiological and psychological crutch these medications offer for appetite suppression and weight loss, patients become very scared of continuing eating disorder recovery without stimulants. So the craving is both an addiction and a fear related to the eating disorder. 

It’s necessary to monitor food carefully during this process and work on countering eating disorder myths about food and weight while processing that stopping stimulants is a necessary step in recovery. It’s enlightening to see how little these medications actually affect food and weight and how the psychological impact is a much larger component of their power.

Stimulant discontinuation can be a marker of significant progress in recovery. Realizing that the steps forward come from one’s internal change rather than the stopping a medication is eye opening. It reveals how recovery comes from within and reflects true steps towards self awareness rather than loss of the power of a medication. Stimulant discontinuation can be a marker for positive change.