Concussions, Athletes, and Eating Disorders: The Overlooked Mental Health Impact

By: Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C, Therapist & Founder of The Eating Disorder Center

When people think about concussions, they often focus on the immediate physical symptoms: headaches, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light, or difficulty concentrating. What is discussed far less often is how concussions can affect an athlete’s mental health and, in some cases, their relationship with food and their body.

At The Eating Disorder Center, we work with adolescent and adult athletes across Rockville, Bethesda, Potomac, Chevy Chase, North Bethesda, Gaithersburg, and throughout Maryland, as well as Arlington, McLean, Alexandria, Vienna, and other communities in Virginia. Additionally, we provide therapy in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Florida, and California. We also offer recovery coaching worldwide.

Many of the athletes we see are high-achieving, driven, and deeply invested in their sport. When a concussion disrupts that identity, the emotional and behavioral fallout can be significant.


Concussions and Mental Health in Athletes

Research consistently shows that concussions increase the risk of mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, irritability, emotional dysregulation, and changes in impulse control. For athletes, these challenges are often compounded by sudden removal from training, competition, and the structure that sports provide.

An athlete who is benched due to a concussion may experience:

• Loss of identity or purpose
• Fear about performance decline or permanent damage
• Increased anxiety or depressive symptoms
• Difficulty tolerating reduced activity

How Concussions Can Affect an Athlete’s Relationship With Food

Concussions do not directly cause eating disorders, but they can create conditions that increase vulnerability. We commonly see several pathways:

Loss of control. Athletes often thrive on routine. Restricting food, controlling intake, or obsessing over “clean” eating can provide a false sense of control during an uncertain time.

Fear of weight changes. Reduced activity can trigger intense anxiety about weight gain, body composition, or performance. This is especially common in sports that emphasize leanness, aesthetics, or weight classes.

Mood changes and appetite disruption. Concussions can alter appetite, hunger cues, and interoceptive awareness. Some athletes may lose their appetite entirely.

Perfectionism and pressure to return. High-performing athletes may push themselves to “optimize” recovery through rigid food rules or supplements, believing that eating less or eating “perfectly” will speed healing.

Over time, these patterns can develop into clinically significant disordered eating or full eating disorders if left unaddressed.


Why Early Intervention Matters

Athletes are often praised for toughness and resilience, which can make it harder to acknowledge emotional struggles. Many families and coaches focus exclusively on physical clearance after a concussion, without recognizing the psychological recovery that also needs attention.

At The Eating Disorder Center, we take a whole-person approach. We look at how brain injury, identity disruption, performance pressure, and emotional health intersect with food and body image. Early support can help prevent long-term struggles and allow athletes to return to sport with healthier coping strategies.


Specialized Support at The Eating Disorder Center

Our clinicians specialize in treating eating disorders, disordered eating, anxiety, trauma, and mood concerns in athletes and high-achieving individuals. We work closely with adolescents, young adults, and adults throughout Maryland and Virginia, including families in Bethesda, Potomac, Chevy Chase, McLean, Arlington, and Alexandria.

Treatment may include:

• Evidence-based therapy for eating disorders and body image concerns
• Support for depression, anxiety, and identity shifts after injury
• Collaboration with medical providers, sports medicine teams, and families
• Working with a dietitian to provide guidance around fueling for brain recovery and safe return to activity

We understand the culture of competitive sports and the unique pressures athletes face. Our goal is not just symptom reduction, but helping athletes rebuild trust in their bodies and develop a sustainable, healthy relationship with food.


When to Reach Out

If you are a parent, coach, or athlete noticing increased food restriction, body checking, anxiety around eating, mood changes, or rigid control behaviors following a concussion, it is worth seeking support. These signs are not a failure of resilience; they are a signal that the athlete needs care.

The Eating Disorder Center offers therapy for athletes across Rockville and the greater Montgomery County area, as well as throughout Virginia and beyond via telehealth in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Florida, and California. 

Concussions affect more than the brain. They can quietly reshape how athletes see themselves, their bodies, and food. With the right support, recovery can include not only a return to sport, but a stronger foundation for long-term mental health.

Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation to explore how eating disorder therapy or recovery coaching can help you to find freedom.

🌟 Available in MD, VA, DC, PA, FL, and CA for eating disorder therapy
🌍 Offering recovery coaching worldwide

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Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C (she/her), is an award-winning eating disorder therapist and the founder of The Eating Disorder Center, a specialized therapy practice for eating disorders and body image concerns. Jennifer uses ACT, CBT, and DBT to help clients find freedom from eating disorders and body image struggles.  Jennifer is recognized as a leading eating disorder expert and was named one of the top professionals in the field by a premier treatment center. She is the recipient of the Best of Bethesda Award for Best Individual Therapist (2025) and the Best of Rockville Award (2020–2024). She helps clients to live full, meaningful lives, beyond food and body image concerns.

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The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping children, teens, and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington, D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland and Virginia. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com