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 Temerity
 
Registered: 10/28/05
Posts: 5,461
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 How does alcohol affect the brain ?? 
#6464249 - 01/16/07 12:20 AM (6 years, 5 months ago) |
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Ive heard that alcohol itself doesn't damage brain cells,, but ive noticed after drinking frequently for a time that in conversations i'm finding myself stuck for words that would normally come easily..
Ive noticed this once before and i stopped drinking for bit and it went away... Now ive been drinking alot again it's come back..
I feel like it's insulting my intelligence,,  ..
Does anyone know what i mean ?,, or have any hard facts on how alcohol abuse affects us mentally ??
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eligal
Noobie
Registered: 05/25/05
Posts: 7,021
Loc: California
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Re: How does alcohol affect the brain ?? [Re: Temerity]
#6465990 - 01/16/07 03:26 PM (6 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
mikeyyork said:
Ive heard that alcohol itself doesn't damage brain cells
Ive heard the opposite ive felt the opposite aswell).
Quote:
mikeyyork said:
have any hard facts on how alcohol abuse affects us mentally ??
No hard facts but if you hang out at a few AA meetings and some of their stories can scare you... Also Ive heard (from AA meetings and dui teachers and cops) that quite a few of the hard long-time alcoholics eventually need psychotropic medications...
but again, I cant show any evidence and cant bother looking it up. 
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\m/ Spanksta \m/
"do you have the freedom to do with your nervous system what you want?"
"MolokoMilkPlus said:
I'll respect you if you let me give you a blow job"
"tactik said:
respect the can."
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 xurzax
Transcendingtime & space
Registered: 08/28/05
Posts: 168
Loc: canada, eh.
Last seen: 1 year, 9 months
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Re: How does alcohol affect the brain ?? [Re: eligal]
#6467313 - 01/16/07 09:31 PM (6 years, 4 months ago) |
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barfightlard
tales of theinexpressible
Registered: 01/29/03
Posts: 8,670
Loc: Canoodia
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: How does alcohol affect the brain ?? [Re: xurzax]
#6469061 - 01/17/07 01:08 PM (6 years, 4 months ago) |
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cool link
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"What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, say, think, who I fuck, what I take into my body - as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?" - Bill Hicks
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Temerity
Registered: 10/28/05
Posts: 5,461
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Re: How does alcohol affect the brain ?? [Re: barfightlard]
#6469312 - 01/17/07 02:06 PM (6 years, 4 months ago) |
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Ive found afew things..
"Alcohol and mental health problems
Alcohol is strongly linked with mental health problems and mental illness in a number of ways. A recent research report by the Mental Health Foundation found that people who consume higher amounts of alcohol often have more problems with their mental health.
People with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder are nearly twice as likely to be dependent on alcohol as the general population. People with schizophrenia, meanwhile, are at least three times more likely to be dependent on alcohol.
It's known that many people with mental health problems drink to mask their symptoms so it's hard to say which comes first – the drink problem or the mental health problem. What is clear is that alcohol is likely to make the situation much worse."
" Alcohol related brain injury - memory loss
Memory impairment is one of the most common problems associated with alcohol related brain injury. Some people struggle to remember things from day-to-day while others have difficulty remembering skills, knowledge or information they have learnt in the past. People with alcohol related brain injury can experience problems with:
Learning new information
Retrieving information stored in their memory
Remembering recent events or information they have recently acquired
Fabricating memories because they cannot remember.
People with alcohol related brain injury can be encouraged to adopt strategies that will help them to improve their memory and cope with the daily frustrations of their impairment."
"Alcohol-related brain damage - Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's psychosis
Introduction
Wernicke's encephalopathy
Korsakoff's psychosis
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Who can develop Korsakoff's psychosis?
Treatment/Care
Diet
Further information and support
Introduction
The immediate effects of excessive alcohol consumption are familiar to most of us from watching television or films, if not from personal experience – slurred speech, lack of co-ordination, slowed reaction time, loss of self-control and even blackouts. However, over a long period of time, heavy drinkers may develop various types of brain damage, including the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome which consists of two separate, but related, stages: Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s psychosis. Although this syndrome is not, strictly speaking, a dementia, sufferers experience a loss of short-term memory and this information sheet examines the causes, symptoms and treatment of the syndrome.
Wernicke's encephalopathy
This is a neuropsychiatric disorder resulting from a lack of thiamine (Vitamin B1) which affects the brain and nervous system. Lack of thiamine is common in heavy drinkers because of their poor eating habits and/or frequent vomiting, both of which can lead to a shortfall in essential vitamins. In addition, alcohol can cause inflammation to the stomach lining, which interferes with the body’s ability to absorb vitamins from food intake.
Wernicke’s is most commonly found in heavy drinkers but thiamine deficiency can also be caused by: forced or self-inflicted starvation (such as anorexia nervosa); malnutrition caused by inadequate diet or problems with absorbing nutrients; some kidney problems; and severe vomiting during pregnancy. The condition has also been found in some patients with AIDS.
Wernicke’s can occur suddenly, in some cases within hours, and needs immediate hospital treatment which involves the injection of large amounts of thiamine into a vein or muscle. Unfortunately, the symptoms of Wernicke’s can be easy to miss and the person can be assumed to be simply drunk. Symptoms include:
confusion about the time or place
drowsiness
poor balance, a staggering walk or inability to walk
numbness or tingling in the legs
double vision
abnormal, involuntary eye movements or paralysis of the eye muscles
memory impairment.
If treatment is given in time, most of these symptoms could be reduced. But, if treatment is not given, or is not given in time, the person can suffer irreversible brain damage or may even die. This damage can lead to death in around one in five cases. Of those who survive, around 85% will go on to develop Korsakoff’s psychosis.
Korsakoff's psychosis
While Wernicke’s, with its sudden onset and rapid development of symptoms, might be described as the acute form of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, Korsakoff’s psychosis is the chronic form in that it is not easily or quickly resolved, and can continue over a long period of time. Korsakoff’s may result if Wernicke’s is untreated or is not treated in time, but it may also develop gradually, and not every case of Korsakoff’s is preceded by Wernicke’s. It should be noted that people with Korsakoff’s are still at risk of further episodes of Wernicke’s if they carry on drinking. They may be even more susceptible because of reduced tolerance to alcohol.
In this condition, damage occurs to small but important areas in the middle part of the brain, causing severe short-term memory loss. This memory loss is the most significant feature of the condition and many other abilities remain unaffected. This is where Korsakoff’s differs from most types of dementia where there is often damage to a large area of the outer part of the brain (the cortex) and where a much wider range of abilities is affected.
Symptoms
The main symptom is short-term memory loss, particularly relating to things that happened after the condition appeared. However, some people have difficulty recalling information acquired months or even years before. Other symptoms include:
difficulty with taking on board new information or developing new skills
lack of insight into their memory loss, where even someone with significant gaps in his or her memory may believe that they are functioning normally
apathy or repetitive behaviour
confabulation’, where someone fills out the gaps in their memory with elaborate fantasies
Confabulation is not confined to people with Korsakoff’s; it can occur in anyone who loses their memory, though it may take on a more elaborate form in someone who has been used to making up tales to cover up his or her drinking for a number of years.
Diagnosis
A person suspected of having Korsakoff’s cannot be diagnosed until he/she has abstained from alcohol for four to five weeks, by which time the acute symptoms of alcohol withdrawal should have subsided. Physical examination, laboratory and other tests will be carried out to exclude other conditions. Psychological tests of the person’s memory and other functions will be conducted, again to see whether another condition could be the cause. The person will also be observed to see if the condition improves without alcohol and with treatment with thiamine. If there is no change, some form of dementia may be diagnosed. It is possible to have a dual diagnosis of both Korsakoff’s and a dementia.
Who can develop Korsakoff’s psychosis?
This condition tends to affect men aged 45 to 65, although it can affect older and younger people as well, with some doctors reporting patients in their 20’s. Women can also be affected but they tend to develop the condition at a slightly younger age, on average ten years earlier than men, possibly because they are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.
Treatment/Care
If the person carries on drinking, their condition will get progressively worse. But this progression can be stopped if the person stops drinking and starts to eat a healthy diet with vitamin supplements. See below for some tips on diet. Thiamine supplements may help prevent further damage to the brain but it is not yet clear if they can help people recover from damage that has already taken place.
The person with this condition may be very isolated. Years of problem drinking may have led to difficulties in holding down a job and maintaining social and family relationships, as well as the physical damage that may have been caused. Some or all of the person’s family and social support network may have been driven away as a result. This, combined with the physical effects and, often, a lack of insight into the problem, can lead to people with this condition being very vulnerable and isolated. They may be unable, personally and financially, to take care of themselves yet do not have anyone else to call on for help. As a result, they may need the help of other agencies.
People with Korsakoff’s may need considerable support on discharge from hospital to help them cope independently. They may be highly vulnerable due to their possible confused state, their severe short-term memory problem and possible physical difficulties such as liver damage or damage to the peripheral nerves in the legs or arms.
Because people with this condition are often unable to cope on their own after their stay in hospital, social services may become involved to try to help the person return to their own home. If this is not possible, then a care home may be seen as the best option but this can result in people being placed in an environment that was not designed to meet their needs. Because Korsakoff’s tends to affect people under the age of 65, care homes which are generally designed for older people may be unable to offer people with this condition help with their memory impairment, advice and help with stopping drinking, so that they may return to a healthier, more productive life. In addition, people who develop this condition in their 40’s can require care for decades.
There is evidence suggesting that significant recovery is possible in many people, given appropriate assessment and rehabilitation.
Diet
If you have reason to worry that you or someone close to you may be suffering from a chronic shortage of Vitamin B1, it may help to take a commercial supplement. Look for a B-complex supplement pill and take in accordance with the recommendations on the package. Because caffeine, as well as alcohol, can affect the absorption of Vitamin B1, if you are taking a supplement avoid drinking coffee within two hours either side of taking the pill. Try to cut down on your caffeine consumption in general: remember that some soft drinks contain caffeine, and so does a cup of tea.
Rich sources of Vitamin B1 include brown rice, egg yolks, fish, lean pork or ham, beans, peas, and wheat germ. Marmite is also a rich source of B-complex vitamins. Brewer’s yeast is a rich source of Vitamin B1, but it is a myth that drinking real ale will provide enough Vitamin B1 for a normal diet. While there is more Vitamin B1 in real ale than in other alcoholic drinks, the alcohol in real ale slows the absorption of Vitamin B1 to such an extent that there is a net loss of Vitamin B1 from the body.
Bear in mind that the best way to ensure you are eating enough vitamins is to eat a varied diet with at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables daily.."
I think i'm going to up my B1 intake,,,  .
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Gomp
¡(Bound to·(O))be free!
Registered: 09/11/04
Posts: 10,586
Loc: I re·side [primarily] in...
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 Re: How does alcohol affect the brain ?? [Re: Temerity]
#6474405 - 01/18/07 08:57 PM (6 years, 4 months ago) |
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I just was told that that it kills brain-cells is a myth..
Newer science 'tell tell' that alcohol does not damage/kill braincells. .
It "merely" effects the brain chemically, and prohibit the cells, form working together.
The more one drink, the lesser they preform, and eventually one might "black-out".
The alcohol is in the blood, ...
Whit long term abuse though, there is a risk for 'dements'.
But stop drinking, ... and eat the vitamins and proteins and minerals you may need, and your brain will be "regeneratable". (As all of your body is.) Read up on stem cells, if interested.
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Disclaimer!?
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Schwip
Never sleeps.
Registered: 06/27/05
Posts: 3,937
Last seen: 6 months, 22 days
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Re: How does alcohol affect the brain ?? [Re: Gomp]
#6474788 - 01/18/07 10:49 PM (6 years, 4 months ago) |
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I worry more about my liver when it comes to drinking than i do brain cells.
dead brain cells from booze may be a myth, but cirrhosis is very real....
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" If the sky were to suddenly open up there would be no law. There would be no rule. There would only be you and your memories... the choices you've made, and the people you've touched. If this world were to end there would only be you and him and no-one else. "
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"MAN! You know there aint no such thing as left over crack!"
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