Alcoholism....what are the "early signs"?

I have someone very dear to me that has started drinking...she has drank off and on for years.....no problem....stops drinking cold turkey even after she has reached a half case a day....but she has begun again, and something is "different" about her...she seems to worry about not having enough to drink on hand....especially on Saturdays....she will do anything to make sure she has something to drink on Sundays....Alcoholism does run in her family...is she at risk?....let me add that she has a very strong mind and CAN quit anything....drugs, cigarettes, and even alcohol....it's just that this time....someting is different is all I can say

Alcoholism is very deceiving. You don鈥檛 see the problem when you are in the middle of it, forest through the trees type of thing. The signs she is demonstrating are definitely something to worry about. When the 鈥渁ddiction鈥? alcohol, drugs, sex, food, etc, becomes the most important thing at a party, or any other time, it is time to take steps on quitting. Other signs to look for are: Black outs, missing work or family functions due to alcohol, binge drinking, major change in personality. It some times takes a drastic measure to get through to an alcoholic. It took my wife, I am 5 ft. 9 in. she is 5ft 1in., practically climbing up my chest and in my face yelling and crying telling me I was destroying my family due to my drinking. It was a rough road to sobriety, 5 years now, but worth it. If you really care about this person you must help them, when they realize it is a problem you have to stick by them through it all. It is very, very rough, but worth it. Good Luck!

To me alcoholism boils down to one question. Does alcohol or whatever (gambling, drugs, shopping, coffee, sugar, etc)negatively effect your life in any way. And if it does, you need to quit. If it does not, enjoy. Simple?

One of the symptoms of an alcoholic is the inability to resist drink early in the day say before break fast or before mid day meal.Second symptom is going into the shell.The person tends to become reserved and aloof until he/she takes a few drinks.Third is the person tends to gulp down two or three drinks fast when he starts and cannot wait and have the drink liesurely .

Dear Brenda,

It sounds to me like the tendency is there for her to be addicted in some manner to alcohol.

When they make preparations to have enough alcohol on hand at all times, it means that she may be mentally dependent on it, although not yet physically dependent on it.

You have to ask yourself if this woman has been under some undue stress, or has had family problems, financial problems, problems at work, etc. There could be many triggers that could set these wheels in motion. If she is susceptable to alcoholism, then these stressors could have started this ball rolling.

If you are truly a friend to her, don't stand by and watch this happen. What she's doing to herself is very self-destructive. I'm quite sure that if you were to confront her about this, she would deny having any kind of a problem. But you have to insist that she does, and press home the fact that you care and that you want to be there to help her. Don't take "no" for an answer. If you really care for her, then you will get tough, and act.

Prayers for her, and you.

You ask about the early signs, but it seems to me that your relative is way past that. Drinking is a social pastime (something we enjoy doing with friends), and when we start to do so on our own, we are on the way. Usually a good sign is when one needs a drink before midday. Not to make light of your situation, but when a friend invited me for a drink the other day, I told him I could not, since it was 11:30 a.m and I did not drink in the morning . His answer was that somewhere in the world it must be after midday.