Telescoping of alcoholism in women alcoholics.

The accelerated progression of alcoholism, or telescoping, was examined among women alcoholics. Three aspects of telescoping in women were examined: the age of onset of four landmark symptoms, the number of years between landmark symptoms, and the number of symptoms occurring within each interval between landmarks. Women alcoholics were found to report a significantly shorter interval between the age at which they first began experiencing alcohol-related problems and the time they sought treatment than did male alcoholics.