Eating disorder or OCD? Understanding the distinction

Written By MELISSA GERSON, LCSW

Accurate diagnosis matters because OCD and eating disorders require different treatments

Eating disorders and OCD often share features like rigidity, rituals, and intrusive thoughts, which can make them hard to tell apart. While they sometimes co occur, they are driven by different fears and require different treatment approaches. Understanding what is actually fueling food related behaviors is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective care.

This article was written by Melissa Gerson, LCSW and originally published in Psychology Today. It explores how eating disorders and OCD overlap, where they differ, and why that distinction matters for treatment.

Read the full article on Psychology Today.

MELISSA GERSON, LCSW

Melissa Gerson is the founder of Columbus Park Center for Eating Disorders in New York City. Over the last 20-plus years, she has trained in just about every evidence-based eating disorder treatment available to individuals with eating disorders: a dizzying list of acronyms including CBT-E, CBT-AR, DBT, FBT, IPT, SSCM, FBI and more.

Among Melissa’s most important achievements has been a certification as a Family-Based Treatment provider; with her mastery of this potent and life-changing (and life-saving!) modality, she’s treated hundreds of young people successfully and continues to maintain a small caseload of FBT clients as she also focuses on leadership and management roles at Columbus Park.

Since founding Columbus Park in 2008, Melissa has trained multiple generations of eating disorder professionals and has dedicated her time to a combination of clinical practice, writing, and presenting.

https://www.columbuspark.com
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