My brain is reasonably addled through abuse via alcohol and my short term memory is stuffed. Any advice?

Question

Damn you all and your funny and amusing responses!

I'm no alcoholic, but I do enjoy a few glasses on a weekend (ok and most evenings, but only 2 or 3 glasses of wine on a 'school' night).

I find myself at 39 years old, grasping for answers to the simplest questions recently. Is that booze, dya think???

...HEY, and also - I have a successful middle-management job in the civil service, it's not like I'm some numbass. I feel well informed, eloquent and intelligent but sometimes I feel like 'duuuuhhhh'! For no reason whatsoever. Dammit. It's like a little bloke in my head won't let it work properly.

Answer 1

Your ability to form a complete and coherent sentence, accompanied by the fact that you seem to have a good grasp of proper grammar, tend to indicate that your brain cells are not too terribly addled. At least you have the capacity to realize you may have a problem and can actually put it into words and not into denial.

As for short term memory, try doing crosswords, other word puzzles, sudoku, reading, almost anything to get the brain in gear. Studies have shown that exercises that involve the brain actually promote and maintain brain and mental health. Also, it certainly couldn't do any harm to lay off the booze. You may find that your mental capacity actually improves. Good luck.

Answer 2

Your bloodstream is probably a tad saturated with alcohol. The end stages of alcoholism involve what is called "wet brain" and memory loss is a major item. You sound like you would benefit from drying out. Do you think you could just quit for a couple of weeks so your body could have a breather? I used to drink a lot. That was over twenty years ago. It got to a point where I wasn't getting high any more and I wasn't drying out in the mornings. It sort of trapped me in a twilight zone of sorts... neither high nor drunk nor sober. Awful feeling. So I decided the time had come to stop the whole thing.

Answer 3

2 or 3 glasses can be a bottle. A bottle of wine every day can be too much.
Also, though 39 is young, your system can't process the alcohol as well as it could when you were younger.
You need to give your system a rest for a month and see if it has improved your memory, if it has then it is the alcohol. If there is no change then go and see your doctor.

Answer 4

sounds like another problem, not alcohol. Could be stress. We had a social revolution throughout the western world a few years ago that no one realised or has made much of. But the fact is basically the amount of information we recieve on a daily basis has tripled (thanks to the internet, cell phones etc. etc) most of it being irrelevant. Maybe you just need to get better at filtering the crap out, to free your brain up more on things you need.

Answer 5

Everyone has 'duh' moments. Someone once told me, " An old man loses his hat and says, 'I'm getting so old.' A young man loses his hat and says, '&@#^ I lost my hat.' I've never had an alcohol problem I very rarley drink and ask my fiance if I ever seem to remember anything. If you tell yourself drinking has muddled up your brain than when you screw up thats what you will atribute it too. You may have caused some damage yes, but your brain can rewire itself to a degree. There have been alot of alcoholics/drug addicts who were amazingly inteligent and went on being so after they cleaned up. William Burrows wrote some amazing books and poetry and he was a lifelong heroin addict. He was a little weird but not many would call him stupid.

Also weren't you kind of expecting a lot of sarcastic answers on this one? Come on, some of them are pretty funny.

Answer 6

I abused alcohol in the early 80s and was lucky enough to be involved in trials using Evening Primrose Oil capsules. not only does help regenerate brain cells but can also benefit liver function. bad stuff booze but we love it. All the best.

Answer 7

well yes-this is quite a serious question-i have also all the same symptoms for the same reason,i have been dry now for 5 yrs and i am still forgetfull.the STM still causes me problems but you learn to live with it-well i have,i have to write important things down-and KEEP the paper safe!!!-get off the booze it will just continue to rot everything away-give yourself a break-u need one.....good luck.

Answer 8

Think the damage may have allready been done. That dosent mean just carry on. You seriously cant want things to get worse and thats the only way it will go unless you make big changes. Easier said than done, only you can help yourself, goodluck and best wishes.x

Answer 9

Alcohol can cause this, I would suggest learning to deal with this. If you feel comfortable to talk to a counsellor about this, go ahead. Otherwise, arm yourseld with information about it and keep challenging your brain to learn and improve. You can improve your brain through mental exericise. Accept it and grow with it!

Answer 10

you are in denial you know what alcoholic means
and the destruction it causes in other peoples lifes

its an illness not a pleasant one but can be controlled