Eating Disorder Survey

By Bill Gaultiere © 2002

Do you (or someone you know) have a problem with compulsive behaviors surrounding food?  Has overeating, under-eating, or binge and purge cycles diminished your effectiveness in your relationships and your work?  Take the A-N A-D-D-I-C-T screening test to see if you may have an eating disorder.

Circle the numbers on the left if you answer yes to any of the associated questions.

1. Alone? Do you prefer to eat alone than with family or friends? Do you avoid social situations that include food?
2. Non-premeditated use? Do you find yourself eating when you’re not hungry? Does one indulgence lead to “stuffing yourself?” Do you often forget to eat a meal? Do you “purge” through laxatives, compulsive exercise, or diuretics?
3. Amnesia? Does eating, not eating, or purging leave you numb, in a fog, or detached?
4. Depend on high? Do you frequently overeat, diet, over-exercise, or purge for pleasure, energy, or confidence? Do you feel restless, irritable, or depressed if you don’t overeat, diet, over-exercise, or vomit? Have you tried unsuccessfully to change your eating habits?
5. Distracted? Are you distracted by thoughts about your appearance, food, dieting, exercising, or vomiting? Has your performance at work or school decreased because of food, dieting, exercising, or vomiting?
6. Increased tolerance? Are you eating, dieting, exercising, or vomiting more than you used to in order to manage your life?
7. Conceal supply? Do you eat, diet, exercise, or vomit in secret? Do you tell lies to cover up your eating, dieting, exercising, or vomiting?
8. Tranquilizer? Do you eat, diet, exercise, or vomit to feel better or to escape feelings of depression, guilt, or anxiety or to forget about your problems or a conflict?

Scoring: Yes answers in two or more categories indicate that you may have an eating disorder. For diagnoses and treatment consult in person with a doctor or psychotherapist.

Thank you!