Drinking and Drugs Effect on Brain Development
To thine own self be true.
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Drinking and Drugs Effect on Brain Development
hillindy's post this morning got me thinking about that whole theory about how the alcoholic and/or addict's emotional age is the same as the actual age they were when they started drinking and/or doing drugs. I know many of us have seen evidence supporting that theory and a psychologist told me that when an adolescent starts using these chemicals, their brains actually stop developing. Some say they stunt their growth so bad, they can never mature. I don't know what I believe regarding that but I was doing some reading about this today and found this on a college website:
And I thought, WHAT A COINCIDENCE! A&AXBF has problems with ALL of these things! Planning and decisionmaking, impulse control, movement, memory and speech!! And he has been drinking and doing drugs since about age 13! Just thought you might be interested in this, or have noticed something similar in the A in your life.
During adolescence, the brain undergoes a major remodeling involving the formation of new connections between nerve cells, as well as the pruning of existing synaptic connections. These changes affect the processes involved in planning and decisionmaking, impulse control, voluntary movement, memory, and speech production, among others (Rubia et al., 2000).
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Thanks Learn to live, I have often wondered this - my XABH drank from his teens and did soft drugs too and I've often wondered the damage he did. He's also very dsylexic, so I always assume it was that but I think it was the drink. My counsellor told me the other day there are high levels of alcoholism among dsylexics supposedly, down to their frustrations etc. My X was definitely one of those. Sad some turn into self made millionaires but others go down the drinking route. Lot of what ifs...
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Very cool explanation of what happens to them, which is helping me to understand why AXBF has behaved the way he has. I found this on James O. Henman Ph.D. website.
Character Changes Caused by Addiction
Much has been written about the changes which take place in alcoholics as the disease progresses (Jellinek, 1960; Polich et al., 1981; Royce, 1981). These researchers and others have found a number of psychological and biological changes, which appear to be associated with alcoholism. There is growing evidence of a relationship between alcoholic drinking and a reduction in neuro-transmitter levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine (Blum & Trachtenberg, 1987).
Ethanol has the capacity to displace enkephalins and endorphins at binding sites which decrease these levels in the brain and pituitary, thus resulting in alcohol craving (Blum & Topel, 1986). At the psychological level there has developed a recognizable cluster of personality traits associated with alcoholism, including a low tolerance for stress, feelings of inadequacy, impaired impulse control, isolation and a negative image of self.
There seems to be agreement that at a point in the progression of the disease, people cross into alcohol addiction. It is at this time that alcohol becomes the organizing core around which everything else in the alcoholic’s life must relate. When this happens, alcoholics can no longer predict their behavior while drinking, or even whether or not they will drink.
Dr. Stephanie Brown (1985) has explored these developmental changes in cognition, which lead to “alcoholic thinking.” She states that these changes refer “not only to rationalization, denial and frame of mind, but also to character traits that frequently accompany drinking. These include grandiosity, omnipotence and low frustration tolerance.” (Brown, 1988 pp. 97) These traits appear to be directly associated with the addictive process rather than with the individual’s personality prior to establishing this abusive cycle.
As alcohol becomes more dominant, the need to deny these changes becomes greater. It appears that there is an interaction between physiological changes and psychological defenses which creates emotional immaturity, self-centeredness and irresponsibility. Alcoholism becomes a thought disorder as well as an addiction to alcohol.
These qualities would accurately describe the primary defenses and interpersonal style typical of normal development in the first three years of life. We have found it useful to characterize the addictive part of self as a “two-year-old child”. The widespread appreciation of the “terrible two’s” stage of human development gives alcoholics a new way of understanding what is happening inside.
Alcoholics increasingly utilize the psychological defenses of denial, undoing, isolation, and rationalization to keep from facing reality. This progressive use of these early defenses forms the core new part of the alcoholic’s personality. This two-year-old wounded part of self begins to “drive the bus” and create havoc for all concerned.
As the disease develops, the two-year-old becomes predominant while the adult influence atrophies with disuse. When fully formed, the two-year-old becomes a permanent part of the alcoholic’s personality. The use of alcohol and other drugs strengthens the power of the two-year-old and at the same time weakens the adult. The primary focus of therapeutic intervention in Therapeutic Coaching is to develop healthy supervision for the two-year-old by the New Program Adult.
If a young child is left alone in a room with a loaded AK-47 - with the safety off, who is really responsible if that two-year-old shoots up the room, destroying many precious things? Is the young child responsible? Are the parents responsible for shooting up the room, even though they were not physically present at the time? The reality is that the parents are responsible for not supervising their child and therefore they are ultimately responsible for the actions of the child. This key distinction allows a new way for alcoholics and drug addicts to view their destructive behavior.
One of the most difficult issues in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction deals with the shame and self-hate associated with destructive choices and actions that were made during the time of using the drugs and alcohol. Usually the results of the destruction begin to surface in early sobriety. At the time the addict/alcoholic can least cope, the results of the addiction hit the most.
To give them a healthy way to understand what has happened in their lives and within that understanding, a constructive focus for current attention. The alcoholic can begin to tie the destructive actions to the two-year-old driving the bus. The focus is on learning to supervise and nurture the wounded part of self, seeing sobriety as the key to that supervision. It helps the alcoholic/addict shift from the destructive reaction of shame, to the healthy reaction of regret.
Character Changes Caused by Addiction
Much has been written about the changes which take place in alcoholics as the disease progresses (Jellinek, 1960; Polich et al., 1981; Royce, 1981). These researchers and others have found a number of psychological and biological changes, which appear to be associated with alcoholism. There is growing evidence of a relationship between alcoholic drinking and a reduction in neuro-transmitter levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine (Blum & Trachtenberg, 1987).
Ethanol has the capacity to displace enkephalins and endorphins at binding sites which decrease these levels in the brain and pituitary, thus resulting in alcohol craving (Blum & Topel, 1986). At the psychological level there has developed a recognizable cluster of personality traits associated with alcoholism, including a low tolerance for stress, feelings of inadequacy, impaired impulse control, isolation and a negative image of self.
There seems to be agreement that at a point in the progression of the disease, people cross into alcohol addiction. It is at this time that alcohol becomes the organizing core around which everything else in the alcoholic’s life must relate. When this happens, alcoholics can no longer predict their behavior while drinking, or even whether or not they will drink.
Dr. Stephanie Brown (1985) has explored these developmental changes in cognition, which lead to “alcoholic thinking.” She states that these changes refer “not only to rationalization, denial and frame of mind, but also to character traits that frequently accompany drinking. These include grandiosity, omnipotence and low frustration tolerance.” (Brown, 1988 pp. 97) These traits appear to be directly associated with the addictive process rather than with the individual’s personality prior to establishing this abusive cycle.
As alcohol becomes more dominant, the need to deny these changes becomes greater. It appears that there is an interaction between physiological changes and psychological defenses which creates emotional immaturity, self-centeredness and irresponsibility. Alcoholism becomes a thought disorder as well as an addiction to alcohol.
These qualities would accurately describe the primary defenses and interpersonal style typical of normal development in the first three years of life. We have found it useful to characterize the addictive part of self as a “two-year-old child”. The widespread appreciation of the “terrible two’s” stage of human development gives alcoholics a new way of understanding what is happening inside.
Alcoholics increasingly utilize the psychological defenses of denial, undoing, isolation, and rationalization to keep from facing reality. This progressive use of these early defenses forms the core new part of the alcoholic’s personality. This two-year-old wounded part of self begins to “drive the bus” and create havoc for all concerned.
As the disease develops, the two-year-old becomes predominant while the adult influence atrophies with disuse. When fully formed, the two-year-old becomes a permanent part of the alcoholic’s personality. The use of alcohol and other drugs strengthens the power of the two-year-old and at the same time weakens the adult. The primary focus of therapeutic intervention in Therapeutic Coaching is to develop healthy supervision for the two-year-old by the New Program Adult.
If a young child is left alone in a room with a loaded AK-47 - with the safety off, who is really responsible if that two-year-old shoots up the room, destroying many precious things? Is the young child responsible? Are the parents responsible for shooting up the room, even though they were not physically present at the time? The reality is that the parents are responsible for not supervising their child and therefore they are ultimately responsible for the actions of the child. This key distinction allows a new way for alcoholics and drug addicts to view their destructive behavior.
One of the most difficult issues in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction deals with the shame and self-hate associated with destructive choices and actions that were made during the time of using the drugs and alcohol. Usually the results of the destruction begin to surface in early sobriety. At the time the addict/alcoholic can least cope, the results of the addiction hit the most.
To give them a healthy way to understand what has happened in their lives and within that understanding, a constructive focus for current attention. The alcoholic can begin to tie the destructive actions to the two-year-old driving the bus. The focus is on learning to supervise and nurture the wounded part of self, seeing sobriety as the key to that supervision. It helps the alcoholic/addict shift from the destructive reaction of shame, to the healthy reaction of regret.
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What I notice doesn't necessarily have to do with brain development so much as practice. AH has very poor coping skills and low frustration tolerance. When confronted with stress he behaves very much like our pre-schooler. I'm not immune to acting like a pre-schooler mind you...but it's infrequet and only when I am very very tired and/or hungry in addition to being stressed 
Anyway...I think that he never really developed those skills because he started "coping" with everything with alcohol and other drugs at an early age. Early use also hurts your opportunity to practice positive leisure skills.
Brain changes? Maybe but we most certainly do most of our learning and practising major life skills in our teens and early 20s.
Anyway...I think that he never really developed those skills because he started "coping" with everything with alcohol and other drugs at an early age. Early use also hurts your opportunity to practice positive leisure skills.Brain changes? Maybe but we most certainly do most of our learning and practising major life skills in our teens and early 20s.
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My son started using at 16 and truthfully I didn't see any maturing after that. He's 22 now.
I've recently learned that he's had violent flashes of rage in the year before I threw him out. I've written how in one afternoon he hit me, knocked me down and spit in his brother's face.
However, I learned within the last week or so how prior to that he'd suddenly flash into rage (like a toddler) and strike out at his brothers. For example one day he suddenly thought one brother shouldn't be playing on the playstation and came up behind him and lifted him by the neck. And he often pushed shoved or smacked his youngest brother in lashing out unprovoked--a baby brother he used to protect fiercely.
This is the toddler part. He regressed back to toddlerhood. The research confirms what I suspected, his brain changed.
In my heart I know he will hurt his wife and lash out at his children if he ever has either. It makes me so so sad. It's just so terrible.
I've recently learned that he's had violent flashes of rage in the year before I threw him out. I've written how in one afternoon he hit me, knocked me down and spit in his brother's face.
However, I learned within the last week or so how prior to that he'd suddenly flash into rage (like a toddler) and strike out at his brothers. For example one day he suddenly thought one brother shouldn't be playing on the playstation and came up behind him and lifted him by the neck. And he often pushed shoved or smacked his youngest brother in lashing out unprovoked--a baby brother he used to protect fiercely.
This is the toddler part. He regressed back to toddlerhood. The research confirms what I suspected, his brain changed.
In my heart I know he will hurt his wife and lash out at his children if he ever has either. It makes me so so sad. It's just so terrible.
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There was a fantastic article in National Geographic called "The Beautiful Teenage Brain" in 10/11.
It was not directly about substance abuse, but it really opened my eyes to how much brain growth happens at that time of life....
It also allowed me to consider with substance use how that would change things (I read it right after an Al-Anon meeting).
It was not directly about substance abuse, but it really opened my eyes to how much brain growth happens at that time of life....
It also allowed me to consider with substance use how that would change things (I read it right after an Al-Anon meeting).
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There's also an aspect to it called "Kindling" : https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...FxWuG9ACIhDlnw
What happens is that with each subsequent detox/sober cycle changes occur in the brain. The withdrawals get worse and worse as time marches on. If you think of the amount of these cycles some alcoholics have been thru it's not that hard to figure that a lot of damage is being incurred.
What happens is that with each subsequent detox/sober cycle changes occur in the brain. The withdrawals get worse and worse as time marches on. If you think of the amount of these cycles some alcoholics have been thru it's not that hard to figure that a lot of damage is being incurred.
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This is interesting- I know several alcoholics besides my husband- his brother and some of his friends- who I have always been amazed at their preference of hanging out with people our kids' ages instead of their own age. These late 40-50 yr olds have most of their social interactions with 20 somethings. I realize this is because that is where they are in emotional maturity. It seems so absurd to me, like an older woman trying too hard to act young. I actually feel embarrassed or them.
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This is fascinating, as I am a recovering alcoholic. I started drinking about 14, got serious at age 18, and continued until age 36, until I quit and never took another drink.
Impulse control, yes I have to agree but it has been with money.
The stuff mentioned above could just as easily described my major depressive disorder.
But I cannot compare myself to an out of control two year old. I am thinking rages or tantrums with screaming, throwing things, I did not do that.
When I hit my husband with a pot and the MPs were called, that was the night of my last drink.
Emotionally, of course I am damaged, I wonder if 15 or 16 years later I have caught up.
Okay, here it is. Shifting from shame to regret. But what about the frontal lobe damage, it must still be there?
Learn2Live, is there anything there about someone who has been sober for years?
I wonder if any studies have been done about that very thing.
But, as a F&F I have seen this behavior with active addicts and alcoholics. Especially my teenage children. Ah, there's that shame again.
Yep, they both raged, my daughter especially she became the Incredible Hulk when she was drunk. It seemed like she actually got bigger the more mad she got.
I certainly hope that by stopping after a relatively short time of drinking she has less damage done to her brain.
But it is strange that she got it handed to her from both sides, and acted like her dad when he was drunk (loud obnoxious, eventually rage) instead of me (maudlin, silent, drank alone).
Interesting.
Beth
Impulse control, yes I have to agree but it has been with money.
feelings of inadequacy, impaired impulse control, isolation and a negative image of self.
But I cannot compare myself to an out of control two year old. I am thinking rages or tantrums with screaming, throwing things, I did not do that.
When I hit my husband with a pot and the MPs were called, that was the night of my last drink.
Emotionally, of course I am damaged, I wonder if 15 or 16 years later I have caught up.
The focus is on learning to supervise and nurture the wounded part of self, seeing sobriety as the key to that supervision. It helps the alcoholic/addict shift from the destructive reaction of shame, to the healthy reaction of regret.
Learn2Live, is there anything there about someone who has been sober for years?
I wonder if any studies have been done about that very thing.
But, as a F&F I have seen this behavior with active addicts and alcoholics. Especially my teenage children. Ah, there's that shame again.
Yep, they both raged, my daughter especially she became the Incredible Hulk when she was drunk. It seemed like she actually got bigger the more mad she got.
I certainly hope that by stopping after a relatively short time of drinking she has less damage done to her brain.
But it is strange that she got it handed to her from both sides, and acted like her dad when he was drunk (loud obnoxious, eventually rage) instead of me (maudlin, silent, drank alone).
Interesting.
Beth
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I thought about the effects of long-term sobriety too, Beth. I notice some problems I have with the frontal lobe stuff, like speech, movement, and impulse control. I started drinking at about 13, stopped by high school, then started again at 19, all the way thru to 29. So, I have quite a few years of sobriety under my belt, with a few binge episodes thrown in here and there. I definitely know I have matured emotionally over this time because I can plainly see the differences in how I handled things previously and how I'm better able to handle them now. I am much less self-centered. But I think that has a lot to do with how much work I have purposefully done on my self. Self-help, counseling, therapy, Al-Anon, higher education, career, etc.
But that frontal lobe stuff still remains a problem for me. Like I said, someone told me that when you drink and drug during your brain's formative years, the frontal lobe is permanently affected. Growth apparently stops and you can never fix the damage you have done. Not sure if they have scientific evidence to back that up but it makes sense to me, considering the traits of people I have known well who drank and or drugged as teenagers.
Haven't we all looked at the alcoholics in our lives and thought, "What the hell is wrong with them?" aside from the actual drinking? I honestly believe alcohol is the biggest reason why many Americans are not financially successful. Imagine what we all could accomplish and what our communities would look like if we all achieved the best we are able to achieve. It saddens me to think of all the lost and damaged potential.
But that frontal lobe stuff still remains a problem for me. Like I said, someone told me that when you drink and drug during your brain's formative years, the frontal lobe is permanently affected. Growth apparently stops and you can never fix the damage you have done. Not sure if they have scientific evidence to back that up but it makes sense to me, considering the traits of people I have known well who drank and or drugged as teenagers.
Haven't we all looked at the alcoholics in our lives and thought, "What the hell is wrong with them?" aside from the actual drinking? I honestly believe alcohol is the biggest reason why many Americans are not financially successful. Imagine what we all could accomplish and what our communities would look like if we all achieved the best we are able to achieve. It saddens me to think of all the lost and damaged potential.
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And, oddly enough today is bankruptcy day!
LOL
I feel okay with it. I am dropping mistakes I made years ago and starting with a clean brain.
Asking for help, making a plan with real goals. I can do this.
I am lucky too, that both parents were pretty damn intelligent. So, maybe me and my kids got a break there.
We (me and you) should feel pretty good about how we're doing now, I think.
Beth
LOL
I feel okay with it. I am dropping mistakes I made years ago and starting with a clean brain.
Asking for help, making a plan with real goals. I can do this.
I am lucky too, that both parents were pretty damn intelligent. So, maybe me and my kids got a break there.
We (me and you) should feel pretty good about how we're doing now, I think.
Beth
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I think it can get complicated by the fact that some other disorders are co-morbid with teenage drinking at much higher rates statistacally and those disorders are present from childhood. The alcohol did not cause them. Things like ADHD, some learning disabilities, or conduct disorders and they have very similar symptoms or personality traits to some of the things mentioned.
My xah didn't drink start drinking until after high school and I have certainly read some stuff in this thread that remind me of him.
My xah didn't drink start drinking until after high school and I have certainly read some stuff in this thread that remind me of him.
To thine own self be true.
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They do say the brain is still forming up to age 21, Thumper. And yes, I agree about the ADHD, etc. I don't think there is a way for doctors to tell the difference. But sure, what we might think is ADHD in an alcoholic, and wish they would get treatment for, may just be brain damage!!!
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I've heard that theory before, and there may be something to it.
"hillindy's post this morning got me thinking about that whole theory about how the alcoholic and/or addict's emotional age is the same as the actual age they were when they started drinking and/or doing drugs."
In my case, my emotional age lagged WAY behind my chronological age, years before I ever started drinking. When I was 18, I had about the maturity of an 11 year old.
I am an ACOA and after my AF died, the dynamics of an alcoholic family were still going on.
I remember reading a long time ago that children from homes which are very dysfunctional often act as if they are much younger than their chronological age. Their emotional development lags way behind.
In my case, my emotional age lagged WAY behind my chronological age, years before I ever started drinking. When I was 18, I had about the maturity of an 11 year old.
I am an ACOA and after my AF died, the dynamics of an alcoholic family were still going on.
I remember reading a long time ago that children from homes which are very dysfunctional often act as if they are much younger than their chronological age. Their emotional development lags way behind.
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I am dealing with this first hand. I cannot begin to tell you about the changes in my wife. She has 70 somthing days clean. It's unbelievable the difference in her. It hurts so much to see her in this state of mind. Its sad, because she knows she is "different". I would not wish this on anyone. These drugs do more damage to everyone around . She's a different person, cannot experience joy or happiness, no connection to anything right now. No emotions, excepted sadness. Because she is aware of what happen. That's just part of it. The amnesia, and a ton of other stuff. It's very hard. But I am sticking by her. I love her and the. Hildren. I want my wife back.
To thine own self be true.
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Originally Posted by cat5656 
I am dealing with this first hand. I cannot begin to tell you about the changes in my wife. She has 70 somthing days clean. It's unbelievable the difference in her. It hurts so much to see her in this state of mind. Its sad, because she knows she is "different". I would not wish this on anyone. These drugs do more damage to everyone around . She's a different person, cannot experience joy or happiness, no connection to anything right now. No emotions, excepted sadness. Because she is aware of what happen. That's just part of it. The amnesia, and a ton of other stuff. It's very hard. But I am sticking by her. I love her and the. Hildren. I want my wife back.
I hope you get your wife back. I hope you are taking care of yourself cat5656. Alcoholism and addiction affect every one of us. We need support and additional knowledge to cope with these effects. Please make sure you are receiving support in your community, such as church and/or Al-Anon. It is tough to process everything that is going on, manage life, and keep your sanity. (((hugs)))
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Originally Posted by Learn2Live
They do say the brain is still forming up to age 21, Thumper. And yes, I agree about the ADHD, etc. I don't think there is a way for doctors to tell the difference. But sure, what we might think is ADHD in an alcoholic, and wish they would get treatment for, may just be brain damage!!!
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