Every year, more than 75,000 people die from the harmful effects of alcohol in Russia alone. Alcoholics are poisoned by low-quality surrogate, freeze in snowdrifts, get heart attacks, die from liver diseases and strokes. Attacks of memory loss, which increasingly occur after every drinking session, only cause smiles, but in vain. Such episodes signal the destructive effects of alcoholic beverages on the human brain.

How alcohol affects the human brain

It is very easy to suspect a person nearby of being intoxicated: in addition to the pronounced unpleasant smell of alcohol fumes, it is revealed by a wobbly gait, slurred speech, and disgraceful behavior. All these are consequences of the destructive effects of ethanol on the brain.

Once alcohol enters the human body, it acts instantly and affects all organs. The brain is more intensely saturated with blood than other organs, so it is in the brain that ethyl alcohol very quickly reaches its maximum concentration. Intoxication sets in, and this is nothing more than the poisonous effect of alcohol on the brain. There are short-term and long-term effects of ethanol on the most important human organ.

Short-term exposure usually results in a hangover and memory loss. Long-term and systemic consumption of alcohol changes the structure and tissue of the brain, which leads to rather sad consequences: a person degrades. Why is this happening?

Mechanism of action

The structure of the brain is very complex. The brain itself consists of five sections that communicate with each other using billions of nerve cells - neurons. There is a special physiological barrier between the brain and blood that protects the brain from bacteria, viruses and metabolic products, which are sometimes very toxic. But this barrier, alas, is not able to protect the brain from the penetration of ethyl alcohol. Being an excellent solvent, ethanol penetrates well through membranes and barriers and enters the brain. The enzymatic ability of alcohol dehydrogenase in the brain is extremely low, so the breakdown of ethanol to acetic acid takes immeasurably longer than in the liver, but the ability to accumulate alcohol in nerve cells of the brain is very high. The brain is capable of not eliminating alcohol even a month after drinking! Let's take a closer look at exactly how alcohol affects various brain structures.

Alcohol brain damage diagram

Cerebellum. This area of ​​the brain is responsible for balance and coordination of movements. When ethanol enters the body, it mostly accumulates in the cerebellum, causing serious harm to it. This explains the unsteady gait and imbalance of a drunk person.

Cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for thinking, the ability to plan, and take responsibility for one’s actions. Alcohol in any concentration disrupts the functioning of the cerebral cortex, thereby causing disturbances in object recognition, memory problems, and the ability to concentrate on something. With prolonged use of ethyl alcohol, the level of intelligence decreases, and a person gradually degrades.

The medulla oblongata is responsible for consciousness, respiratory function, and maintains body temperature. The death of nerve cells in this brain structure due to the toxic effects of alcohol can cause drowsiness, a decrease in body temperature, and in some cases even loss of consciousness.

What happens after the neurons die? After the breakdown of alcohol in the blood, the hangover phase begins, during which the drunkard experiences a headache and thirst. These processes are precisely explained by the fact that the wise body is trying to remove dead nerve cells - intracranial pressure rises and the flow of fluid increases, which causes headaches. Dead nerve cells are excreted in the urine.

In addition to the detrimental effect on the brain structures themselves, alcohol also negatively affects the blood vessels of the brain. Under the influence of ethyl alcohol and associated intoxication, blood vessels dilate and then sharply narrow, which is fraught with cerebral stroke and severe disability, and in some cases, death.
The video shows the mechanism of alcohol’s effect on the brain:

Consequences

Long-term and systematic alcohol consumption leads to the death of billions of nerve cells. After just four years of uncontrolled drinking, the alcoholic’s brain decreases in size, which does not have the best effect on the mental abilities of the drinker. In parallel with this, the mass of the brain decreases; it seems to dry out.

Organic damage to the brain of an alcoholic cannot but affect the performance of the most important functions:

• Elementary mental work becomes difficult, critical thinking decreases, and the thought process itself narrows and worsens.
• Character deteriorates, irritability and aggression predominate.
• Due to the release of large amounts of dopamine when consuming alcoholic beverages, ethanol quickly becomes addictive and alcoholism occurs, which is difficult to treat.
• Long-term alcohol consumption leads to an almost complete shutdown of highly organized brain structures. Human activity becomes subject to the subcortex, and the alcoholic degrades as a person. Diseases such as senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia occur.

A logical question arises: how much alcohol and for how long do you need to drink to become incapable of thinking? In fact, it’s not much—it’s enough to drink 5 liters of beer or 630 grams of vodka per week.

The photo shows the brain of a healthy person and an alcoholic

Features of the impact on adolescents

The earlier a teenager starts drinking alcohol, the faster his brain is destroyed. It is during adolescence that the brain completes its development and the formation of the nervous system ends. Due to high metabolism, alcohol is quickly absorbed into the circulatory system and, increasing its destructive effect, destroys the child’s brain. There is a delay in the intellectual and emotional development of the teenager. Personal degradation occurs almost instantly. Neurological and mental abnormalities appear, and an addiction to alcohol forms very quickly. Dependence is formed literally in the first two to three years of systematic drinking.

Brain recovery

Of course, dead brain cells, already removed from the body by the excretory system, cannot be restored. However, recent studies have shown that after complete abstinence from alcohol, the brain is partially capable of recovery. Literally a year after completely giving up alcohol, brain volume increases, intelligence and the ability to think more deeply are restored.

Functions such as orientation and visual recognition take the longest to recover. Areas of the brain damaged as a result of an acute lack of thiamine cannot be regenerated at all.

What factors contribute to brain recovery:

• full absolute ;
• taking nootropics - medications that help improve cerebral circulation and nutrition;
• additional use of vitamin complexes.

Of course, one cannot count on complete restoration of brain structures. Even partial regeneration and preservation of brain activity will require a long time and effort. But if an alcoholic has a sincere desire to quit drinking and restore his health, then it is never too late to do so.

Every year in Russia more than 75,000 people die from alcohol. The causes of death are heart and liver diseases, poisoning from low-quality drinks, and destruction of vital organs. A signal of the destruction of a person’s brain is memory loss after drinking alcohol. The effect that alcohol has on the human brain is irreversible and can lead to dire consequences.

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How alcohol affects the brain

The human brain is a very complex, structured organ consisting of five sections. They are connected using neurons - nerve cells. A special barrier provides protection against various bacteria, toxic metabolic products and viruses. Unfortunately, it is not able to prevent the effects of alcohol on the brain. It is a good solvent, so it easily penetrates through all obstacles.

Compared to the liver, the brain takes much longer to remove toxins - even after a month it is unable to completely remove waste products. Alcohol affects different parts of the head differently, but always negatively.



Cerebellum

The cerebellum is responsible for coordination of movements and balance. Most of the ethanol is concentrated here, so the drinker Human has poor control of his movements and loses his sense of balance. The vestibular apparatus performs its functions poorly, the severity of the reaction is dulled.



Cephalic cortex

The cortex is responsible for thinking, a person’s ability to be responsible for their actions and plan actions. It is not difficult to disrupt the operation of the site with any dose of ethyl. The result is memory impairment, poor object recognition, decreased concentration . A decrease in intelligence occurs when drinking alcohol, contributing to the process of degradation.



Parietal region

Ethyl suppresses the parietal part. Reflex reactions are disrupted, thanks to which a person abruptly removes his hand from the fire or avoids an obstacle in time. A drunk person has poor self-control and is unable to carry out complex movements, that is, the process of inhibition begins to prevail over the process of excitation.

Medulla

This department is responsible for breathing, maintaining normal body temperature and consciousness. Toxins provoke the death of nerve cells, which is expressed in drowsiness, low temperature, and sometimes loss of consciousness. Because of this, there are often cases when a drunk person falls asleep in a snowdrift and freezes.

After the breakdown of harmful foods, a period of hangover begins, which is accompanied by severe headache and thirst. This is explained by the fact that the body is trying to remove dead cells, as a result of which the pressure rises and there is an influx of fluid.

Irreparable damage is caused to blood vessels. At first they expand, and then sharply narrow, which leads to stroke and disability; in some cases - to death. Due to impaired blood supply, destruction of neurons and the development of hypoxia, a hangover syndrome occurs and the psyche changes.

Consequences

Constant consumption of drinks containing alcohol destroys the nervous system. In just 4 years of uncontrolled alcohol consumption, gray matter decreases and a person’s mental abilities are impaired. Alcohol directly affects the performance of important functions:

• Mental work becomes difficult, critical thinking decreases, and the thought process deteriorates.
• Irritability predominates in a person’s character and aggression appears.
• Addiction forms, which leads to addiction that is difficult to treat.
• Long-term alcoholism leads to degradation and diseases such as dementia and dementia.

Very little is needed to reach a state in which a person is unable to think normally. It is enough to drink about 5 liters of beer or 0.7 liters of vodka once a week.

Alcohol and teenager

Ethyl is extremely dangerous for a teenager, as he is still growing and developing. The sooner a young man starts drinking alcohol, the sooner the destruction will begin. High metabolism promotes rapid absorption of ethanol into the blood and several times enhances the harmful effects of the poison on brain cells. They lose water, dry out and are completely destroyed. Emotional and intellectual development is inhibited, brain activity decreases, and degradation occurs. After exposure to alcohol, young people often commit illogical and stupid acts, including crimes. Dependence is formed in a short time, and as a result - neurological and mental disorders. The earlier a child tries alcohol, the higher the likelihood that he will become an alcoholic in the future. It takes about 10 years of systematic alcohol consumption for an adult to reach alcoholism, and for a teenager it only takes about 1-2 years.

Effect on a woman's brain

The harm of alcohol on the female body is disproportionately higher than on the male body. Cirrhosis, deterioration of the nervous system, heart failure and other consequences occur many times faster than in the stronger sex. The greatest harm is caused by drinking strong drinks during pregnancy. The consequences will show themselves in diseases of the child’s brain, and in some situations, in fetal alcohol syndrome. This will happen if a woman abuses it during pregnancy. In this case, there is a high probability that the child will be born with a defect of external organs and will lag behind his peers in development and growth. It is sometimes noted that in such children the gray matter exceeds the norm in size, but the number of cells in it is much less than in healthy ones.



Diseases

The harmful effects of ethyl are striking in their scale. The work of all internal organs is destroyed, various diseases appear, many of which lead to death. These pathologies are intensified due to the destruction of neurons, cellular structures of the brain and a lack of vitamin B1. Uncontrolled consumption of harmful drinks is also fraught with the following manifestations:

• Alcoholic encephalopathy is expressed by severe memory impairment, mental disorders, apathy and complete indifference to everything that happens. The last sign indicates an extreme stage of alcoholism.
• Korsakoff's disease is dementia, amnesia and polyneuritis. It is difficult for the patient to answer a simple question about what year or day it is, or what his name is. The muscle tissue is completely depleted, and the person becomes disabled.
• Alcoholic epilepsy is seizures that only occur during a hangover. With frequent seizures, dementia and complete degradation develop.
• Delirium is better known as delirium tremens. Most often it develops with a sharp cessation of drinking. During an attack, a person loses control and can cause irreparable harm to himself or others. Urgent hospitalization is required.
• Hallucinosis - a person hears voices and sees various creatures. It must be treated immediately.
• Paranoia comes during a sudden refusal of libations. Symptoms are similar to delirium tremens or hallucinosis.

Alcohol destroys the nervous system and leads to sleep problems. Prolonged insomnia can lead to hallucinations.



Alcohol kills brain cells, physical and mental functions, and negates a person’s ability to reason, express thoughts and think logically.

It has long been proven that alcohol-containing drinks negatively affect all organs and healthy life support systems. The brain is most severely damaged. Alcohol addiction is also scary because it is difficult for a person to understand the extent of the catastrophe.

The effect of alcohol on the human brain is strictly destructive, hardly anyone doubts this. The main poison in alcoholic beverages is ethyl alcohol. Alcohol has a complex effect on the body. Not only on internal organs, but also on the central nervous system. Surely many have heard that alcohol destroys the brain, affects the nervous system, and becomes the cause of chronic alcoholism. However, some are convinced that a moderate amount of alcohol can be beneficial for a healthy person. The emphasis is on normalizing blood pressure and dilating blood vessels. People also perceive the mild stage of intoxication positively, since it simply improves their mood.

Before drawing conclusions about the positive effects of alcohol on the human body, it is worth considering the effect of alcohol on the brain and nervous system as a whole. Approximately half the dose of ethyl alcohol when taken is absorbed into the stomach and small intestine in the first 15 minutes. This is due to its high penetrating ability. The rest is absorbed only after two hours. During this time, alcohol travels through all systems of the body along with the blood, thus being absorbed by various internal organs.

Nerve cells in the brain, called neurons, receive their nutrition from capillaries, which are thin vessels. When alcohol appears in them, a number of adverse events occur.

We can talk for a long time about the effect of alcohol on the brain; most often it manifests itself in intoxication. At its mild stage, signs of the effects of alcohol on the brain can be detected due to not only the smell of fumes, but the person begins to become confused in speech, behave defiantly and lose balance when walking. All this is the effect of alcohol on the brain.

Why does the brain have the most problems with alcoholism? The fact is that the brain requires more intensive blood supply in comparison with other internal organs. As a result, alcohol and the brain interact to a greater extent.

In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between the brain after alcohol consumed once and the brain after alcoholism. In the first case, brain recovery occurs in the form of a hangover and memory loss. If alcohol destroys brain cells on an ongoing basis, we can talk about personality degradation.

Mechanism of action

Undoubtedly, the brain of an alcoholic and a healthy person is a complex structure. The brain itself has five sections that communicate with each other by neurons. There is a special physiological barrier between the brain and blood that helps prevent the destruction of the brain by bacteria, viruses and toxins.

Alcohol kills brain cells, since this barrier does not exist for it. Ethyl has excellent solvent properties, resulting in no problems with penetration through membranes and barriers.

The main processor of alcohol is the liver, as a result, alcohol will act in the brain much longer, and its withdrawal will be complicated. There are cases when alcohol residue remains in the brain for up to a month after drinking.

The brain has three main components that are affected by alcohol:

• cerebellum;
• cortex;
• medulla.

The cerebellum in the human body is responsible for balance and coordination. The destructive effect of ethanol leads to the fact that it accumulates to a greater extent in the cerebellum. Since alcohol affects the human brain at the level of the cerebellum, that same recognizable unsteady gait and problems with maintaining balance appear.

The cerebral cortex is essentially the human intellect, the main brain center in terms of thinking. It is this part of the brain that is responsible for responsibility. Regardless of concentration, symptoms of effects on the cerebral cortex include impaired recognition of objects, memory begins to float, and a person is unable to concentrate on something specific.

If cerebral edema occurs constantly during alcoholism, then the person gradually degrades. It is difficult to say how long it will take for complete personality degradation; it depends on the dose and frequency of alcohol consumption.

Swelling of the brain when drinking alcohol causes disorders in the medulla oblongata. This part of the brain is responsible for keeping a person conscious. Symptoms of its damage are impaired respiratory function, problems with thermoregulation. Nerve cells in this part of the brain die due to the toxic effects of alcohol. It causes drowsiness, sometimes associated with loss of consciousness.

Consequences of alcoholism

So, how to restore the brain and does it recover at all against the background of constant alcohol consumption? Before you try to restore your head, you need to figure out what happens to the neurons that die. Symptoms of the breakdown of alcohol in the blood are a hangover. Most often it manifests itself as severe headache and thirst. These symptoms indicate that the body is trying to get rid of dead nerve cells. To remove them from the body, more fluid is required directly in the head, as a result, intracranial pressure increases and the flow of fluid increases. As a result, pressure is created on the cerebral cortex, which is what causes this severe pain. As is known, dead neurons are not restored; they are excreted from the body in the urine.

Even after quitting alcohol, it is impossible to restore lost cells. This is one of the reasons why alcohol is considered irreparable harm to the body. Binge alcoholics experience impairment in most cognitive functions. In particular, the person is unable to think clearly, especially when it comes to making serious decisions. Even after giving up alcohol with a previous serious history of alcoholism, intelligence is not fully restored; dead neurons reduce IQ.

Alcohol “takes away” the learning skill. In this regard, a person may forget primitive things that he previously did at the level of automaticity. Drinking alcohol on a regular basis seems to throw a person back in terms of his level of development by weeks and even months. In most cases, the damage to the brain is irreversible. In addition, there are problems with the central nervous system. There are pathologies of the oblongata and spinal regions. Ultimately, the person may fall into a coma, which ends in death.

Reducing the negative effect

To get rid of the slightest chance of causing irreparable harm to yourself, you should give up drinking completely. If this option is not suitable for you, then with the help of some rules, it will be possible to at least reduce the negative impact on the body.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids. The liquid perfectly removes toxins from the body, which are the breakdown products of alcohol. Ideally, you should drink a liter or even two more than normal if you plan to go to a party.

During the libation, an important stage is the appetizer. On a full stomach, you are unlikely to get drunk quickly; in addition, the body will have the opportunity to gradually eliminate alcohol, since some of it will be absorbed by food.

Despite the need to eat heavily, avoid very fatty foods. Fat can create a film that protects the gastric mucosa from alcohol, but in large quantities it will put an additional burden on the liver, which already has to work with alcohol.

Do not mix alcohol with carbonated drinks. They are full of carbon dioxide, which leads to faster absorption of alcohol. If you just want to support your friends in the company, spread one serving of strong drink over an hour.

Alcoholism and mental disorders

Against the backdrop of constant alcohol consumption, addiction occurs, in which neurotic disorders appear. They are expressed in problems with sleep, increased fatigue, irritable mood and constant dissatisfaction. If alcohol is consumed systematically for a long time, a number of mental pathologies arise.

For example, delirium tremens or, in scientific terms, delirium. Most often it occurs against the background of a sharp refusal of alcohol. This state of a person is dangerous not only for others, but also for himself. In this case, an ambulance is called, as immediate hospitalization is required.

Hallucinosis often occurs. In this state, the alcoholic can hear voices and see things that don’t really exist. This condition requires urgent hospitalization. Paranoia arises against the backdrop of a sharp cessation of alcohol. In its manifestations, it is associated with a state of hallucinosis and alcoholic delirium.

Zealous drinking is another common manifestation of alcoholism. This mental disorder persists throughout almost the entire life. Although in older age it subsides.

Not only the jealous person himself suffers from such deviation, but also almost all the people around him. On an ongoing basis, the partner of such a person faces scandals and stormy showdowns. Such deviations are combined with assault.

In Russia alone, about 80,000 people die every year from the consequences of drinking. They are poisoned by surrogates, suffer strokes and heart attacks, freeze in cold snowdrifts, and die from liver failure. And what are the memory loss and ugly behavior, and the appearance of an alcoholic?

Alcohol destroys not only self-awareness, ethanol mercilessly deals with the human brain, turning a person into a real faceless animal. The negative, destructive effect of alcohol on the human brain, unfortunately, in most cases is irreversible.

Ethyl alcohol destroys all parts of the brain

The structure of the human brain is extremely complex. The brain consists of five parts, which are interconnected by billions of neurons (nerve cells). Nature has provided natural protection for this sensitive and very fragile system. The medulla is protected from blood flow by a certain physiological barrier.

The natural blood-brain barrier, which successfully protects the brain from the penetration of viruses, bacteria, and toxins, is not able to save it from ethyl alcohol.

Ethanol, being an excellent solvent, penetrates into the brain matter without any problems through all existing membranes. Once there, ethyl alcohol acquires extremely low enzymatic ability. That is, the breakdown of alcohol compounds to acetaldehyde in the medulla is extremely slow.

Ethanrol easily penetrates the protective membrane of the brain

Given the ability of neurons to accumulate (accumulate) ethanol metabolites, the brain will retain the remains of alcohol even after a month. Let's look at how alcohol affects the human brain, in particular its parts.

Cerebellum

This structure is responsible for the sense of balance and coordination of all movements. Alcohol metabolites accumulate the most in the cerebellum, causing serious harm to this department. This explains the awkward gait of a drunken person and his lack of balance.

Cerebral cortex

This department is responsible for the individual’s ability to plan something, be responsible for their actions, think and reason. Ethanol, even in minute quantities, is detrimental to this department, causing:

1. Memory impairment.
2. Loss of concentration.
3. Problems recognizing objects.
4. Decreased intellectual capabilities.
5. Inability to judge the distance to objects.

The prolonged effect of alcohol on the brain leads to complete personality degradation. The cerebral cortex, due to the massive death of neurons, ceases to function normally, and the person “loses his face”.

Alcohol affects all parts of the brain

Medulla

The individual’s ability to breathe, regulate temperature and be aware of reality depends on the healthy functioning of this department. What happens if the neurons of a given brain region die? A person’s temperature drops, he experiences severe drowsiness and dizziness, and may lose consciousness. It is for this reason that tipsy people freeze on the street, falling into snowdrifts.

What happens during a hangover

How do events unfold after massive neuronal death? The hangover phase begins, accompanied by a number of unpleasant symptoms. A person is especially tormented by thirst and headache. These processes occur due to the body’s active attempts to get rid of the accumulation of dead neurons.

With a hangover, intracranial pressure increases, which provokes an influx of fluid and the development of a severe headache. All this is evidence of the body’s attempts to remove dead neurons.

Ethanol affects not only parts of the brain, but also its blood vessels. Under the influence of alcohol metabolites, they sharply expand and then contract. This dangerous situation can lead to blood vessel rupture and stroke. A person faces disability, and in severe cases, death.

How does alcohol affect the brain?

In addition to deadly thrombosis, ethanol metabolites cause a huge number of various disorders associated with the functioning of the brain. A person who abuses alcohol faces an impressive list of major pathological changes that negatively impact the personal identity and behavioral reactions of the drunkard:

1. The center responsible for morality is destroyed. That is, people dependent on alcohol forget about moral values ​​and culture of behavior. Even a small dose of alcohol dulls a person’s sense of shame and completely liberates him. And prolonged drunkenness leads to a complete loss of all moral principles.
2. There is a global disturbance of the vestibular apparatus. A person loses a sense of reality and a sense of balance.
3. Alcohol kills brain cells responsible for memory. Often, after particularly stormy parties, many individuals cannot remember all the events of the past holiday. These are echoes of global brain poisoning with alcohol metabolites.

Alcoholism and the cerebral vascular system

If a person suffers from chronic alcohol addiction, the activity and functioning of the brain centers gradually fades. This immediately affects the ability to remember, think and understand. But this situation is not so bad. Under the influence of ethanol metabolites, irreversible changes occur in the vascular structure of the brain.

What does a brain damaged by alcohol look like?

What does this mean? Various mental disorders. Alcohol has different, but always detrimental effects on the blood vessels of the brain. Ethanol breakdown products:

• destroy the brain regions that respond to the regulation and stabilization of vascular tone;
• upset endocrine functions, forming obesity or exhaustion, atrophy of the reproductive system, and neuropsychic disorders;
• disrupt the functioning of the autonomic system, which leads to allergies, neuroses, problems in the gastrointestinal tract, skin diseases, pain in the joints and muscles.

All these changes ultimately lead to the formation of hypertension, hypertensive crisis and various vascular pathologies of the brain. The risk of cerebral edema increases significantly.

Even a small dose of alcohol leads to irreversible consequences in the functioning of the brain.

Pathologists working with chronic alcoholics often note various changes in the brain structure at autopsies of people who died from drinking. Namely:

• numerous hemorrhages;
• a sharp decrease in the volume of the entire brain;
• smoothing and disappearance of cerebral convolutions.

What happens to the brain when drinking alcohol is that it literally dries out, significantly decreasing in size. And what happens to the person himself? Complete degradation of personality without the right to recovery. Moreover, even moderate and light drinkers mercilessly destroy their own brains.

Alcohol mercilessly destroys brain neurons

What diseases come

The negative, destructive effect of alcohol on the brain and nervous system is truly colossal. Ethanol is a powerful toxic compound; it destroys the functioning of all internal systems and organs, provoking the development of many diseases, most of them fatal.

The mechanics of the development of these pathologies is based on the massive death of neurons, brain cellular structures and a major deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine). This vitamin is extremely important for the normal functioning of all parts of the brain. What pathologies can threaten a drinker of alcoholic beverages?

1. Alcoholic encephalopathy. Severe brain pathology of organic nature. This disease, occurring against the background of global memory impairment, mental problems, apathy and complete indifference to everything, indicates that the patient has the last stage of alcoholism.
2. Korsakoff's disease. A disease that occurs on the basis of the development of dementia, amnesia and the simultaneous addition of polyneuritis. Such patients are unable to answer trivial questions about what year it is and what time it is. They cannot solve the simplest problems and do not remember their name. With this disease, complete depletion of muscle tissue occurs, the person loses the ability to move and becomes disabled.
3. Alcoholic epilepsy. A seizure condition in a patient occurs with this disease only against the background of a hangover syndrome. With numerous epiconvulsions, a person gradually develops complete dementia and personality degradation occurs.
4. Delirium. This disease is better known as “delirium tremens”. As a rule, it develops with a sudden and sharp refusal of alcohol. While under attack, an alcoholic poses a great danger both to himself and to the people around him. In this case, the patient needs emergency hospitalization.
5. Hallucinosis. A condition that occurs against the background of alcoholism, in which the alcoholic clearly hears voices and experiences hallucinations. This condition usually develops during abstinence and requires urgent and long-term treatment.
6. Paranoia. Formed against the background of a sudden refusal of alcohol. But in its manifestations and symptoms, this pathology is more similar to delirium tremens or hallucinosis.

Often, with alcohol addiction, various neurotic disorders develop. A person is plagued by global problems with sleep, up to complete insomnia and the development of hallucinations as a result of this. Alcoholism destroys both the physical/mental brain functions and the cognitive capabilities of the individual (problems with the ability to express one’s thoughts, reasoning abilities, logical perception, etc.).

Does the brain recover after quitting alcohol?

The first to suffer from ethanol metabolites are the brain functions responsible for memory, thinking potential and intellectual level. Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely revive dead neurons in these areas. But partial recovery is quite possible.

Comparison of the brain of a healthy person and an alcoholic

The human brain is a very flexible structure. The brain regions are able to restore the functioning of damaged areas through the formation of new neural connections.

The first sign that the brain has begun to recover is the disappearance of depression symptoms. Memory gradually improves, the mind becomes more flexible, and intelligence increases. Brain recovery after quitting alcohol takes on average about 1-1.5 years. Of course, provided that you completely stop drinking alcohol and recover from alcoholism.

But with the return of the ability to navigate, sense space and have visual recognition (the ability to create a mental image in the mind), things are much worse. The brain areas responsible for such abilities die in the last stages of alcohol addiction.

It will take 4-5 years to restore these areas of the brain. And then only on condition of long-term work on yourself. The best results can be achieved by adding special brain training exercises to the rehabilitation program. These classes are conducted by a psychotherapist, but they also need to be done at home.

But these improvements are not guaranteed. It all depends on the degree and duration of alcohol abuse, as well as on the initial state of the person’s health. When pathological changes occur in the brain (if a person continues to drink), disturbances develop in the functioning of the spinal cord and medulla oblongata. In this case, the result of alcoholism is coma and subsequent death of the person.

From this article you will learn about the scale of the tragedy called alcoholism, as well as:

The scale of the tragedy

Unfortunately, recent studies confirm the high dangers of alcohol. Thus, research by David Nutt, a famous psychiatrist and pharmacologist, identified alcohol as the most dangerous substance, with a clear negative effect on a person’s psychological and physical health. The scientist found that prolonged consumption of alcohol has a greater effect on the body than the use of hard drugs, LSD and other hallucinogens. Have you ever thought about how many people drink?

Some statistics

• More than 85% of people on planet Earth have consumed or regularly consume alcohol;
• Every fourth adult resident of Russia suffers from domestic alcoholism;
• 65% of adolescents under 13 have tried alcohol;
• 40% of minors aged 13-18 regularly drink alcohol;
• According to WHO estimates, Russians consume more than 15 liters of pure ethyl alcohol per capita per year;
• For comparison, at the beginning of the 19th century in Russia, consumption did not exceed 3.5-4 liters per capita.

To summarize, according to WHO data for 2014, every second person drinks alcohol periodically. If we take the total damage to humanity, the years of exposure to alcohol have resulted in colossal damage, not comparable to the damage from all known drugs combined.

The effect of alcohol on the human brain

The use of alcohol to affect the brain began at the dawn of civilization. The addiction, legalization and popularization of alcohol consumption has become a great tragedy for humanity. Having fun, raising your mood with new doses of cocktails and strong drinks, a person does not think that lack of coordination, slurred language, memory loss and aggression are the results of the negative impact of alcohol on the body.

About 20% of alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, the rest enters the small intestine. This leads to the fact that strong drinks “go to your head” faster, and if you eat heavily before a feast, intoxication will not occur so quickly. As soon as the absorption of alcohol begins, it is instantly distributed throughout the body through the human circulatory system.

A decrease in the level of neurotransmitters (substances responsible for transmitting impulses from neurons to muscle tissue) leads to a deterioration in reactions and impaired coordination. Moreover, changes in the balance of neurotransmitters can lead to stimulation of brain activity, or vice versa – to suppress it. As a result of taking it “on the chest”, some people become calm and may even feel sleepy, some show aggression, lose common sense, and behave inappropriately to the situation.

Another effect was discovered in 1961 by American scientists. They discovered that a drunk person has a huge number of microthrombi, consisting of hundreds and thousands of blood cells, in the blood. This phenomenon is called "bunches of grapes." The reason for this phenomenon is the presence of alcohol in the blood. By drinking beer, vodka, wine, and after absorption into the blood, the blood thins, it increases its fluidity, which leads to changes in cell membranes in neurons.

The next stage is dehydration, paradoxically, but it is not possible to compensate for the loss of fluid by additional consumption of water, again due to the aggregation (sticking together) of red blood cells. The body begins to show the first signs of fluid loss.

Oxygen starvation is the euphoric effect for which some people love to “step on a traffic jam.” A dehydrated body and capillaries clogged with large plaques disrupt the oxygen supply to the cerebral cortex. This leads to suppression of self-control, disrupts logical thinking, reduces intellectual abilities significantly, and in some cases, can even lead to loss of consciousness.

Hangover syndrome. You have to pay for everything; in the case of drinking alcohol, this payment is acidification of the blood. Naturally, a hangover is a temporary phenomenon, but depending on the scale of the celebration, there may be prolonged and painful cramps, active sweating, headaches, temporary loss of coordination, and memory loss.

Do you know why it is so important for alcoholics to get over their hangover? As a result of the regular influence of alcohol on the brain, ischemic stroke occurs. It occurs due to the fact that the blood does not carry oxygen to the cerebral cortex. The use of a new dose of poison increases the heartbeat, increases blood fluidity, and only under such conditions is the supply of neurons partially resumed. Partial plaques in the blood do not have time to be eliminated, and the pressure on the walls of the capillaries increases. This situation ends with the rupture of blood vessels, which becomes the cause of a stroke or heart attack.

What parts of the brain are damaged?

• Occipital part of the brain. The result is poor coordination when walking, frequent falls, injuries, one of the reasons for such a high mortality rate from the effects of alcohol.
• The centers responsible for common sense, decency, and moral behavior are blocked. The result is immoral behavior, an increase in the crime rate while intoxicated, and suicides.
• The mechanism for recording and reproducing memory is disrupted. The result is memory lapses and fragmentary memories.

Do not forget about psychological deviations, such as “delirium tremens”, the appearance of manias and phobias, chronic alcoholism, and aggression. Alcohol has been consumed by humans since time immemorial and is one of the most popular forms of “relaxation,” but it is worth understanding the seriousness of the consequences. If you cannot give up alcohol completely, reduce the amount you drink and watch for a decrease in its negative effects:

• Do not exceed doses of more than 50 ml of alcohol;
• Drink more water, eat more food;
• Do not drive or drive in dangerous conditions;
• Try to limit yourself in behavior, control your condition during the feast;
• Do not drink cheap strong alcohol;
• Do not mix medications, drugs and alcohol.

Drinking alcohol is very similar to a bomb exploding in the body. Absolutely all organs are completely damaged due to influence at the cellular level.