My family has always had an alcohol problem. Until I moved away and found a partner that was interested in my health and well-being more than getting on with my family, I neither acknowledged it nor said anything.

My dad died 20+ years ago from lung cancer (holy shit that is another story...). Since then my mom has drunk very heavily VERY regularly. While he was still alive he was a strong moderating influence on her.

My wife (then girlfriend) noted that my mom was an alcoholic on one of her first extended trips to the US to visit my family. That went over like a lead zeppelin. Nothing changed across the Atlantic. Over here things were different, but that is also a different and longer story...

I'm commenting because for about 2 years now my mom is suffering from a form of Alzheimer's. She is slowly losing her memory, starting from her short-term memory. Do you think she's stopped drinking heavily? Think again... Particularly when those closest to her are happy to drink with her (mom's always buying).

We'll never know for sure what caused her dementia, but I'm 100% sure that drinking a bottle of wine per day every day for 20+ years didn't help.