Case report: treatment of a woman with alcohol and binge eating problems

The prevalence of eating disorders generally, and bulimia symptomatology in particular, in problem female drinkers has been consistently reported. According to an addictive behaviour model, these two disorders share common features, in particular a compulsion to engage in the behaviour and a sense of loss of control. However, there has been no attempt to treat sufferers of both conditions with a similar treatment approach. The present case study illustrates how a cognitive behavioural and exposure-based approach successfully treated a woman with a history of bulimia and alcohol problems. At 12 months follow up, there was a significant reduction in alcohol consumption and an absence of bingeing and purging episodes.