Alcohol and memory

[Frenchman]

Friends,

I have been drinking regularly for about 20 years and my long term memory has been severely impaired as a result. Do you know if it is something I will gain back naturally? Long term abstiners, did some of you lost long term memory and regain it? Thank you.

[caysea]

Alcohol and memory

Hi All
I am sorry I don't know I can't remember. What was the question?

Serious though i still have memory problems. We are all different and you might not. I did have an al lifestyle a lot longer then yours.

Stay Healthy and Keep Fighting
AF 5-16-08

[aust_boy]

Alcohol and memory

Hi Frenchman,

When I was in rehab they told me that if I kept on drinking I would damage my frontal lobe area of the brain. That kind of shocked me into cohesion. If I were you and I were really concerned with memory I would get an MRI to see if there is actually any brain damage. For me personally I would prefer to know than not to know.

If there is no brain damage and you have stopped drinking I do not see why slowly you would not get your long term memory back. Everything is practice. Even when I don't drink at all sometimes I wake up feeling guilty. That is a learned behavior from all the times I woke up slaughtered. Maybe your mind has learned to dispense of things because it is so used to not remembering?

Who knows but to be sure - you can't go past an MRI.

Good luck.

[LVT25]

Alcohol and memory

My long term and short term memory is bad. I blame the alcohol use, plus the fact that I started at a young age--while my brain was still developing.

[Harlequin]

Alcohol and memory

I have the same concern, but if Rep Giffords can recover from a bullet through the brain maybe we can recover from simple alcohol damage. Maybe??

[AAthlete]

Alcohol and memory

I think the brain is pretty resilient and can bounce back from a lot of abuse. The key is to stop that abuse and give it a chance to heal, and to realize that what's done is done and the only thing we have any control over is the future.

I truly believe that living a healthy lifestyle going forward can make a HUGE difference. Quitting drinking, eating well, and exercising (body & mind) can do wonders - at least that's been my experience. For me I had to approach it gradually, and I certainly took steps forward and backward, but I kept working at it and eventually it stuck. I can honestly say that that there is a night and day difference between when I was drinking and now...

Best of luck!

[Rusty]

Alcohol and memory

Hi Frenchman ( I love that name because I'm French),

My aunt was a 30-year-alcoholic who suffered a severe head injury in an alcohol-induced fall. She's been sober for 3 1/2 years and her doctor told her that after 2 years of being sober....however your brain is after that time is what it will be the rest of your life, because it takes 2 years for your brain to recover. Now that is his opinion....and I'll tell you, at 67, she is still sharp as a tack and I have noticed no change in her long-term or short-term memory. Before she went into rehab in July 2007, her husband told me she had the early stages of dementia. Well, that dementia is no more.

Keep your chin up! I think you'll be fine!

[mama bear]

Alcohol and memory

what a great thread...thanks everybody

[Doggygirl]

Alcohol and memory

My memory is not what I would love it to be, and like Caysea I abused myself for way more than 20 years.

That said, the quality of my life today is light years better than it ever was when I was drinking. So despite any memory deficiencies, I'm still better off than I was with my head stuck in a vodka bottle.

DG

[Rags]

Alcohol and memory

My memory is shot a bit.
I started drinking in my early twenties, a long, long time ago.


Rusty, that is encouraging information.

[Popeye]

Alcohol and memory

Hi Frenchman,

I quit a couple of years ago and my long term memory's not too bad, considering, but recently I've been having trouble with my concentration and with short term stuff.
I mentioned it to my doctor while I was seeing her about some lack of feeling in my fingers and she said both are probably caused by my past drinking, but I'm currently having some tests done in case it's a symptom of something else.
I'm not worried though. I consider myself lucky to have got off so lightly. I'm grateful that I managed to stop before I did some real damage.

[Rags]

Alcohol and memory

Likewise here Popeye, I got off fairly lightly, though I have an enlarged heart. Doc said probably through drinking. I need to have it measured every 2 years. At least my liver works.