Aim. The aim of this study was a comparison of socio-demographic data of female patients with a diagnosis of purging and restricting type of anorexia nervosa. Methods. The method of the study was an analysis of the data obtained from 13 1 case histories of female patients with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (40 patients with restrictive type and 91 with a bulimic type of anorexia), treated at the Adolescent Department and the Neurosis Department of the Psychiatry Department of the Medical University of Lublin in the years 1993 - 2003. The mean age of the investigated patients with a restrictive type of anorexia was 20.8 years, the age of disease onset was 16.5 years, the mean time of disease duration was 3.7 years, mean BMI = 15.4. The mean age of the patients with a bulimic type of anorexia was 21.8 years, the age of disease onset was 17.9 years, the mean time of disease duration was 4.6 years, mean BMI = 15.9. Half of the patients had a secondary level education 87% were brought up in a full family and the most frequent reason of being brought up by a single parent was the death of another parent. Results. Results of our study revealed relevant differences between female patients with a restrictive type of anorexia and a purging type of anorexia in certain family factors. Conclusions. 1. Compared to the patients with the restrictive type of anorexia, much more patients with the bulimic type of anorexia assessed their relationships with their mothers negatively. 2. Much more patients with the bulimic type of anorexia compared to the patients with the restrictive type of anorexia, experienced sexual and physical abuse, in most cases caused by their fathers. 3. Alcohol abuse was present in 53% of the fathers of the patients with the bulimic type of anorexia and 30% of the fathers of patients with the restrictive type of anorexia. 4. Mental diseases occurred more often in mothers of women with a restrictive type of anorexia (10%) than the bulimic type (2.2%). 5. Chronic somatic diseases occurred more often in fathers of the patients with a restrictive type of anorexia (12%) than with the bulimic type (2.2%). 6. Compared to the patients with the restrictive type of anorexia, significantly more patients with the bulimic type of anorexia abused alcohol and had a lifetime history of suicide attempt.