AIBU to suspect...

[harrietmcarthur]

I've noticed for a while a friend has problem with her speech at times. She struggles to get her words out to form sentences, the wrong letters come out at the beginning of words etc. Yesterday I noticed her handbag which was hung up in her house had a bottle of wine in it...I couldn't tell if it had been opened or not.
Today she seemed very eccentric and had problems forming sentences at times but I couldn't smell any alcohol at all on her.
This lady is a good friend but is also paid to look after our family livestock, hence why I see her a couple of times a day.
Would your gut feeling be on the same path as mine and that she possibly has an alcohol problem?
I can't ignore it as she interacts with my children daily (not in care capacity) and drives a HGV for my family a couple of times a week. I'm not sure what to do. AIBU to suspect?

Suggest that H&S/insurance has recommended spot checks on drivers with a breathalyser?

www.halfords.com/motoring/car-accessories/breathalysers/alcosense-single-use-breathalyser-130587.html

She might have a nervous stammer where her brain catches up with her speech. I wouldn't automatically assume she has a alcohol problem. Just for a speech stammer.

Seeing one bottle of wine doesn't seem to be very much evidence that this is an alcohol problem rather than some other speech issue. It could be a sign of something like MS or Parkinsons, or as a PP says, a nervous stammer of some sort.

I think I might be more inclined to gently enquire whether she's talked to a doctor about her speech, although it might be quite difficult to do that, depending on your relationship with her. Does she have medicals for the HGV driving? (Of course, if she suspects anything which may jeopardise the HGV licence, she may be reluctant to have a diagnosis.)

www.healthline.com/health/speech-impairment-adult#common-types

How old is she? Peri or post menopause and it's understandable. Most alcoholics put their's in a lucozade etc bottle.

Not sure she'd be carrying wine around. It would be vodka, wouldn't it?

@HollowTalk

Not sure she'd be carrying wine around. It would be vodka, wouldn't it?

Why vodka?

@HollowTalk

Not sure she'd be carrying wine around. It would be vodka, wouldn't it?

Eh? People who drink wine can't be alcoholics?

@HollowTalk

Not sure she'd be carrying wine around. It would be vodka, wouldn't it?

What a silly thing to say. Do you think all alcoholics sit on park benches with bottles of vodka?

Before you accuse her of drinking on the job, take her aside and say you notice she has a problem with her speech and if shes ok, show to be caring, youll get your answer. She could be on medication or shes got an illness youre not aware of.

Does she smell of alcohol?

My gut would be some neurological event / change. Has she had covid, even that can be a cause of aphasia.

www.verywellhealth.com/academic-advisor-mike-heidenberg-long-covid-5113482