Study Shows Too Much Drinking Shrinks Your Brain

Do you polish off this much alcohol each week?

Debating on whether or not to have that last drink for the night? A new study at the Wellesley College in Massachusetts has found that the more alcohol you consume, the more your brain shrinks.

The brain will normally shrink with age, but researchers have found that drinking more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week will speed up this process of brain shrinkage.

Memory problems, along with the beginnings of dementia have been linked to shrinkage of the brain.

A study was done on 1,839 men and women over two years, asking them how much alcohol they drank on a regular basis. Most people reported drinking one to seven alcoholic beverages a week, which is considered low intake. Men were more likely to report drinking higher amounts of alcohol – more than 14 drinks per week.

Brain scans were performed and researchers found that the more a person drank, the more their brain volume diminished.

While women tend to be lighter drinkers, the study showed a greater effect of this with women. Researchers state that this difference in gender could be the result of women generally being smaller in size and their higher susceptibility to the effects of alcohol.

Carol Ann Paul, from Wellesley College, who led the study, warned: "The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol."

"There was a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total ... brain volume."

"I don't know about you but I will need all the brain power that I can muster to be able to negotiate these tough economic times".

Problem Drinking Is Treatable.

Looking honestly at your own drinking can be difficult.

This is called “denial” and is part of the problem.

Many treatment options for alcohol abuse are available.

For help and information follow the Nike Slogan "Just Do it".

Call us at Paradise Recovery now for the best alcohol treatment and addiction services!

Don’t give up!

People can and do get better, every day.

Recovery is possible.
P.L. Wong
Labels: alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment center, alcohol treatment program, best alcohol rehab, Paradise Recovery

Emotional Reasoning

Often feelings regarding substance abuse are disconnected from the facts. While one may FEEL like "everyone is mad at me for drinking" there are people in your life who are not mad at you. These people want to see you get help. Even the people who are "mad" at you want to see you get help! Help can be in the form of 12 step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous and residential rehabilitation treatment. Thinking that others are going to treat you a certain way, based on your emotions at the time, is called emotional reasoning. You may actually be basing how you imagine people are thinking about you due to thoughts that you are having about yourself! For example, you may think that people are mad at you for your drinking when, in fact, it is you who is mad at yourself for your drinking. It may have nothing to do with how other people personally view you. In any case, you need to get help. There is help for alcoholics out there that is life-changing.

A Guaranteed Cure for Hangovers

I know you have searched for a remedy for your current hangover. A headache, disorientation, lethargy, etc. after some binge drinking the night before. I am not going to recommend some of the "short cuts" to getting through your hangover...something that you probably want at this time.

What I am recommending is a guaranteed way to cure any hangover - the answer is RECOVERY! Once you begin to use your own God given wisdom and realize that your life is out of control with the alcoholic binge, and you need help, then you are on your way to your hangover cure!

Medically, "veisalgia" (medical term for a hangover)there are many theories about what a hangover is and how it affects you. It is commonly agreed upon that is has something to do with your liver's response to a toxic or close to toxic levels of alcohol. Also, there is almost always dehydration and headache. All affects from over consumption of alcohol.

If you, or someone you love is struggling with the effects of alcohol in your body and more especially in your life, then please call us today at (866)478-9898 and speak to one of our recovery counselors for treatment options.

Recuperatio Primoris! (Recovery above all else)

Dr. Bill Heran

Thinking Errors

Loss of sobriety can often be linked to Cognitive Distortions which are also called thinking errors. A cognition is a thought. A distortion is a misrepresentation of an object, situation, or thought. For example, when you stand in front of a mirror in a fun house it reflects a distorted image of yourself. A Cognitive Distortion, or think error, is also a distorted reflection of a situation.
"All or Nothing" thinking is a Cognitive Distortion. An example is when some says: "I am always late" when they arrive after the start time of their work schdeule. They may be late occassionally they may be late frequently; but, it is doubtful they are late every day and still have a job.
Recognizing thinking errors is often part of the treatment for addiction in the best alcohol rehabs and the best drug rehabs.

Alcohol Detox in Rehab

There are several different types of alcohol detox that you will encounter as you are looking for an alcohol rehab program. They can be classified into several categories:

1. None
2. Almost none
3. Medically supervised detox

Let's start with the first. The vast majority of alcohol and drug rehabs do not offer detox, period. You have to go off site to another center which is most likely a hospital-like, cold environment for your detox. However, this is generally a safe option if the detox center is good.

The second category is "almost none". I refer to social detox centers as "almost none". That's where the center says "sure, we offer detox", but in reality the detox is mostly in the form of encouragement and support from others who survived the experience. There is no medication given which would ensure your safe detox from alcohol. (Some people die from alcohol detox. It is one of the most dangerous detoxifications out there). This is not a safe form of alcohol detox and is not at all recommended. In this category I also place alcohol rehab centers where medications are used for alcohol withdrawal but on an extremely conservative basis. Hopefully the detox is medically monitored, so you would presume it is safe. However, you have to be in extremely rough shape in order to receive medication to make you more comfortable. So, you go through the detox feeling extremely ill, tremulous, and miserable.

The third category is that of alcohol rehab programs who offer alcohol detoxification which is medically monitored and provided in residence. Staff are trained to measure your alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Medications are given to slow the withdrawal, so that it is much more comfortable and safe for you. You are able to do some treatment work often times during the detox period. The psychiatrist and internist work closely with the staff to provide a detox protocol that meets your safety and comfort needs.

Take the time to find the alcohol rehab and alcohol detox program that is best-suited for you. You might just save yourself a lot of misery by chosing wisely.

Private Drug Rehab

Paradise Recovery offers private, oceanfront accommodations for those who seek recovery from drugs. The drug addict seeking recovery will find many benefits in the close, intimate setting at Paradise Recovery, located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

Hawaiians believe in the healing benefits of the ocean. They see it as a way to "cleanse" your body and spirit. Letting go of the "old" and making way for all that is new, which after all, is the essence of recovery. At Paradise Recovery, we welcome all to take part in the healing elements our islands provide so abundantly.

Not only are there benefits from the healing elements of the ocean, the fact that we are only an eight bed drug rehab, provides the drug addict seeking recovery with individualized attention and therapy. Allowing the drug addict to focus deeply into their particular core issues that have allowed the disease to continue to manifest in their lives.

These are only a couple of the benefits in choosing a private drug rehab. If you or a loved one needs help, don't get lost in the shuffle of larger rehabs...choose a private drug rehab, choose Paradise Recovery!

Please call our 24 hour HelpLine at 866-478-9898, we are here to help!

Alcohol Treatment

When an alcoholic is finally brought to a place where they can no longer deny the nature of their problem, caused by drinking excessively. When all the lies, all the rationalizations, all the illusions fall away, and they stand face to face with what their lives have become; a life without hope, isolated from society, disconnected in relations with loved ones, inability to perform at work, at home. This typically can be called "hitting bottom" to the alcoholic.

Finding alcohol treatment is in the persons best interest. Though it may seem to the alcoholic that all is lost, the truth is that many alcoholics must pass through this, what is referred to as "hitting bottom", before they can truly embark upon a journey of recovery.

If you are looking for Alcohol treatment, please call us toll free at 1-866-478-9898.

Binge Drinking: Current Thinking

The definition of binge drinking has shifted in recent years. The previous understanding of binge drinking was high consumption of alcohol over at least a 2-day period. Today, the length of time is not the primary factor, it is the likelihood of high-risk and harm to self or others involved during or after the binge.

The length and amount of the consumption is still considered, but since alcohol tolerance is different in each individual, the focus on related impairment and harm is a smarter way to define "binge drinking". Of course, the beverage industry argues that the threshold for binge consumption should be much higher than medical professionals suggest.

Binge drinking is usually associated with late adolescents or college students. In fact, millions of adult alcoholics binge drink to a point that it is harmful and often engage in high-risk behaviors (e.g. driving while intoxicated, fights, inappropriate and unsafe sexual encounters, gambling, etc.).

The attraction to binge drinking for the alcoholic is similar to the opiate addict who takes several vicodin, more than usual, to achieve a more potent high. However, just like taking more drugs, drinking intense amounts of alcohol will put you in a state where you are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors and certainly harming your body and maybe harming the loved ones around you as well.

If you feel you have a binge drinking problem, please see an addiction specialist today! You can call our HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 to speak with a counselor.

Recuperatio Primoris!

Alcohol Detox (Detoxification) or Social Detox?

Alcohol detox is something most alcohol rehab programs do not offer. If they do offer alcohol detox, it is something that is known as "social detox". Social alcohol detox is basically that you get support from people around you while you are "jonesing". Imagine having full-blown alcohol withdrawal symptoms while people around you are giving you encouragement. That's great! Did you know that alcohol detox can be fatal? What about when you begin to have seizures related to your alcohol withdrawal, or when your blood pressure shoots through the roof? How will your social supports be helpful? Will you be rushed to the hospital? Will it be in time? Will the staff recognize the warning signs that you are in medical trouble?

Obviously, with any serious alcohol detox, a social detox is not safe. It's that simple. Alcohol detox needs to be a medical procedure that is undertaken at the direction and orders of a physician who has experience in this area. Many people die every year when they stop drinking alcohol cold-turkey and do not get the appropriate medically-monitored detox.

Alcohol detox is the beginning step of a lasting recovery. Please do it safely.

John Neuhaus, M.D.

Resentments, alcoholics, and rehabilitation

Spend much time with alcoholics in recovery and inevitably the issue of resentments will arise. In most 12 step meetings and throughout the literature, resentments are discussed as the "number one offender" in driving alcoholics towards inappropriate if not fully insane behavior and on occasion directly back to the drink. The un-fully-recovered alcoholic is susceptible to resentments, the tendency to allow personal slights or earlier harms to fester and grow. At a certain point, previous hurts get disproportionate to their origins, they become all-consuming, attacking the alcoholic's resolve to live a serene and sober lifestyle.

"Resentments" really means what it's syllables break into--re--sentiment. The concept is one of having a feeling that remains re felt repeatedly and that doesn't diminish in intensity over time. Quite the opposite, these feelings seem to grow over time. Unfortunately, for alcoholics the prevalent feeling that grow is not positive--it's never a matter of burgeoning joy.

This is not just a problem for alcoholics, non-alcoholics (or normies) also can have resentments--but for non-alcoholics, the overwhelming feelings generally don't lead to life threatening behaviors. Good alcohol rehabilitation allows the alcoholic to examine their resentments, to process through their earlier harms and slights, and to develop coping strategies that will prevent these feelings from leading to catastrophic results. It's possible to live a life free of this pattern. Consider if this a freedom you want.

Alcoholism and Brain Function... or lack thereof!

(This is a continuation of the blogs on the relationship between alcoholism and nutritional deficiencies) Our body is a complex system with many interacting parts. One example is how alcoholism affects the pancreas, which then affects the brain. Let me explain. Chronic alcohol use can cause impaired insulin secretion from the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that controls our blood sugar, also known as blood glucose. Alcoholism can result in both overly elevated blood sugar (making you look like you might be diabetic) as well as low blood sugar if too much insulin is secreted.

Guess what the "food" is for the brain? Glucose. Remember alcoholism can produce a state of low glucose in the body. The brain uses glucose in order to work properly. It is the fuel of the brain. Let's make this simple: low blood sugar = starving brain = brain does not work well = you don't think straight, you make poor decisions, you don't function like you used to.

Got that? But wait, there is yet another way alcoholism affects the brain. Remember how we talked previously about impaired B-Vitamin and other vitamin absorption as well as poor nutrition with alcoholism? Chronic alcohol use results in a thiamine deficiency. Thiamin is one of those B-Vitamins. Guess what thiamine does? If you guessed that it is involved in glucose metabolism, you guessed correctly!

No big deal, right? A little vitamin deficiency shouldn't be that bad. Well, chronic thiamin deficiency, which is seen time and time again in alcoholics, causes certain areas of the brain to shrink, also called atrophy. These areas of the brain are involved with different things, some of which are memory. The alcoholic begins to develop a condition called Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome. Wernicke's encephalopathy, as it is called, rears it's ugly head most commonly with ataxia (trouble walking straight), an eye condition called nystagmus, and confusion. It can lead to coma or death on occassion. Next comes Korsakoff's psychosis. It is a combination of psychosis, amnesia for recent and past events, and confabulation. In other words, you become psychotic, can't remember what you the hell you did today or yesterday (although memories from a long time ago might still be there), and you make up stories when people ask you a question to try to hide the fact that you can't remember (confabulation).

These conditions can all be treated to varying degrees, depending on how progressed the condition is. Success depends on the competent staff at a "best" alcohol rehab. By that I mean an alcohol rehab that takes a holistic approach to you as an individual, looking at your physical needs as well as emotional, psychological and spiritual needs.

The Emotional Life of the Newly Sober

Individuals new to sobriety often find their early days in alcohol and addiction treatment centers marked by significant swings in experienced emotions. Early in rehab, the alcoholic/addict may be plagued by a variety of uncomfortable and challenging feelings that can overwhelm their ability to cope. This is certainly not surprising given that most folks in drug rehab are experiencing for the first time release from the anesthetizing effects of their drug of choice, be it alcohol, cocaine, heroin, or whatever.

Early in recovery, as the mind re-awakens, the newly sober may find themselves gripped with marked anxiety, a tremendous sense of fear--sometimes about the things that have occurred in the past, sometimes of the consequences of their use, sometimes of an uncertain future. And sometimes they experience marked fear for no identifiable reason. In many instances, underlying anxiety disorders, undiagnosed and self-medicated for years surface to trouble the alcoholic/addict.

For others, early sobriety can lead to the re-emergence of painful memories of trauma in childhood which can spill out in the form of deep and penetrating sadness, hostile and aggressive feelings of anger, or inordinate shame. And as is regularly discussed in alcoholics anonymous meetings and associated literature, newly sober alcoholic/addicts in the early stages of recovery are particularly prone to resentment--the sense of focussed and bitter anger based on perceived past slights or harms that can lead directly to relapse.

Not all emotions in the newly sober are negative. Frequently in the early days of alcohol and drug rehabilitation and treatment, the alcoholic/addict experiences tremendous feeling of joy. They often describe a "pink cloud' or feeling of prolonged euphoria that can serve to reinforce new found sobriety.

With time, continued treatment, a recovery based lifestyle and supportive environment, the alcoholic addict can develop those skills that allows him/her to modulate his/her emotions, to achieve a sense of balance to his/her internal affective life, and to find appropriate releases when emotions pass individual "critical levels". Even after years of chemical numbing, the alcoholic/addict can redevelop the capacity to feel.

The Ways In Which Alcoholism Kills

Ever hear this expression: alcoholism is a chronic, progressive, and lethal disease. It's bandied about in addiction circles, drug rehab centers, and in 12-step meetings with great regularity. And it's entirely true.

Alcoholism is chronic: once diagnosed, once the disease is manifest, the alcoholic must spend the rest of his or her life managing the illness.

Alcoholism is progressive: an untreated alcoholic will continue to get worse and worse as time goes on. Even if he stops for a while, once an alcoholic begins drinking again, he will rapidly find himself worse off than when he stopped.

Alcoholism is lethal: eventually the disease will kill the alcoholic.

But the lethality of alcoholism can take many forms. The most obvious form is that of physical death. Alcoholism is a slow physical killer in most cases, however. Over time, the alcoholic finds his or her organs slowly atrophied and it can take decades before the body finally succumbs.

Along the way, there can be many other deaths. Alcoholism is known to kill off marriages. Alcohol has led to death of many careers. It murders dignity and self-respect. It can slaughter family relations. Alcoholism is so lethal, that eventually it will kill off everything you hold dear.

The saddest thing about these fatalities is that they need not occur. Proper alcoholism treatment is available. In a suitable drug rehab, this process of death can be halted.

Although alcoholism is a fatal disease, alcohol treatment can lead to a whole new life. Seek help if you think you have a problem. It will be a slow tortuous series of smaller deaths before the body eventually gives in. At Paradise Recovery, we are committed to helping all manner of addicted people halt the process of self-destruction and to live to their fullest potential.

The Natural Order of Things

One can't live on the planet without observing some of the standard overarching laws by which everything must exist. Some very basic principles guide the planet and it's ability to sustain life: gravity, for example. If the planet wasn't stuck in it's orbit, there might be no life. If the planet didn't exert it's own gravity, everything would float off. The simple physics of gravity keeps us bound to the earth--it's the natural order. An inescapable truth.

Yet we have found over the last century that we can overcome gravity. We can launch massive barrels of steel into the air, filled with thousands of tons of equipment and humans, and bring it all down on the other side of the globe. We can thrust building sized rockets into outer space, and hold building sized spacecraft in orbit around our planet.

Of course this takes a monumental effort. But the natural order of some things can be surmounted.

The natural order for the alcoholic/addict is as clear as the law of gravity. The natural state--the most comfortable state of being--for the alcoholic/addict is to be using, high, or drunk. Anything else for someone suffering from untreated alcoholism or drug addiction is an unnatural state. Strange as this may sound, it is a truth; until the disease is arrested or the person dies, an alcoholic/addict must use and will.

But just as with the law of gravity, this natural order can be overcome. Alcohol treatment and drug treatment is available, support can be found. The diseases of alcoholism and addiction can be arrested. The person need not die.

We can fly massive planes. We can launch and construct space stations. And with the right kind of effort, with appropriate detoxification, with alcohol and drug rehabilitation, with caring and nurturing support, the natural order can be reversed.