What Makes Nutrition Therapy for Co-Occurring Disorders Different?
Substance use and eating disorders are both bio-psycho-social-somatic conditions that often serve similar functions—helping individuals cope with difficult emotions, trauma, or neurobiological imbalances. When treated in isolation, one disorder may resurface, emerge more strongly, or be replaced by the other.
An integrated dietitian looks beyond the surface behaviors to understand the physiological and emotional connections between the two. We work to stabilize your nutritional status, manage the metabolic changes that occur during early recovery, and address how substance use may have affected your hunger cues, digestion, and organ function.
Who We Treat
Our team supports individuals across the spectrum of co-occurring presentations, including:
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Eating Disorders During Early Sobriety: Managing the emergence of ED symptoms when substances are removed.
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Active Substance Use & Disordered Eating: Harm reduction and nutritional stabilization.
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Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) & Nutrition: Addressing micronutrient deficiencies and blood sugar instability.
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Stimulant Use & Restrictive Eating: Re-establishing consistent fueling patterns and hunger/fullness cues.
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SUD and Binge Eating Disorder (BED): Navigating the overlap of reward-system pathways.
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ED/SUD co-occurring with: Anxiety, ADHD, Depression, or PTSD.
Our Approach: Integrated, Weight-Inclusive, and Recovery-Oriented
Our work is rooted in the belief that your body is not the enemy. In both substance use and eating disorder recovery, the body has often been through significant stress. We operate from a weight-inclusive, non-diet framework—recognizing that food is medicine while rejecting diet culture narratives that label foods as “toxic” or “addictive.” Instead, we focus on nutritional rehabilitation: restoring the body’s resources so you have the physical and mental clarity to engage in recovery. By emphasizing consistent fueling and internal cues rather than external rules, we support a shift away from a “control” mindset and toward a more sustainable, nourishing relationship with food.
We begin by understanding your history with both substances and food, your current medical needs, and the practical barriers you face, while collaborating closely with your treatment team—including addiction counselors, therapists, and medical providers—to ensure your nutrition plan supports both your substance use recovery goals and your eating disorder recovery.
