The client tells the nurse that she takes a drink every morning to calm her nerves and stop her tremors. The nurse realizes the client is at risk for:

Choice A reason: Drinking alcohol every morning to calm nerves and stop tremors indicates physical dependence. Tremors are a withdrawal symptom, and the need to drink to relieve them shows tolerance and dependence. Additionally, psychological addiction is present because the client believes alcohol is necessary to function. Chronic alcohol use also predisposes to neurologic disorders such as peripheral neuropathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Choice B reason: While the client may have underlying anxiety, the key issue is the dependence on alcohol to manage symptoms. The behavior described is more consistent with addiction and withdrawal rather than a primary anxiety disorder. Choice C reason: Alcohol can contribute to cardiovascular problems such as hypertension or arrhythmias, but the immediate risk described in the scenario is dependence and neurologic complications, not cardiovascular disease. Choice D reason: Chronic alcohol use can lead to nutritional deficiencies, especially thiamine deficiency, but the client’s daily drinking to stop tremors is more directly indicative of dependence and addiction rather than nutritional deficiency alone.