Does Underage drinking cause permanent brain damage?
 

I started drinking when I was around 17, pretty much 3-5 drinks every Friday along with some daily Marijuana use that year. After that, I drank heavily when I was 18, and 20-23 so pretty consistent alcohol consumption with some minor ebbs and flows regarding quantity. Started noticing cognitive issues including decreased short term / working memory and now at 27 impaired language including spelling and speech issues.

After 24 I've had periods of sobriety ranging from 3 to 10 months. I rarely drank many in a row since the age of 24 and yet now if I have even one drink it affects me for days. I feel senile in terms of forgetting something said moments ago, struggling to focus, extreme difficulty and pain trying to read, constantly misplacing items and forgetting appointments and general disorientation physically and mentally. All very strange as I haven't drank very high quantities consistently for quite some time. I also had thiamine tested in 2014 or 2015 and came out normal twice.

I've found on the Internet the general timeline for recovery, eg 2 weeks, a few months, to 1 year for significant recovery. However I want to know if this applies to people who started drinking early as well. My fear is about what I've found saying drinking during adolescence causes permanent irreversible damage and I've found conflicting information on this some saying damage done to brain cannot be undone, others saying with time it eventually gets better.

All I know is I can't live like this.

I would suggest a full physical, including liver function tests, and absolute abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. How long since you have been completely off the alcohol and the marijuana?

Are you taking any other drugs? Smoking cigarettes, for example, can cause dementia.

I know it's tempting, but please don't use the internet to diagnose your personal health.

My experience...I started drinking heavily at age 14 and kept it up for nearly 30 years. I quit 7+ years ago and didn't suffer any permanent brain damage (at least that I'm aware of). That said, everybody is different.

If you're concerned, best to see your doctor and get an evaluation.

Hi 617346576453764 :)

Like others have said here none of us are Drs - only your Dr can really answer your question.

There's nothing in your post I didn't suffer after several years drinking tho, and I started drinking in earnest at age 25.

No matter when you started further drinking is only going to make this problem worse.

I think you'll be surprised at how much better things could be mentally if you stopped drinking...maybe not right away, but inevitably :)

D