The long-term use of alcohol causes damage to a person’s body and mind. One of the ways it does this is through alcohol-related brain damage, often called alcoholic dementia. If you or a loved one may have this condition, you may be unsure what steps you can take to get relief. At Springfield Wellness Center, our team can work with you to provide you with the support you need.
What Is Alcoholic Dementia?
In short, this is any type of brain disorder or damage occurring from drinking alcohol. Most of the time, it occurs in men and women who drink consistently for a long period of time. By contrast, other types of dementia are brought on by changes in the function of the brain related to protein buildup in the brain’s neurotransmitters. People with alcoholic dementia are unlikely to have dementia if they did not drink alcohol in such a way, in some cases. Keep in mind there is a significant overlap in these conditions. Thus, deciding what caused dementia is difficult.
What Occurs in the Body and Brain?
When a person drinks alcohol on a consistent basis, especially over the long term, the alcohol changes the physical makeup of the body and, in some ways, changes the way the brain functions. Heavy drinking can cause damage to the nerve cells in the brain. This occurs because alcohol is toxic to the brain. Over time, it can cause chemical messages in the brain not to be sent properly from one area to the next. In addition, alcohol shrinks brain tissue. That can also impact a person’s ability to think and reason properly.
Could You Have This Condition?
A person with alcoholic dementia may have symptoms that seem like other forms of dementia. These may include:
- A lack of organizational skills, inability to plan
- Impulsiveness, such as making rash decisions
- Displaying reckless behavior
- Trouble focusing
- Slower reasoning process
- Socially inappropriate behavior displays
- Lack of sensitivity to other people’s feelings
Some people will have memory loss. Not all do, though, making it impossible to rule out alcoholic dementia in people who have other forms of dementia.
What Can Be Done to Help You?
There is no way to improve the brain damage alcohol drinking can cause. However, there are steps that may help improve the condition. This may include:
- Alcohol detox treatment
- Outpatient alcohol treatment
- Improved diet
- Advanced methods such as BR+NAD treatment
- Additional neurodegenerative disease treatment
When you turn to Springfield Wellness Center, our team will provide a full diagnostic screening to determine what may be happening to you or to your loved one. From there, we create a customized treatment plan. This manages what is occurring within your body and mind. It’s important to work through detox so that the drug is removed from the body.
Your customized treatment plan from our trusted team will include a variety of solutions that may work to help reduce alcohol dependence and then support natural healing within the body. Although there is no cure for alcoholic dementia, there are treatments that can improve your health and minimize the symptoms you are having related to this condition.
Thus, the sooner you receive help for this condition, the better your chances are of minimizing ongoing damage. Keep in mind that most people should seek help for alcohol-related addiction long before they develop symptoms of alcoholic dementia.
Are You or a Loved One Suffering from Alcoholic Dementia?
For those with alcoholic dementia, it is important to seek treatment. In some cases, early prevention of this condition through drug and alcohol treatment is essential. Our team may help you to manage your condition with cutting-edge methods. Contact Springfield Wellness Center now by calling 844.334.4727 to get the help you need.