Most people tend to ask what the signs of alcoholism were or are in hindsight, almost with a sense that if they knew what the signs were they could have either prevented the onset of alcoholism in a loved one, or if they had seen it, then they could have done something sooner to help the person involved get help or stop drinking.
The signs of alcoholism can be very difficult to see or to really establish, because of the nature of the illness.
Anyone who is an alcoholic may well go through certain stages of the illness before reaching a chronic stage, where it is really obvious that they have a real drinking problem.
Many alcoholics will drink normally for a period of time, before they begin to drink alcoholically or lose control of their drinking.
Once they do start to drink alcoholically, then it isn't always obvious that they have a problem.
Part of the reason for that is that heavy drinkers who aren't alcoholics can manifest many of the same issues/problems, and it isn't always clear which is which.
The other difficult factor is that much of what an alcoholic will do, both in terms of drinking and behavior may be socially acceptable, depending on country and culture, and may be dismissed as a phase that that person is going through, rather than being recognized as a potential alcoholic from the pattern of drinking and behaviors involved.
The other aspect worth mentioning is that it is certainly possible for an alcoholic to start drinking alcoholically from the start and from any age, even in childhood and progress from there.
In a strange way, the earlier it starts, the easier it may be to spot the signs and try to do something to help, always assuming that the alcoholic wants help.
As ever heck out Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon.