When these regions of the brain are slowed down, a person might feel dizzy and stagger when walking, have blurred or double vision, and have difficulty paying attention to things going on around them. “Your sensory uptake has been dulled, so you’re not going to be taking in new information as well,” said Pagano. According to the CDC, binge drinking is defined https://ecosoberhouse.com/ as consuming four or more alcoholic drinks for women or five or more alcoholic drinks for men on the same occasion. Alcohol addiction recovery does not end once a person’s brain fog fades. They should continue to seek counseling and move into a sober living facility. If they relapse, they can always return to inpatient care or try a new sobriety strategy out.
Moderate alcohol consumption is the best strategy for reducing the risk of alcohol-related brain damage. People who binge drink, drink to the point of poor judgment, or deliberately become drunk many times each month have a much higher risk of alcohol-related brain damage. The effects of alcohol on the brain vary depending on the dose and on individual factors, such as overall health. In general, the more alcohol a person drinks, the more likely it becomes that alcohol will damage the brain — both in the short and long term.
Is There a “Safe” Amount of Alcohol for the Brain?
When alcohol is consumed, it enters the bloodstream and crosses the blood-brain barrier, directly affecting the brain’s neurotransmitter systems. If you want to learn more about brain fog and how to manage it, here are plenty of helpful resources. If you don’t have time to go outside, you can also sit near a window to get some natural light.
These challenges can cause further feelings of frustration and isolation. You’re likely already aware, but it’s important to emphasize how consuming alcohol significantly hinders our brain’s capacity to execute fundamental cognitive tasks. As anyone who’s consumed alcohol knows, ethanol can directly influence brain function.
How to Recover From Alcohol Brain Fog
High amounts of alcohol use are causal risk factors in the development of disease in the heart, liver, pancreas, and brain (including the brains of children in utero). In fact, 1 in 8 deaths alcohol brain fog in Americans aged is attributable to alcohol use. When it comes to adults, excessive alcohol use can cause multiple well-defined brain issues ranging from short-term confusion to dementia.
- “And if you always use it to have a good time, you won’t learn how to be okay in social situations without it.”
- Some of those effects, like slurred speech and diminished memory, can be quite clear; others, like long-term cellular damage, may not be as obvious.
- Addiction and substance use disorder affects over 17% of the American population.
- Many people report feeling “fuzzy” or “out of it” the day after drinking heavily.
- Whether or not a person engages in drinking should be a decision they make on their own, or with the help of a doctor or mental health professional.