Getting Help For Alcohol Abuse And Addiction
It can be difficult to stop using alcohol, even if its causing alcohol-related dementia signs to occur. Anyone with an alcohol use disorder should seek professional medical help to prevent further complications while working toward addiction recovery.
Alcohol addiction treatment options include outpatient and inpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment involves going to regular physical and mental health appointments to get treatment and learn how to overcome alcohol addiction while otherwise keeping any work and social obligations. Inpatient treatment requires more dedication and involves living in a rehab center to get intensive treatment that is more likely to have a lasting effect.
The Recovery Village offers high-quality inpatient and outpatient treatment options across the country. We invite you to contact us to learn how to get started on your journey to lasting recovery from the effects of alcohol addiction.
What Causes Alcoholic Dementia
Alcohol-related dementia ultimately describes any dementia-type illness that is caused by alcohol use. Alcohol can have a toxic effect on the brain, affecting normal function. Alcohol can also affect how vitamin B1, or thiamine, is absorbed. Thiamine is essential for brain health and a thiamine deficiency can lead to permanent brain damage.
Seeking Help For Alcohol Use And Addiction
The best way to prevent alcoholic dementia and other health complications related to chronic alcohol use is to seek treatment for alcohol addiction. While this decision can be difficult, it can quite literally save your life and improve your overall health and wellbeing. Vertava Health offers a variety of treatment programs catered to helping individuals overcome alcohol use disorders.
To learn more about alcoholic dementia and the alcohol addiction treatment programs we offer, contact an Vertava Health treatment specialist today.
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Is There Treatment Available
At an early stage of the disease, problems may be reduced or reversed if the person abstains from alcohol, improves their diet and replace vitamins especially thiamine and vitamin B1. Thiamine is important to limit some of the toxic effects of alcohol, and is an important supplement for heavy drinkers.
Community support is available for the person with dementia, their family and carers. This support can make a positive difference to managing dementia.
Many people who develop alcohol related dementia are young, and this can mean that they and their family and carers will need extra consideration. It may be helpful to talk to a counsellor at Dementia Australia. Contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.
What Are The Primary Symptoms Of Alcoholic Dementia
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes alcohol dementia as a condition that results in multiple cognitive deficits. Among its symptoms are:
- Impaired memory including being unable to recall previously learned information and learn new information
- Aphasia a language disturbance that makes it difficult for a person to express themselves in words
- the inability to carry out tasks despite showing interest or having the physical ability to perform them
- Agnosia an impaired ability to recognize objects, faces, voices, or places
- Poor executive functioning struggling with mental skills that help you manage tasks, like planning and organizing
A person with alcohol-induced dementia will exhibit these symptoms even when they arent intoxicated or undergoing withdrawal. They will also suffer a significant decline in function.
That being said, alcohol dementia can produce a range of symptoms. It depends on which areas of the brain are affected and how severe the condition is. Below are common types of alcoholic dementia and some early signs you can watch out for.
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Different Varieties Of Dementia
It is important to differentiate between alcohol related dementia and other forms of dementia, as many of them are associated with the same symptoms .
It is also possible for an individual to suffer from a form of mixed dementia, in which their brain is experiencing changes associated with more than one type of dementia, but are occurring simultaneously.
For example, the plaques and tangles of Alzheimers disease being present alongside changes in the blood vessels that typically occur as a result of Vascular dementia or, in combination with the abnormal protein bodies known as Lewy Bodies . In some cases, all three of these can occur simultaneously.
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Early Stage Alcoholic Dementia Symptoms
The most common early-stage alcoholic dementia symptom is confusion, it is also the one that is spotted most easily. Sometimes losing short-term memory accompanies the confusion. It is worthwhile to note that skills developed during the persons childhood are relatively unaffected.
Early-stage alcoholic dementia symptoms tend to vary from person to person as the alcohol damage isnt exactly targeted. Brain scans show that different areas of the brain have shrunken for each individual. However, the frontal lobes are always affected. The Frontal lobe is responsible for actions like organizing, planning, initiation and self-monitoring. This is termed Frontal Lobe Dementia which is also caused by alcoholism. The symptoms of frontal lobe dementia include the loss of the above-mentioned skills. This shows there is a direct relationship between alcoholism and frontal lobe dementia.
Heavy drinkers often have liver damage, which can affect metabolism and brain function. Those addicted to alcohol also tend to fall a lot, and head trauma could contribute to alcoholic dementia symptoms
Additionally, a common symptom is loss of short-term memory. People with alcohol-induced dementia tend to forget details of recent conversations, which may lead to difficulty in making sense of a situation. For instance, a person might have forgotten where their previous home was, which makes it hard for them to understand the events that took place during the time they spent in that home.
How Long Does Rehabilitation Take
A person should usually see the most improvement in their abilities during the first three months after they stop drinking alcohol. However, for some people this improvement could continue for as much as two or three years.
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Alcohol Dementia Life Expectancy
With appropriate treatment, the Alzheimers Association estimates that approximately 25% of people will recover completely, about half will improve but not regain full functioning, and about 25% will remain about the same.
Any improvement in functioning usually occurs within the first two years after the symptoms began.
Life expectancy may remain normal if the person does not drink alcohol.
According to the Merck Manuals, about 10%20% of people with untreated Wernicke encephalopathy will not survive. However, with treatment, the prognosis of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is far superior when compared to that of Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia whose declines are chronic and progressive, despite attempts of treatment.
Other Harmful Brain Effects Of Chronic Alcohol Use
Alcohol-related dementia isnt the only consequence of long-term alcohol use. By causing extensive damage to the brain, alcohol can either lead to mental health problems or worsen pre-existing conditions such as anxiety, depression, and bipolardisorders.
Alcohol is a dangerous and addictive substance with long-term consequences. Thankfully, most of these complications can be alleviated with early diagnosis and substance use treatment. If you have an alcohol problem, or if you suspect misuse in a loved one, find a health professional that can provide medical advice.
In this article
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Alcohol Use Can Lead To Lasting Changes In How Your Brain Functions There Are Many Stages Of Alcoholic Dementia Each With Their Own Symptoms
Heavy alcohol users can develop alcohol-related dementia, a condition where alcohol use causes dementia. Dementia is a progressive memory loss that can range from mild, with minor effects on your ability to recall memory, to severe, affecting your ability to perform tasks like eating and dressing yourself.
Testing And Treatment For Alcoholic Dementia
There are several medical tests that can be performed to help determine if a person has alcoholic dementia. Examining a persons nervous and muscular system can help shed light on any nerve damage caused by alcoholic dementia. Many physicians will also administer blood tests to test a persons nutrition levels.
Tests that may be used to diagnose alcoholic dementia include:
- nervous/muscular system testing, such as looking for abnormal eye movement, increased pulse, muscle weakness, and low blood pressure
- blood testing to detect vitamin B1 levels and transketolase activity
- liver enzyme testing
If alcoholic dementia is detected and still in the early stages, significant improvement may be made through treatment. Quitting drinking is often the first step in treating this condition. Additionally, thiamine may be administered to improve eye movement and vision problems, confusion, and muscle coordination.
Improvement can take several weeks or months to be felt, and many people will remain in the hospital or treatment facility until their major symptoms subside. Individuals who have been diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome may never regain complete cognitive function.
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Alcohol And Brain Injury
Alcohol intoxication tends to impair coordination, so people who are intoxicated are more likely to have accidents or falls. Head injuries, especially if they are severe, involve a loss of consciousness, or happen multiple times, are linked to an increased risk of dementia, even many years after the brain injury occurs.4,9 These types of injuries may be known as traumatic brain injuries , and can occur as a risk of car accidents, falls, or fights. TBIs can cause damage to areas of the brain, and begin a series of changes that allow proteins that cause dementia to accumulate near the damaged area.9
Signs And Symptoms Of Alcoholic Dementia
Of the many types of dementia, alcohol related dementia is typically associated with difficulties in normal cognitive function, which may be expressed through:
- Task management. Individuals may struggle to effectively perform tasks, manage time, or avoid distraction from their responsibilities.
- Problem Solving. Individuals may find it hard to process and respond to day-to-day problems, and/or organize and plan their day.
- Setting and Maintaining Goals. Those with this type of dementia may have difficulty making decisions, impaired judgment, and difficulty keeping track of short-term and long-term goals.
- Motivation. Individuals may experience not having enough energy to carry out daily activities, such as home/work responsibilities, or even eating and may be prone to emotional outbursts.
- Understanding Others. Resonating, empathizing, and/or communicating with others may be harder for those suffering from alcoholic dementia.
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What Is Alcohol Related Dementia
Alcohol related dementia, as the name suggests, is a form of dementia related to the excessive drinking of alcohol. This affects memory, learning and other mental functions. Korsakoffs syndrome and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome are particular forms of alcohol related brain injury which may be related to alcohol related dementia.
Struggles To Find Right Word In Conversations
Another early sign of Dementia is having a hard time communicating your thoughts and ideas with others. This is one of those symptoms that others are able to notice when conversing with their loved one living with dementia.
People in the early stages of Dementia struggle to explain things to others or struggle to find the right word to describe their thoughts. This, at times, makes it hard to understand what they are saying or for them to join in a conversation, leaving them with a sense of loneliness.
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Who Does Alcohol Dementia Affect
Alcohol-related dementia isnt generally a concern for people who drink rarely or in moderation. In fact, many studies show that mild to moderate alcohol use may reduce the likelihood of dementia, according to a systematic review published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
While African Americans, Hispanic people, and women are more likely to experience dementia in general, men are more likely to develop alcohol dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Alcohol dementia primarily affects:
- People over the age of 40, though the likelihood increases with age
- People who drink in excess over a long period of time
- People with severe nutritional deficiencies caused by alcohol consumption
Research suggests that a history of drinking 28 alcoholic beverages a week for women or 35 for men increases the risk of developing alcohol-related dementia, according to the journal Alzheimers Research and Therapy.
Assessment And Diagnosis Assessment And Diagnosis
Getting an assessment for alcohol-related dementia Getting an assessment for alcohol-related dementia.
It can be difficult to get an assessment, as some GPs will insist that the person has stopped drinking for several weeks before they can assess the persons memory. Some experts think that a person can be assessed for alcohol-related dementia while they are still drinking too much, as long as they arent intoxicated at the time of the assessment.
The diagnosis is less certain than if they had been sober for a long time.
Completing the assessment for alcohol-related dementia Completing the assessment for alcohol-related dementia.
In order to make a diagnosis of alcohol-related dementia, a doctor may ask the person to do a paper-based test to check for problems with memory and thinking.
The doctor will also do a full physical examination and take a detailed history of the persons symptoms and how they are affecting their life. They should also take an account from someone who knows the person well, as this can help if the person has gaps in their memory. The doctor may also ask about problems with mood, such as anxiety or depression.
It is likely that a person will need a brain scan to rule out other causes of their symptoms. These include a stroke, a bleed caused by physical trauma, or a tumour.
Getting a diagnosis of alcohol-related dementia Getting a diagnosis of alcohol-related dementia.
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Comparison With Other Studies
We, as with others,7 observed an increased risk of dementia in alcohol abstainers, a finding subject to much debate. As studies usually assess alcohol consumption only once, excess risk might be driven by the inclusion of former drinkers in the same group as abstainers.7 Our analyses using repeat data on alcohol consumption across midlife suggest that former drinking might not explain the excess dementia risk in abstainers, although we cannot exclude the possibility that those who report alcohol abstinence in midlife were heavy drinkers in young adulthood or misreported their alcohol consumption. We accounted for several sociodemographic and health related characteristics in the analysis, but residual confounding cannot be excluded as an explanation for the higher risk of dementia among abstainers. Indeed, this group is particular in that it is composed mainly of women from the lower socioeconomic group with higher prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors and disease at baseline, a pattern that has also been observed in other studies.3537
What Makes Fentanyl So Dangerous
Fentanyl is a dangerous drug because:
- It is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. This makes the risk of accidental overdose very high.
- It is odourless and tasteless. You may not even know you are taking it.
- It can be mixed with other drugs such as heroin and cocaine. It is also being found in counterfeit pills that are made to look like prescription opioids.
You increase the risk of overdose if you use fentanyl with:
- cold, clammy or bluish skin
- severe sleepiness or loss of consciousness
If you do use opioids or drugs that may be contaminated with fentanyl:
- do not use alone
- carry naloxone and know the signs of an opioid overdose
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How To Prevent Alcohol
The probability of health problems connected to alcohol and cognitive disabilities usually starts from casual drinking. Living a certain lifestyle can expose one to alcoholism, and the more drinks a person takes, the closer they are to alcohol-related health problems, irregular eating habits, and disconnection from the family in some cases. Before the downward spiral from alcoholism, one may abandon family and disconnect from friends and other probable sources of help. It is a fact that those who interact with their family, even with their addictions, have a better chance of beating the addiction. Those who seek help or support promptly may scale through the addiction phase.
The best way to prevent alcohol-induced dementia is to completely abstain from drinking, eat a balanced diet for good health, and seek professional help if necessary.
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