SELF-DAMAGING AND ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR IN BULIMIA-NERVOSA - A CATCHMENT-AREA STUDY

This study examines the prevalence of self-damaging and addictive beha viour in a consecutive series of 112 normal-weight bulimic women all s temming from the same urban catchment area. A quarter reported consumi ng over 36 units of alcohol a week, and nine drank over 50 units. Twen ty-eight per cent abused drugs, 21% repeatedly stole, 18% repeatedly o verdosed, and 8% regularly cut themselves. In all, 40% reported self-d amaging and addictive behaviour, 80% of whom gave a history of three o r more behaviours together. Alcohol abuse was significantly associated with drug abuse and repeated overdosing; repeated cutting was signifi cantly associated with drug abuse. Repeated stealing and overdosing we re markers of severity and did not occur in isolation. A core group, t ermed and defined by the author as 'multi-impulsive bulimics', were ol der, less likely to be employed, married, or in a stable union, but we re more likely to have an alcohol-abusing partner or to come from a fa mily with a history of alcohol abuse. They were also more likely to gi ve a history of sexual abuse.