Note: If you are serious about learning how to quit drinking alcohol I recommend the Quit Drink 4 Life program.
Most people are aware of the consequences that come with heavy drinking. There is the potential damage to relationships that cause the drinker to lose family and friends, the physical ailments that come like damage to the liver and stomach, and the legal issues that come if the drinker chooses to drink and drive. But what does drinking do to the drinker's memory or brain? The effects alcohol has in these areas may be surprising.
If you drink you may have experienced difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reactions, and memory loss. All these things may seem like minor annoyances, but what they really represent are the effects alcohol has on the brain. For most people who have an occasional drink, these effects arise when one drinks too much and they typically go away after the alcohol leaves the system. For heavy drinkers, these effects may linger.
For the heavy drinker, the effects that alcohol has on the brain can long be detected even if the person chooses sobriety. There is extensive research going on today to determine the long term damage that the brain sustains when a person drinks too much over a long period of time. Most agree that memory problems due to heavy drinking can range from brief memory slips to severe memory loss that requires constant care.
The damage that alcohol can have on the brain can even take place with a moderate drinker. Short term memory loss can take place and cause impairment to mental and motor functions. There are various factors that need to be considered when determining the extent of damage that may be caused to the brain by drinking.
Things to look at when trying to determine the damage that alcohol can have on the brain are: how much the person drinks and how often, what age the person started drinking, the person's current age, education level, gender, genetic background, family history, and general health as well as whether the person was exposed to alcohol prenatally. By examining these factors you can determine the risk the person faces when it comes to the damage their drinking may be causing to their brain.
Memory impairment is the biggest, most recognizable, effect that alcohol can have on the brain. As the drinks increase, so does the impairment. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause a person to blackout. A blackout consists of a time period where the drinker cannot remember events that have occurred while they were drinking. Social drinkers who drink to excess, called binge drinking, experience these blackouts. The everyday drinker who drinks to excess can experience them as well, but more frequently. During these blackouts, anything can happen. In a recent study of college students who were asked about their blackouts, various activities like vandalism, unprotected sex, and driving took place. Blackouts are serious for anyone, but for the heavy drinker they are the warning signs of a serious issue with the brain.
Even drinking occasionally can cause damage to the brain. Memory loss can be bothersome, but the more frequent it becomes the more serious the issue. Whether a person is a social drinker or an everyday drinker who must have alcohol, the effects alcohol is having on their brain can be devastating.