Shia LaBeouf -- Books it for Alcohol Treatment

Shia LaBeouf showed strong signs today he's getting help for some kind of substance abuse issue in the wake of his string of bizarre meltdowns.

Shia was in the L.A. area ... clutching an Alcoholics Anonymous book.

We don't know if Shia is just reading up or taking more formal action ... but it would seem there's a connection to his arrest last week after causing a scene at Studio 54 in NYC. As we reported, there have been other -- apparently alcohol-fueled incidents -- at a strip club in New York a week earlier and at a restaurant in L.A. a month ago.

We've reached out for comment about the photos ... so far no word back.