bootstrap

Hi everybody!

I drank 750ml bottle of booze a day plus for little more than a year and i quit 7 months ago.

I stopped drinking when i felt that a certain "thinking ability"(sorry) that i always had and developed and taken for granted, slowed down over the course of days and then simply wasn't there anymore. When i did quit entirely i also realized how slow my brain was workning overall. I could not get words out in a conversation simply because the thought process was almost in a stand still and my problem solving abilities was truly scary.

it has slowly returned but i am still going around waiting for that certain "brain function" to come back. Its really like its not there anymore.


Anyone had similar experiences with brain dysfunction that then later returned?

Orbea

My ADD got a lot worse from the drink. I am now on adderal...which seems to help me focus.

Gottalife

When I stopped I had redced my IQ to my shoe size. I had lost the ability to think and had to use my sponsor's reasoning power (he asked me the questions I should have been asking myself) to make the simplest decisions. It did get better, I went from skid row to the top 5% of income earners in about 3 years, and have owned and run businesses for most of my sobriety. Now as I get older, my memory is going to crap again but I gather that is normal. Though as I say that, I just passed a yachtmaster exam with 96%, so maybe the old noodle is still working ok.

ParaFelon

Oh yeah Bootstrap, I can absolutely relate, especially to your example with regard to being unable to hold an end of a conversation. In my case I find myself stuttering or staring at the floor searching for words even in a relaxed conversation with a friend.

It's even worse for me if the conversation involves another 2 or more people. I find myself unable to even follow a conversation. Try as I might I just cannot keep up with the flow. I either tune out completely or I find myself focusing on parts of the conversation that have been moved on from.

My concentration span is 0.

I hear Thiamin (vitamin B1 I think) helps with reproducing the brain cells destroyed during drinking, but I forget to make a point of searching for food stuffs that contain this while shopping lol.

laurie6781

Yes, it does return but it take TIME. We are not young children any more and
it takes longer to create 'new pathways' to replace the ones we destroyed with
the booze and/or drugs.

My neurologist has my brain scans and it is amazing to compare them to the
earliest ones. I have parts of my brain that are suppose to be functioning and
are absolutely dark and dead and other parts of my brain, that in most folks
is dark, and it is where my brain functions now.

I too brought my IQ back, and had my own business for many years and did
very well until my retirement.

So have hope. It takes time, but you will get it all back.

J M H O

If you are concerned enough, a trip to a neurologist would not hurt.

Love and hugs,

bootstrap

yea it take them in pill form together with omega 3 oil. Apperently the grey braincells that contains the information are pretty resistant to damage unless one has severe b vitamine deficiency, and the white matter grows back more or less. Maybe not in the exact same way ofcourse but im hoping that the main things aren't permanent...

Taking5

At 7 months you could still be suffering from PAWS - post acute withdrawal syndrome.

Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

sugarbear1

From 7 months to 15 months you will continue (most likely) to go through more changes, my brain did. Give time time. We didn't get here overnight.

CarolD

ParaFelon....Welcome ...

CarolD

Bootstrap...

7 months.....good for you...

I found working crosswords and board games like Scrabble
helped me get my vrain back in balance..

Perhaps this link will interest you....

Alcohol Chemistry and You

lkc2010

I was really worried about my short term memory loss. I have a year on Sunday (for real!) and sometimes I think it is still a bit spotty but it is MUCH better. Many people in recovery have issues like this but they all promised me my memory would come back and it has. :-) Just hang in there.

sanibel

I can definitely relate. I had severe brain fog and had terrible short term memory for about 3 months after I quit. I couldn't even get a sentence out of my mouth at times. My balance and coordination felt funny for a while too.

It has gotten much better being at 98 days but still feel like my brain is not 100% there all the time. Recovering from my 4-5 years of heavy drinking I don't think should be quick. I think eating healthy, exercising and returning to a normal sleeping pattern has helped me a lot though.

SlimSlim

Here's a link showing a comparison of MRIs of continued drinking vs. abstinence:

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...ages/06_05.gif

Interesting.

FredG

Alcohol kills brain cells. So does sneezing. The sooner we stop drinking the more brain cells we have to sneeze at.

With luck we don't kill too many.

Boleo

When I quit drinking my brain did get better (somewhat) on its own for the first few months. However, I do need to supplement my diet with a high-quality vitamin B-Complex or Balanced B50 to keep from getting sometimers syndrome.

FarmDiva

Slim, thanks for that. I just recently had an MRI as I've been having notable balance/gait problems for over a year, after 10 years of heavy drinking. My neurologist said the MRI was unremarkable, did an exam, and diagnosed me with ataxia, often a symptom of brain damage.

He asked about my drinking. I fudged the numbers a bit and said 2-3 glasses of wine, 3-4 days a week, figuring he would double that amount. Came home from that appointment committed to sobriety and recovery. No silly beverage is worth my health and balance. I'm hopeful my brain will recover with abstinence.