What Type of Addiction Intervention Do You Need?
As addiction intervention has become a more common way of helping a loved one get help for alcohol abuse or drug addiction, new methods of intervention have proliferated. You might be asking, what type of addiction intervention is best for my loved one?
Mental and Emotional Effects of Alcoholism
We’ve all seen the stumbling drunk character mumbling incoherently in movies and on TV, but it’s another thing entirely when the alcoholic is someone you know and care about. It may even be you. The classic depiction of drunkards has more than just a little basis in fact. Alcoholism changes the brain to such an extent that thinking processes are clouded, emotions are all out of whack, and what seems right and normal to non-drinking individuals is totally alien to the alcoholic.
But it’s not just the alcoholic who’s affected. Everyone around the drinker suffers to some extent as a result of that person’s addiction to alcohol. Here are some of the specific mental and emotional effects that are the direct result of alcoholism.
Loss of Memory
The cumulative effects of chronic alcoholism result in brain cells that are destroyed, synapses broken, circuits that no longer fire or do so in wrong sequences. A person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may suffer brain deficits that persist long after he or she achieves sobriety. Heavy drinking may have extensive and far-reaching results, ranging from simple memory slips to permanently debilitating conditions that require long-term custodial care.
After heavy drinking – too much in too short a time – a person can experience blackouts, or periods where they can’t remember what they did, said, or thought while they were drinking. Studies of male and female alcoholics also showed significant brain shrinkage, which caused the memory loss as well as learning problems. Other more recent studies have shown that women’s brains may be even more vulnerable to alcohol-induced damage than men’s.
Other studies have shown that alcoholics have deficits in the frontal lobe deficits, which are responsible for many functions associated with memory and learning, and also the cerebellum, which controls coordination and movement.
Difficulty with Learning
Along with memory loss, other cognitive impairment common in alcoholics is difficulty learning. Serious and persistent changes to the brain may be the direct result of alcoholic intake or may indirectly result from poor overall health or severe liver disease. Thiamine deficiency, a nutrient essential to all tissues, including the brain, is common in alcoholics (up to 80 percent have thiamine deficiency). It is caused by poor nutrition.
Many alcoholics with thiamine deficiency develop serious brain disorders, consisting of two separate syndromes. Wernicke syndrome is a short-lived and severe encephalopathy. Its symptoms include mental confusion, eye nerve paralysis, and difficulty with muscle coordination. Up to 90 percent of those with Wernicke syndrome also develop Korsakoff’s psychosis, a chronic and debilitating condition characterized by persistent memory and learning problems.
DUI in Your Past? How to Get Over it and Live Sober
If you’ve been arrested and convicted of a driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), you probably have nightmares of being pulled over, subjected to the “walk the line” and other field sobriety tests, booking and fingerprinting and spending the night in jail. Besides being a somewhat brutal experience at the time, the effects are long-lasting and painful – in more ways than one. Maybe you think you had extenuating circumstances or the charges were bogus or some other self-justifying reason, but the fact remains you got the DUI and now you have to deal with the after-effects. How do you get over it and live sober? Read on.
New Programs from Wales Found to Reduce Problem Drinking
A study from Bangor University in North Wales suggests that two programs can help problem drinkers reduce their alcohol consumption. After following the Alcohol Attention-Control Training Program (AACTP) or the Life Enhancement and Advancement Program (LEAP), drinkers had positive results.
What Type of Addiction Intervention Do You Need?
As addiction intervention has become a more common way of helping a loved one get help for alcohol abuse or drug addiction, new methods of intervention have proliferated. You might be asking, what type of addiction intervention is best for my loved one?
Mental and Emotional Effects of Alcoholism
We’ve all seen the stumbling drunk character mumbling incoherently in movies and on TV, but it’s another thing entirely when the alcoholic is someone you know and care about. It may even be you. The classic depiction of drunkards has more than just a little basis in fact. Alcoholism changes the brain to such an extent that thinking processes are clouded, emotions are all out of whack, and what seems right and normal to non-drinking individuals is totally alien to the alcoholic.
But it’s not just the alcoholic who’s affected. Everyone around the drinker suffers to some extent as a result of that person’s addiction to alcohol. Here are some of the specific mental and emotional effects that are the direct result of alcoholism.
Loss of Memory
The cumulative effects of chronic alcoholism result in brain cells that are destroyed, synapses broken, circuits that no longer fire or do so in wrong sequences. A person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may suffer brain deficits that persist long after he or she achieves sobriety. Heavy drinking may have extensive and far-reaching results, ranging from simple memory slips to permanently debilitating conditions that require long-term custodial care.
After heavy drinking – too much in too short a time – a person can experience blackouts, or periods where they can’t remember what they did, said, or thought while they were drinking. Studies of male and female alcoholics also showed significant brain shrinkage, which caused the memory loss as well as learning problems. Other more recent studies have shown that women’s brains may be even more vulnerable to alcohol-induced damage than men’s.
Other studies have shown that alcoholics have deficits in the frontal lobe deficits, which are responsible for many functions associated with memory and learning, and also the cerebellum, which controls coordination and movement.
Difficulty with Learning
Along with memory loss, other cognitive impairment common in alcoholics is difficulty learning. Serious and persistent changes to the brain may be the direct result of alcoholic intake or may indirectly result from poor overall health or severe liver disease. Thiamine deficiency, a nutrient essential to all tissues, including the brain, is common in alcoholics (up to 80 percent have thiamine deficiency). It is caused by poor nutrition.
Many alcoholics with thiamine deficiency develop serious brain disorders, consisting of two separate syndromes. Wernicke syndrome is a short-lived and severe encephalopathy. Its symptoms include mental confusion, eye nerve paralysis, and difficulty with muscle coordination. Up to 90 percent of those with Wernicke syndrome also develop Korsakoff’s psychosis, a chronic and debilitating condition characterized by persistent memory and learning problems.
DUI in Your Past? How to Get Over it and Live Sober
If you’ve been arrested and convicted of a driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), you probably have nightmares of being pulled over, subjected to the “walk the line” and other field sobriety tests, booking and fingerprinting and spending the night in jail. Besides being a somewhat brutal experience at the time, the effects are long-lasting and painful – in more ways than one. Maybe you think you had extenuating circumstances or the charges were bogus or some other self-justifying reason, but the fact remains you got the DUI and now you have to deal with the after-effects. How do you get over it and live sober? Read on.
New Programs from Wales Found to Reduce Problem Drinking
A study from Bangor University in North Wales suggests that two programs can help problem drinkers reduce their alcohol consumption. After following the Alcohol Attention-Control Training Program (AACTP) or the Life Enhancement and Advancement Program (LEAP), drinkers had positive results.
Need Help Finding an Intervention Specialist?
We can refer you to an experienced interventionist who can help you help your loved one.
The Addiction Primer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Help for a Loved One
A very inexpensive yet indispensable guide for anyone struggling with a loved one's addiction. Chapters on intervention, what to expect from rehab, and information on how addiction impacts the family.
