A bizarre alcohol story. Anyone ever hear of anything like this...
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by fini 
makes sense that changes in the brain translate into other changes.
No pity. No remorse. No fear
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 183
My first hand account of the dementia effect: My dad drank alcoholically for years, turning to AA at the age of 55, he is now 90 and in a care facility and has dementia. He did not drink at all in the time from joining AA until going into the facility (2009 after the death of my mum). They have a Happy Hour there every Thursday arvo, where my Dad has 2 glasses of light beer, and seems content. Might ask my wife about this, her PhD thesis had to do with Alzheimer's/dementia.
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: liverpool, england
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with all the different storys i have heard and read about and indeed with the people i have been involved with in helping, there comes over a determination or motivation that must be in place for anything to work
without it then people seem only half hearted as to me there not really convinced
maybe the fall and bang on the head might of been just the convincing your mum needed to take the drink problem serious like never before ?
without it then people seem only half hearted as to me there not really convinced
maybe the fall and bang on the head might of been just the convincing your mum needed to take the drink problem serious like never before ?
No pity. No remorse. No fear
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 183
Hey fini,
Just to clear something up. The facility my Dad is in has 3 levels of care; independent living, in a self-contained flat or unit with a "panic" button if you need help or a nurse. A locked nursing home-type dementia ward. And, where my Dad is, is kind of like a modern military barracks, in that he has his own well-lit, airy room with TV and an en-suite, but he has most stuff done for him like haircuts, laundry, needs help showering etc and eats in a communal dining room. He's not mobile enough anymore to go on the outside group trips that he used to. If it ever comes to it, I hope I get somewhere just as nice!
OK, on to the actual thread topic. **THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, JUST AN OPINION*** (Thanks mods/Dee
) My wife explained this quite simply as; Alzheimer's/dementia affects the neurons in the brain to do with memory. So when it onsets, people simply "forget" they are addicted to a substance. As my wife explained, it really is basically that simple. And for JoeNerv, a blow to the correct part of the head may cause the same effect. In fact, my wife related her own experience of having a motorcycle accident where she had a closed brain injury and forgot she was chocaholic! Sounds juvenile, I know, but according to her, when it came to chocolate she, in her own words, had a serious eating disorder. After the accident she can take it or leave it. She actually had half-joking discussions with her PhD supervisor and mentor that she may have stumbled across the next big diet thing! So when Kaneda stated above if only they could patent the "head blow" thing, he may really be onto something! Although my wife did say it probably wouldn't get past the ethical test when it comes to these things.
Anyway, hope that has helped some. Oh and it's already 2015 here in Oz, so Happy New Year!
Just to clear something up. The facility my Dad is in has 3 levels of care; independent living, in a self-contained flat or unit with a "panic" button if you need help or a nurse. A locked nursing home-type dementia ward. And, where my Dad is, is kind of like a modern military barracks, in that he has his own well-lit, airy room with TV and an en-suite, but he has most stuff done for him like haircuts, laundry, needs help showering etc and eats in a communal dining room. He's not mobile enough anymore to go on the outside group trips that he used to. If it ever comes to it, I hope I get somewhere just as nice!
OK, on to the actual thread topic. **THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, JUST AN OPINION*** (Thanks mods/Dee
) My wife explained this quite simply as; Alzheimer's/dementia affects the neurons in the brain to do with memory. So when it onsets, people simply "forget" they are addicted to a substance. As my wife explained, it really is basically that simple. And for JoeNerv, a blow to the correct part of the head may cause the same effect. In fact, my wife related her own experience of having a motorcycle accident where she had a closed brain injury and forgot she was chocaholic! Sounds juvenile, I know, but according to her, when it came to chocolate she, in her own words, had a serious eating disorder. After the accident she can take it or leave it. She actually had half-joking discussions with her PhD supervisor and mentor that she may have stumbled across the next big diet thing! So when Kaneda stated above if only they could patent the "head blow" thing, he may really be onto something! Although my wife did say it probably wouldn't get past the ethical test when it comes to these things.Anyway, hope that has helped some.
Oh and it's already 2015 here in Oz, so Happy New Year!
Last edited by LaVallette; 12-31-2014 at 05:14 PM. Reason: grammar, spelling
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by LaVallette
...a blow to the correct part of the head may cause the same effect. In fact, my wife related her own experience of having a motorcycle accident where she had a closed brain injury and forgot she was chocaholic! Sounds juvenile, I know, but according to her, when it came to chocolate she, in her own words, had a serious eating disorder. After the accident she can take it or leave it. She actually had half-joking discussions with her PhD supervisor and mentor that she may have stumbled across the next big diet thing! So when Kaneda stated above if only they could patent the "head blow" thing, he may really be onto something!
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy".
(Tom Waits)
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Pacific Coast
Posts: 785
Originally Posted by Boleo
Perhaps a frontal lobotomy would do the same thing?
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy".
(Tom Waits)
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy".
(Tom Waits)
I'm not a gifted researcher so forgive me for not having specific citations, but do I recall correctly that at one time, frontal lobotomy was the go-to treatment for all manner of difficult mental cases, including "hopeless" alcoholics?
And then they moved on to the vastly more sophisticated and humane electro-shock therapy?
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Originally Posted by Boleo
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