Is Alcohol Bad For the Brain?

July 10th, 2011 by

Alcohol will cause speech to be slurred, vision to be blurred, reaction times to be slower and memory to be impaired. Depending on whether a person is drinking on an empty stomach and how quickly they consume the alcohol, these affects can sometimes be apparent after only one or two drinks.

How often a person drinks, when they first began drinking, their gender and size and whether there is a family history of alcohol will all determine what the effects will be.

Heavy drinking is one of the causes of Alcohol Related Brain Injury (ARBI). Alcohol can cause short-term memory loss, dehydration and can lead to falls and accidents. Alcohol can also increase the risk of seizures.

Alcohol abuse can also lead to traumatic brain injuries because someone who is drinking may still drive without making reasonable judgments and may take more risks than a sober person would. Their chance of falling is increased as is the potential of getting into verbal altercations or fisticuffs. Alcoholics tend to have more head injuries; there is a high rate of alcohol abuse before TBI.

Those who continue to use alcohol after a traumatic brain injury have more difficulty with thinking abilities, cognitive function and memory problems. Cells are lost after these types of injuries and other cells will have to work that much harder. If those cells are affected by alcohol, it makes it more difficult for them to work. Alcohol heightens the degree of cognitive difficulties already being experienced.

People who use alcohol after a brain injury don’t recover as quickly or as completely and in fact, can lose much of the progress they have made. They will lose what skills they had previously that they could possibly have regained.

For people who have alcohol related brain injury or have suffered a TBI, because of their impaired insight they do not realize that their substance abuse is a problem. These difficulties are exacerbated for counselors working with survivors and those with ARBI because when those with brain injuries report on their use of alcohol the figures are usually inaccurate because of their memory deficits.

For those who have brain injuries, the affects of alcohol will be more quickly apparent. After only two beers, my partner will have problems with speech and attitude and after only one glass of rye, (particularly the way he likes to pour them), he is slurring his words and having difficulty walking. Before his injury, although he drank several glasses every day, I saw no outward signs of inebriation.

These signs become readily apparent because of alcohol’s effect on the brain. The only conclusion possible, therefore, is that alcohol is bad for the brain.

Sylvia Behnish has published her first non-fiction novel entitled “Rollercoaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)” which tells of their journey along the path of progress during the year following her partner’s brain injury. Her first fiction novel entitled “His Sins”, a three generation family saga, is due out shortly. She has also had numerous articles published in newspapers and magazines in both Canada and the United States.

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The History of Bulimia Nervosa

November 18th, 2011 by

Descriptions of eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa can be found written in various historical texts. However, it seems the classic traits of this illness, such as binging and purging, were more likely linked to a show of wealth and plenty rather than preoccupation with a thin appearance.

In the past, the causes of this habit seemed to be far different from the modern eating disorder we have come to know as bulimia. It wasn’t until 1977 that the term bulimia nervosa entered the English language. The condition is characterised by a rapid consumption of food with a subsequent, concentrated period devoted to self-induced vomiting to remove all the food previously consumed. Often bulimics exercise excessively and use laxatives to assist in the purging of food.

Cases of bulimia nervosa increased rapidly during the late 1970s and 1980s. The condition we know as bulimia is a relatively modern disorder. However, the two areas characterising the condition – binging and purging – can be found in old texts from around A.D. 400 – 500. On religious feasting days, it states in the Hebrew Talmud that those “seized with bulimy” on the day, should be treated by feeding them “unclean” things, which would supposedly cure the binge by putting them off their food. Additionally, the word bulimia can be found in many different texts from the fourteenth century to modern times.

As a side note, it is a popular misconception that a vomitorium is a place visited by the ancient Romans to purge themselves of a meal to make room for more feasting. It actually means an entrance or exit from an amphitheater.

In medieval times, there are certainly accounts of people consuming vast amounts of food in times of plenty. Indeed, the more consumed, the richer you appeared, so the act of binging and purging was related to showing off wealth.

During the Nineteenth century, doctors reported overeating in patients suffering various diseases of the brain such as epilepsy or head trauma. However, this overeating is more likely to be connected with these illnesses rather than a desire for a thin body.

All in all, any historical accounts of overeating and binging and purging do not seem to be connected with desires for thinness or to be manifestations of the modern disease we know as bulimia nervosa. The emergence of bulimia nervosa as we know it happened in the 1900s, especially during the 1970s and 1980s when it rose in epidemic proportions throughout Europe and the US. The first, now famous, case in the early Nineteenth century was that of Ellen West, patient of Swiss doctor Ludwig Binswanger. Her aim was thinness and she abused laxatives and binged and purged to achieve her goal.

During the 1930s, it was thought bulimia was a disease of immigrants which arose from emotional deprivation and difficulties integrating into a new society. However, the first proper account of bulimia came in 1976 by Marlene Boskind-White. She has written a book and organises education programs and support groups for sufferers of bulimia and their families.

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Myths About Alcoholism and Alcohol Treatment

December 1st, 2011 by

There are a number of myths and misconceptions about alcoholism and alcohol treatment. Sometimes these myths can cause confusion and lead to people not seeking the help that they need with their addiction to alcohol.

Who needs alcohol treatment?

There are a range of misconceptions around what constitutes being an alcoholic and who benefits from alcohol treatment. It’s true that alcoholics will benefit from alcohol treatment but those whose drinking is in the early stages of becoming problematic may also benefit.

One sign that someone is addicted to alcohol is that they can’t stop drinking through their own choice. People who are developing a problem may feel that they are finding it more difficult to stop once they’ve had a drink – action at this stage can prevent full-blown alcoholism developing.

Alcohol prevention programmes are aimed at those who are concerned about their drinking, even if they are still in control. These alcohol treatment programmes can help individuals understand how much they drink and if they have alcohol triggers. They can also help to address any developing problems.

Dependency

Some people think, mistakenly, that addiction to alcohol is purely a physical thing. It’s true that alcohol treatment such as alcohol detox addresses the physical addition to drink. Alcohol detox uses supervised medication to minimise the worst effects of withdrawal such as nausea, sweating, trembling and even hallucinations.

However, physical addiction is only one part of alcohol dependency. Giving up drinking permanently means also addressing the emotional and mental aspects of addiction. For example, many people drink because they’re stressed or depressed and these issues need to be tackled before a recovery is possible.

Challenging stereotypes

Some of the negative stereotypes around alcoholism can also mean that people with drinking problems are less likely to seek help. For example, some people mistakenly believe that alcoholics drink everyday, are always drunk and could not hold down a job or other responsibilities. However, this isn’t true. They may also think that alcoholics are a certain type of person either. This isn’t true either – people with alcohol problems come from all walks of life and have a wide range of personalities and lifestyles.

Moreover, alcoholics don’t necessarily drink alcohol every day and may well hold down a job and still maintain relationships and a family. This doesn’t mean, though, that they’re not still endangering their health and wellbeing. Some alcoholics binge drink but then don’t drink on other days. However, prolonged heavy drinking can cause withdrawal symptoms which lead to daily drinking. Some people drink to stave off withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and shaking. Alcohol treatment such as alcohol detox addresses these symptoms by ridding the body of alcohol toxins whilst tackling the worst reactions with supervised medication.

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