SevenNuts

I'm wondering how attention, concentration, and ability to learn is affected by an actively drinking alcoholic.

Has anyone noticed after being sober for a time that these things improve substantially?

Thanks for any replies!

sugarbear1

Yes!

And we find we often have abilities we didn't know about previously. My friends have found they are better at certain things today (one is now a painter, another a writer, I have better than ever teaching abilities....another friend is passionate about wood working, another an analytic statistician, etc...)

Soberwolf

5000% Yes I kinda pride myself on knowing lots of music I remember my brother being gobsmacked that I couldn't recall names of tracks or albums etc Thankfully all that fogginess lifted

Kirky

The responses from this thread are making me ridiculously happy...
Im a photographer and recently Ive lost my passion for my craft. Im really hoping it comes back since Im sobering up.

2WheelsGood

For me it was always the lexical / verbal abilities that were affected. I had difficulty with reading and some verbal tasks. Lots of senior monents with name recognition, and I would lose focus when reading after only a few paragraphs.

Math / spatial reasoning seemed unaffected.

thomas11

In the process of sobering up and getting the cobwebs out, my short term memory actually go noticeably worse. I was dumbfounded because I expected to be razor sharp. It didn't happen that way at first. But over time, things cleared up and the mind returned to "normal" and both long and short term memory returned and has been quite positive. A sharp mind is the ultimate weapon in navigating through life. 2 cents

2WheelsGood

I'll second this. It seems to be a classic symptom of brain fog. Mine was especially bad months 2-3, which was also the period I had bouts of emotional issues as well. They're getting better lately.

SportsFan15

Ditto to what Kirky said this thread is encouraging! !

LBrain

Yes, tis true

And it is scientifically proven using brain scans and other neat stuff.
I also know this because I experienced it. I am 20 months sober.

Reset

My ability to concentrate just while reading a book has improved dramatically, as have verbal communication skills. Overall there's a lot more clarity.

teatreeoil007

It depends on how much alcohol you're talking. I stay away from alcohol now and glad for it! But, it used to make me hyper-alert and gave me insomnia.

I can't speak for everyone, but I'm thinking that anything that crosses the blood brain barrier can alter thinking, so it stands to reason that if one is sober, they should be thinking clearer and be able to concentrate better.

That said, there are many other things that can cloud thinking such as low thyroid, depression, mental illness, insomnia, and child-birth!

Good luck. Clearer thinking days are ahead of you.!!

PurpleKnight

There is a real side to alcohol and the risk of brain damage over a long period of time!!

The good news is the body is fantastic at repairing itself, but it needs to be given a chance away from alcohol!!

sva777

After 6 months or so my wife would tell me how much better I was but I could tell as well. Mood was more stable, better concentration, memory improved.

D122y

After 148 days everything is better. Physically and mentally.

Alcohol is poisen.