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My adopted daughter is an alcoholic and it is likely that she is dying from her addiction. When I adopted her and her brother, then aged 6 and 7, twenty six years ago, I knew that their birth parents had been chronic alcoholics. I did not know then what I know now - that there can be a strong genetic susceptibility to addictions. If you have this genetic susceptibility then if you experiment with alcohol or use alcohol in social situations, it is much more likely that you will go on to become dependent on alcohol and abuse alcohol. She had so many problems to overcome but she developed into a young woman with promise. Things improved so much when she was finally diagnosed with ADHD and was put on medication. She chose to go back on medication as an adult. She was ill for 3 years with ME but she finally recovered. At the age of 14 she experimented with alcohol and solvents and went to a residential school after being excluded from school. She worked in several factories but was always fired on account of her insubordinate attitude. (She'd been diagnosed with ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, too). But then she settled down and matured. She went to college and trained to be a carer. She worked as a carer for 7 years and loved her old folk. Sadly she lost her job after barging into another member of staff (she suffered from dyspraxia) and spiralled into anxiety and depression. She took overdoses and suffered panic attacks. She suffered from eating disorders. It then transpired that she was back on the alcohol, admitting to drinking a bottle of vodka a day. Over the last few months there has been a steady deterioration in her physical and mental state. She suffers from alcoholic seizures (her birth mother died from one) and has had numerous hospital admissions. She went into detox recently but failed. She suffers mental confusion, has hallucinations, has diagnosed brain damage. Her boyfriend is her designated carer. She has developed a Tourettes type symptom - at intervals she calls out 'Mum!' loudly. She still loves her dogs. Her boyfriend is good to her. The local clergyman has taken her under his wing. She is getting a nice CPN. But I have lost my daughter as I remember her - the caring, perceptive and hilariously funny young woman that I loved so much. It is like watching my elderly mother who developed dementia in her later years. And I have no hope for her future. I just live day to day and try to be prepared for the worst news.