Stayingsassy

wow, Dee, that article. So it wasn't just me, it's a thing with some alcoholics. I always felt flippant saying "it made me crazy" when what I was saying is no you don't understand, it *literally* made me crazy.

suki44883

I always thought my father died from cirrhosis of the liver. I recently ordered a copy of his death certificate. The cause was Hepatic Encephalopathy.

Hepatic Encephalopathy:

Hepatic encephalopathy is a decline in brain function that occurs as a result of severe liver disease. In this condition, the liver cannot adequately remove toxins from the blood. This causes a buildup of toxins in the bloodstream, which can lead to brain damage.

Hepatic encephalopathy can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). In some cases, a person with hepatic encephalopathy may become unresponsive and slip into a coma.

Acute hepatic encephalopathy develops because of severe liver disease. This condition mainly occurs in people with:

acute fulminant viral hepatitis: a severe type of viral hepatitis that comes on suddenly

toxic hepatitis: may be caused by exposure to alcohol, chemicals, drugs (recreational or prescription), or supplements

Reye’s syndrome: a rare and serious condition primarily seen in children that causes sudden swelling and inflammation of the liver and brain Acute hepatic encephalopathy may also be a sign of terminal liver failure.

Dee74

I'm sorry for your dad Suki.

D

Ken0331

Jimmie, should it really come as a surprise that pouring a depressant (alcohol) down our throats makes one feel depressed?

Yeah, constant use of alcohol does indeed make changes to our brain chemistry, and I believe it can manifest itself in forms of anxiety, depression, and anger.


The good news is that many of us can and do recover . . .

WIwoman

Any suicidal thought I have ever had was while drunk. Never crossed my mind sober. How terrifying that you could kill yourself in a false state, when the sober, not crazy part of you doesn't wish to die. It's horrifying.

SoberCAH

I became psychotic during the last year or so.

I thought that i was going insane.

Treatment and AA has eliminated that concern.

Done4today

Have you seen a doctor? The weight loss would concern me. Makes me think of possible diabetes.

I too would be blacked out drunk off a few high ABV pints the last couple years of my drinking.

Welcome Jimmie and good luck

FindingMyNext

I was absolutely nutty when drunk. It's part of why I was so humiliated in the mornings--I'd have vague memories of acting crayyyyyyyyzy. But then I'd try to defend myself in my mind, knowing there wasn't any way to defend some of the things I said (and the crazy things I'd think). So, yeah.

Eight months in and I LOVE that I feel sane, like, all the time.

Change4good

I had crazy panic attacks daily. As in, having to get up and walk out of meetings if I could. If I couldn't it was pure agony. I ended up leaving at lunch to steady with three drinks. Now, THAT was bad. I ended up resigning, because I couldn't take it.

No more panic attacks now. :-) Not one.

Oh, and I forgot how to spell. For real.

Sobriquet

Yes megalomania sociopath for me.

NYCDoglvr

When we first start drinking alcohol makes us high; but as the disease progresses it takes us down to terrible places. Alcohol is a depressant, after all.

zjw

i was ******* crazy in the end. the final year i was slipping mentally and when i got sober to be honest ofr at least the first 6 months i was still slipping mentally a lot. I walked the razors edge of sanity all the time clinging desperately to keep my senses somehow. Someone should have stepped in and saved me from me but I think i was good enough at keeping everyone in the dark as to just how nuts i'd become.

when i think back on this time i honestly dont know how i crawled out of that hole alone. grace of god is all i can say.

so yeah. from my experience it can and will make you go nuts.

zjw

did i post this? lol reminds me of myself.