Alcohol is known as a central depressant meaning it activates inhibitory neurotransmitters such as GABA resulting in a decrease in awareness, reaction time, motor coordination and inhibition. Alcohol is also known to cause Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, which is a neurological disorder presenting in the clinical triad of memory impairment, ataxia (loss of coordination) and nystagmus (repetitive uncontrolled eye movements). This disorder directly results from a lack of thiamine (vitamin B-1) and alcohol is known to lead to a decrease in activation of this vitamin, potentiating this disorder. Additionally, alcohol is known to cause the destruction of the peripheral nervous system resulting in loss of sensation and feeling in nerves throughout the body, known as peripheral neuropathy.

“Heavy drinking has been linked to early-onset dementia, which is characterized by the loss of short-term and long-term memory, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health. Most (57%) cases of early-onset dementia were linked to heavy drinking. This, the researchers say, points to the primary role of alcohol in dementia, particularly in early-onset dementia. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines heavy drinking as 60 grams or more of alcohol (4-5 drinks) per day for men. For women, heavy drinking involves 40 grams or more of alcohol (3 drinks) per day. The study analyzed data on 31,624,156 French adults over the age of 20. The analysis included 1,109,343 people diagnosed with dementia, 5.2% of whom had early-onset dementia. Early-onset dementia is dementia that occurs before the age of 65”.
Alcoholic psychosis versus schizophrenia

Alcohol-related psychosis spontaneously clears with discontinuation of alcohol use and may resume during repeated alcohol exposure. Distinguishing alcohol-related psychosis from schizophrenia or other primary psychotic disorders through clinical presentation often is difficult. It is generally accepted that alcohol-related psychosis remits with abstinence, unlike schizophrenia.

Alcohol not only affects the brain

Alcohol can affect every organ system in the body including the brain, heart, gastrointestinal system, liver, bones and kidneys and many people die from medical conditions associated with chronic alcohol abuse. Alcohol is also associated with many cancers including liver, breast, esophageal, oral, and pancreatic cancers and can cause fetal alcohol syndrome in mothers who consume alcohol while pregnant. The following are known medical complications directly related to chronic alcohol consumption:

  • Acute and chronic pancreatitis
  • Esophageal tears (Boerhavve’s syndrome)
  • Cirrhosis of the liver
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy
  • Alcoholic hepatitis
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Gastritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Wernicke encephalopathy
  • Korsakoff psychosis
  • Dementia

How do you I know if I have an alcohol addiction?

The diagnosis of alcoholism is based on the individual’s drinking history. There are many different assessments health care professionals use to screen individuals for alcohol use including the 10-question Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the abbreviated 3-question Audit-Consumption (Audit-C) and the CAGE questionnaire. The CAGE questionnaire is probably the most widely used screening tool among both medical and mental health professionals and includes the following questions:

  • Have you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking?
  • Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
  • Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
  • Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?