Alcohol has long been part of social and cultural traditions, but its long-term effects on your brain can be profound and life-altering. One of the most concerning consequences of chronic heavy drinking is its impact on memory and cognition – a problem that can be particularly devastating for older adults.
Hemet Valley Recovery Center & Sage Retreat offers addiction programming tailored to clients aged 55 and older. Here’s what you need to know about long-term alcohol use and memory, and how professional treatment can help.
How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Memory
Alcohol affects your central nervous system by altering the balance of neurotransmitters – the chemical messengers that allow brain cells to communicate. Long-term, heavy drinking can cause structural and functional brain damage, particularly in the areas responsible for memory, decision-making and learning.
- Hippocampal shrinkage: The hippocampus is critical for forming and storing memories. Long-term alcohol use can shrink this region, leading to difficulty creating new memories and recalling old ones.
- Thiamine deficiency: Alcohol interferes with your body’s ability to absorb and use thiamine, a vitamin essential for brain health. A severe deficiency can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, often called “wet brain,” which causes profound memory loss, confusion, and hallucinations.
- Blackouts: Heavy drinking can disrupt the process of transferring short-term memories into long-term storage. You may wake up the next day with limited or fragmented recollections of what happened – known as an alcohol-induced blackout. Repeated blackouts can be a sign of escalating alcohol use disorder – and a red flag of potential long-term brain damage.
What Is Alcoholic Dementia?
Alcoholic dementia, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, is a two-stage neurological disorder caused by thiamine deficiency due to chronic alcohol misuse.
- Wernicke’s encephalopathy: The first stage includes symptoms like confusion, lack of coordination and abnormal eye movements. This stage is reversible with prompt treatment, but is often incorrectly diagnosed.
- Korsakoff’s psychosis: Characteristics of the second stage include severe memory loss, inability to form new memories and confabulation. This condition is usually permanent, though supportive care can manage the symptoms.
The Risk for Older Adults
While anyone who drinks heavily is in danger of experiencing health problems, older adults face unique challenges.
- Natural cognitive decline: Memory naturally declines with age, making it harder to detect alcohol-related problems until they become severe.
- Co-occurring medical issues: Older adults are more likely to have health conditions like heart disease and diabetes that can interact with alcohol to further impact brain health.
- Isolation and depression: Loneliness, grief and chronic pain may cause you to self-medicate with alcohol, increasing your risk of addiction and cognitive impairment.
Unfortunately, doctors and loved ones often dismiss memory loss as “normal” aging, allowing alcohol-related brain damage to go unrecognized and untreated.
Treatment for the 55+ Population at Hemet Valley Recovery Center
Hemet Valley Recovery Center & Sage Retreat recognizes that older adults with alcohol use disorders have specific needs. Our 55+ program provides multiple benefits.
- Hospital-based detoxification: Safe management of withdrawal symptoms in a medically supervised setting.
- Cognitive assessments: Early detection and monitoring of memory loss and other brain-related issues.
- Integrated medical care: Coordination with specialists to manage co-occurring health conditions.
- Age-appropriate therapy: Group and individual therapy focused on challenges like grief, chronic pain and isolation.
- Nutritional support: Addressing vitamin deficiencies that contribute to memory loss and malnutrition.
Don’t Let Alcohol Steal Your Memories
Long-term alcohol use can rob you of your precious memories, independence and quality of life – but help is available. At Hemet Valley Recovery Center, we provide comprehensive, compassionate care to help you regain control, improve your cognitive health and build a healthier future.
Start your path to healing with our dedicated 55+ program. Connect with us today to learn how we can support you.