ADHD and Eating Disorders Overlap — and How Recovery Coaching Can Help
The Overlap Between ADHD and Eating Disorders
If you live with ADHD and also struggle so much with food habits, you’re not alone.
ADHD and eating disorders often overlap. Research shows higher rates of binge eating, bulimia, and restrictive patterns in people with ADHD compared to the general population. One large review found that 11–33% of people with eating disorders also meet criteria for ADHD, and those with ADHD are up to 4 times more likely to develop an eating disorder than those without【¹】. For binge eating specifically, studies suggest rates are 2–3 times higher in people with ADHD【²】.
Why? Because the ADHD brain is wired for intensity, sensitivity, and impulse. Those traits can be powerful — but they can also create challenges with food and body image.
Common patterns include:
Forgetting to eat until you’re starving, then overeating
Using food to cope with overstimulation or under-stimulation
Struggling with rigid food rules and perfectionism
Feeling like your body or your needs are “too much”
These aren’t character flaws. They’re signals of how your brain and body are interacting under stress.
A Client Story: The Cycle of Starving and Binging
Sara came to coaching feeling exhausted by a daily cycle: skipping meals all day while working, then crashing at night into uncontrollable binge eating. During the day, ADHD hyperfocus and stimulant medication kept her from noticing hunger signals. By evening, she was overwhelmed, depleted, and starving. Food became both fuel and comfort. The aftermath left her ashamed and determined to “do better tomorrow,” which usually meant more restriction, starting the cycle over again.
Through coaching, Sara began to see this pattern not as a personal failure, but as a predictable loop.
Together, we worked on:
Building gentle reminders to eat earlier in the day
Creating easy, low-barrier snack options she could grab between meetings
Practicing self-compassion instead of doubling down on restriction
Over time, the all-or-nothing swings softened. She began to feel more regulated, more nourished, and less consumed by shame.
My Personal Lens on ADHD and Food Struggles
I know this intersection personally. I went through my own eating disorder recovery as a teenager, long before I understood my ADHD. Looking back, it’s clear how much the two were connected — the impulsivity, the perfectionism, the shame, the need for control when everything else felt overwhelming.
My “recovery” was many, many years ago, but the perspective it gave me stays with me. Today, as a certified recovery coach, I bring both professional training and lived experience. I know what it feels like to be in the middle of the struggle, and I also know what long-term healing can look like.
How Coaching Supports Healing from Disordered Eating
Therapy helps you process the “why.” Coaching helps you practice the “how.” Both can be valuable. For many clients, coaching serves as the bridge between recognizing what needs to change and actually implementing those changes. Especially with ADHD, accountability and structure are often the missing pieces. Coaching fills that gap in a compassionate, non-judgmental way.
That might mean:
Building gentle routines around meals and self-care
Creating systems to reduce decision fatigue
Practicing self-compassion when old patterns resurface
Helping you stay accountable without shame or pressure
The most helpful approach is one that is trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming. Your coach will focus on what’s already working for you, and we will help you experiment with tools that fit your life, not someone else’s version of a good life for you. We walk alongside you as you discover what works best for your brain and body.
Final Thoughts
Living at the intersection of ADHD and eating disorder recovery can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. With the right support, you can learn to work with your brain instead of against it — and that shift changes everything.
Recovery is possible. Long-term healing is real. And you don’t have to choose between managing ADHD and recovering from disordered eating. You can do both, with the right tools and support.
References
【¹】Nazar BP et al. “The risk of eating disorders comorbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Int J Eat Disord. 2016.
【²】Cortese S et al. “Association between ADHD and binge eating in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Int J Obes. 2016.
About the Author
Minal Kamlani is a trauma-informed ADHD recovery coach based in NYC. She works with neurodivergent adults in recovery from trauma, burnout, and survival-based coping. Her coaching blends structure and nervous system awareness to help clients reclaim function—without shame or perfectionism. Learn more at Higher Vibes Coaching.