This is R-- taken a few years ago. I was puzzled by her behavior on that visit, she was apathetic, depressed, and didn't seem to care that she was wearing sneakers and sweatshirts all the time. She used to be such a careful dresser- always showing off her good taste. This summer I invited her to come and live with me, and that is when I discovered that she had become an alcoholic. She drank cough syrup on the sly, passed out, hid plates of half eaten food in the stove, lied to me compulsively, and refused therapy. I learned that she had this drinking problem for going on six years, maybe more. All this she had kept a secret from me, her oldest friend.