Bipolar patients with alcoholism were compared to nonalcoholic bipolar
patients on clinical and family history variables. All patients were
systematically examined using a structured interview. There was no inc
rease in the family history of alcoholism in the alcoholic/bipolar. Th
is argues against separate transmission of alcoholism and bipolar illn
ess in bipolar patients who meet diagnostic criteria for both bipolar
illness and alcoholism. The possibility remains that alcoholism is sec
ondary to the bipolar illness in some cases. Likewise, there is a poss
ibility that preexisting alcoholism may, by a sequence of events, prod
uce an induced ''organic'' bipolar picture.