Can your brain recovery from years of alcohol abuse?
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
I hope this will be his final wake up call....and yours too.
Lot's of research has proven the correlation
between alcohol and brain malfunctions.
Were you surpized PB?
Lot's of research has proven the correlation
between alcohol and brain malfunctions.
Were you surpized PB?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by CarolD 
I hope this will be his final wake up call....and yours too.
Lot's of research has proven the correlation
between alcohol and brain malfunctions.
Were you surpized PB?
Lot's of research has proven the correlation
between alcohol and brain malfunctions.
Were you surpized PB?
The doctor said if he continued at his present rate Alzheimer's would likely effect him in a relatively short time.
Shape-Shifting Super-Hero
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eating Tofu!
Posts: 882
I'm still curious as to what extent the brain bounces back. There appear to be vast, unused portions, perhaps these pick up some of the slack, in time. I'd like to hear what the research has to say on the matter, and what studies exist.
Also, the thought that the brain is already too far gone and will never recover is a bit daunting; I can see where this might become a kind of ratioanalization to just keep drinking. But at least we can stem further damage, should this be the case.
Personally, I think cognitive function does improve after stopping, in just a week I noticed a big difference in vocabulary use, memory and overall 'speed' of thinking.
Also, the thought that the brain is already too far gone and will never recover is a bit daunting; I can see where this might become a kind of ratioanalization to just keep drinking. But at least we can stem further damage, should this be the case.
Personally, I think cognitive function does improve after stopping, in just a week I noticed a big difference in vocabulary use, memory and overall 'speed' of thinking.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
HP....I think the key here is "after I stopped drinking"
because I too noticed improvement within a few weeks.
First....
I could finish the newspaper daily crosswords
which I had lost the abilty to do correctly
by the last couple of years of drinking.
Boleo mentioned wet brain....he is correct
there is no return from that condition
However....before that......
Alcohol and Brain
Alcohol Chemistry and You
because I too noticed improvement within a few weeks.
First....
I could finish the newspaper daily crosswords
which I had lost the abilty to do correctly
by the last couple of years of drinking.
Boleo mentioned wet brain....he is correct
there is no return from that condition
What is wet brain ---
Dr. James West, Betty Ford Center
"Good question. The term wet brain refers to a very real condition known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This chronic brain syndrome is caused by long-term alcoholism and is accompanied by a triad of symptoms: 1) mental disturbance; 2) confusion, drowsiness and paralysis of eye movements; and 3) ataxia or a staggering gait. A primary cause for this is a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency due to severe malnutrition and poor intestinal absorption of food and vitamins caused by alcohol. The person with wet brain acts much like the Alzheimer’s victim with loss of recent memory, disorientation with regard to time and place, confusion and confabulation, or telling imagined and untrue experiences as truth. If wet brain is identified in its early onset, an infusion of thiamine (B1) may help. Unfortunately, there is no recovery from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Therefore, it is one of the most tragic consequences of alcoholism."
Dr. James West, Betty Ford Center
"Good question. The term wet brain refers to a very real condition known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This chronic brain syndrome is caused by long-term alcoholism and is accompanied by a triad of symptoms: 1) mental disturbance; 2) confusion, drowsiness and paralysis of eye movements; and 3) ataxia or a staggering gait. A primary cause for this is a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency due to severe malnutrition and poor intestinal absorption of food and vitamins caused by alcohol. The person with wet brain acts much like the Alzheimer’s victim with loss of recent memory, disorientation with regard to time and place, confusion and confabulation, or telling imagined and untrue experiences as truth. If wet brain is identified in its early onset, an infusion of thiamine (B1) may help. Unfortunately, there is no recovery from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Therefore, it is one of the most tragic consequences of alcoholism."
Alcohol and Brain
Alcohol Chemistry and You
Disposable Hero
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What matters most is what you want to do about your problem and how can we help! If you have questions regarding your health, it's best to check with a medical professional about it. That's what Dennis Rodman did, yes?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by Wolfchild
That's what Dennis Rodman did, yes?
Last night he finally admitted that he was an alcoholic although he doesn't drink daily.
Shape-Shifting Super-Hero
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eating Tofu!
Posts: 882
Well, reading the one link, it appears that brain function does improve with continued abstinence, and that's good news. Not surprisingly, the worst damage appears to come from the most prolonged and severe use of alcohol. I'm reminded that the term 'alcoholism' is a big tent: it might mean a person who drinks 6 beers a day, every day, and 'functions'; it might mean a person who binges one night a week and blacks out; it might mean a person who drinks to the point of hangover 3 nights a week. This coupled with how long a person has engaged in these behaviors makes it pretty complex as far as brain function goes, not to mention that many people who drink use other substances as well. In any event, an interesting topic.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
bmwcycle....
Gee I don't know
I've not watched the show but I can tell you....
I never knew what day or which drink slid me into alcoholism.
After many years of drinking without any problems
depression crept into my life. Nothing external
was the cause....I began seeing a psychiatrist for assistance.
A few years later.. 3 .suicide attempts ...short stays in
mental hospitals I was diagnosed with situational
Depression. My doctor suggested abstinance and AA.
Do I think my brain was affected by alcohol?
Yes.....absolutely. . No doubts for me.
By the end of 2 months my depression vanished
I took no meds....and it's never returned in 20+ years.
I certainly hope anyone seeking recovery can find their way.
It's great to live as a non drinking alcoholic...
Gee I don't know
I've not watched the show but I can tell you....
I never knew what day or which drink slid me into alcoholism.
After many years of drinking without any problems
depression crept into my life. Nothing external
was the cause....I began seeing a psychiatrist for assistance.
A few years later.. 3 .suicide attempts ...short stays in
mental hospitals I was diagnosed with situational
Depression. My doctor suggested abstinance and AA.
Do I think my brain was affected by alcohol?
Yes.....absolutely. .
No doubts for me. By the end of 2 months my depression vanished
I took no meds....and it's never returned in 20+ years.
I certainly hope anyone seeking recovery can find their way.
It's great to live as a non drinking alcoholic...
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Road to recovery
Posts: 866
Been over a year and a half sober for me after decades of various levels of binge drinking. I've noticed a big improvement in many areas of brain function over the 18+ months. Especially that function called being happy internally even when external forces work in the opposite direction.
Shape-Shifting Super-Hero
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eating Tofu!
Posts: 882
Well, it's good to see that in most cases, there is hope, and that the brain recovers a good deal of it's lost faculties in time. By the time dementia sets in, I don't imagine many people would be in any state to decide to quit; you'd most likely be too far gone by that point to notice or care. And so we have an excellent reason to stop now.
I find it helpful to look at positive things like this; too often, I find merely looking at the negative aspects of drinking and not the benefits of stopping to be inneffective, and even self defeating.
I find it helpful to look at positive things like this; too often, I find merely looking at the negative aspects of drinking and not the benefits of stopping to be inneffective, and even self defeating.
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