Facts About Alcoholic Dementia

Alcohol is an addictive substance that can cause a lot of harm to the body. While there are a number of symptoms that come with drinking heavily, one of the worst is alcoholic dementia. It’s important to know what this symptom is and some facts about it.

What Is Alcoholic Dementia?

Drinking to excess for many years can lead to alcoholic dementia. Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder. A number of factors can bring on traditional dementia, but alcoholic dementia is unique because chronic alcoholism causes it. When suffering from this condition, people have learning, memory and cognitive problems.

Mental Damage

The damage that alcohol does to the brain is irreversible. People who suffer from this type of dementia have already damaged many of their brain cells. The result is difficulty making decisions, poor judgment and lack of insight. In many ways, this condition is similar to Alzheimer’s disease.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

One of the main afflictions that accompany alcoholic dementia is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. This condition is really two different disorders that may occur together or independently. The conditions include Korsakoff Psychosis and Wernicke’s encephalopathy which is a severe acute deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) that causes brain dysfunction.

Korsakoff psychosis typically starts as Wernicke symptoms start to fade. Doctors believe that this psychosis appears because of the damage that Wernicke’s encephalopathy causes to different areas of the brain. When three areas of the brain suffer permanent damage, Korsakoff psychosis is the result. These areas of the brain are the ones that deal with memory.

What Causes Dementia in Alcoholics?

The symptoms of alcoholism differ from person to person. Why is it that some people develop dementia from alcoholism while others don’t. Doctors believe that two factors play a role in determining who gets dementia.

First is how much people drink. The more people drink, the higher chance they have of getting dementia.

Next is the nutritional deficiency that alcohol causes in the body. People who drink typically have a thiamine or vitamin B1 deficiency. Studies suggest that this deficiency may play a role in the development of dementia.

In fact, studies show that a chronic lack of vitamin B1 in anyone is enough to cause dementia. Thiamine helps cells in the brain produce energy from sugar. If there’s not enough thiamine, the cells can’t produce energy and don’t function properly.

Get the Help That You Need to Overcome Alcohol Addiction

The most important thing to do when chronic alcohol addiction is the diagnosis is to get help. The longer you go without receiving treatment, the harder it is to overcome addiction. At Beaches Recovery, we pride ourselves on offering people many addiction treatment options. Some of these include:

• Intensive outpatient program
• Dual diagnosis treatment
• Extended care
• Sober living

Get the help and support you need to overcome your alcohol or drug addiction. Let us lead you down the path to recovery. Reach out to Beaches Recovery today at 866.605.0532.