SummaryData concerning the occurrence of life events in the year before onset of alcohol dependence were collected front 23 patients recruited from a district general hospital. Both male and female alcohol dependent cases reported significantly more severe life events in the year preceding onset of the disorder than did members of a community comparison group over the same 12‐month period. Events were also classified according to the dimensions of loss’ and ‘danger’, and ‘independence’. The study suggests that individuals may enter the initial stages of alcohol dependence in response to stressful