mEDO 2026

Description
Eating disorders (EDs) are linked to child maltreatment, other traumas and trauma-related disorders, including PTSD, complex PTSD (cPTSD), the dissociative subtype of PTSD (dPTSD), and dissociative disorders (DDs), all of which are associated with higher severity, comorbidity and chronicity. Dr.Brewerton will discuss the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) pyramid and its purported mechanisms through which child maltreatment and other forms of interpersonal violence influence the health and well-being of individuals who develop EDs throughout the life span. At every level of the pyramid, it will be shown that EDs interact with each of these proclaimed escalating mechanisms in a bidirectional manner that contributes to the predisposition, precipitation and perpetuation of EDs and related medical and psychiatric comorbidities, which then predispose to early death. Integrated treatment strategies that go beyond sequential approaches are required to adequately address the complexity of ED presentations, especially in higher levels of care. Although there are several published practice guidelines for the treatment of EDs, and likewise, there are several published practice guidelines for the treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related disorders, none of them specifically address ED+PTSD comorbidity. The result is a lack of integration between ED and PTSD treatment providers and programs, which often leads to fragmented, incomplete, uncoordinated and ineffective care of severely ill patients with ED+PTSD.
 
Learning Objectives
1. State three findings from research studies on the relationship between eating disorders and trauma-related disorders (PTSD/CPTSD/DPTSD/DDs).
2. Be familiar with the ACEs pyramid mechanisms by which ACEs, other traumas and PTSD influence thehealth and well-being of individuals with eating disorders throughout the life span.
3. Discuss the rationale as to why continuing with traditional single-disorder focused, sequential treatment models that do not prioritize integrated, trauma-focused treatment approaches are short-sighted and often inadvertently perpetuate dangerous multimorbidity.
 
Financial Disclosures
Over the past year Dr. Brewerton has received financial compensation for consultations with 1) SunCloud Health; 2) Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Programs, and; 3) Monte Nido. He has received honoraria for teaching Medical University of South Carolina Physician Assistant (PA) students about eating and related disorders.