BULIMIA IN A MALE ALCOHOLIC - A SYMPTOM SUBSTITUTION IN ALCOHOLISM

In recent years, evidence points to a relation between bulimia nervosa and alcoholism. A significant number of bulimics have been reported t o abuse alcohol and drugs. Additionally, there is a high prevalence of alcoholism in the families of bulimic patients. In the light of the p roposed hypothesis concerning symptom substitution between the dyscont rol syndromes, we present an alcoholic patient who developed bulimic s ymptoms in the abstinence period. In this patient bulimic manifestatio ns disappeared as he restarted drinking again, suggesting that these t wo symptoms serve as a substitute for each other. (C) 1995 by John Wil ey and Sons, Inc.