Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake”

Jake Leg

Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake”

Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” was a medication available in the 19th century. During prohibition, Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” became a convenient way to get around laws preventing the sale of alcohol because it contains 70-80 % ethanol by volume.

Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake”: History

During the 1920’s and 1930’s, many pharmacies provided Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake.” The medicine came with claims of treating minor colds, headaches, menstrual cramps, and digestive problems. After the stock market collapse of 1929, Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” became increasingly popular as a low-cost alternative to buying expensive bootlegged liquor.

Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake”: Jake Leg

By early 1930, a confusing new illness began spreading across the country. It was characterized by aching calf muscles, numbness in the legs and eventual loss of sensation. The disease progressed into muscle weakness and paralysis which was sometimes irreversible. Over the first six months of 1930, more than 600 cases were reported throughout the United States. Doctors were perplexed. What was causing this bizarre sudden paralysis?

The culprit, it turned out, was Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake.” This was considered odd at first because Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” had been sold for decades and there had never been any reported problems. The condition became known as “jake leg.”

Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake”: Mystery Solved

Authorities had long been suspicious that people would use products like Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” to circumvent prohibition. In an effort to avoid that, the U.S. Treasury Department required formulations of Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake to contain a certain amount of ginger solids per cubic centimeter of alcohol. The increased ginger content made it very bitter and difficult to drink. They figured people would be less inclined to abuse it.

Regulators tested Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” by boiling it down and measuring the amount of solids left over. But some clever manufacturers figured out ways to fool the government tests. They would add castor oil or molasses to replace the ginger solids. Their formulations only contained a small amount of ginger, so they were easy to drink.

Then a Harry Gross and Max Reisman came along. They wanted to find another substance that would fool the government’s boiling tests but also provide a “kick” to the alcohol content. They decided on tri-orthocresal phosphate (TOCP), an industrial plasticizer. TOCP was originally thought to be non-toxic, but later it was shown to have a neurotoxic effect in humans and animals.

Gross and Reisman went into mass production of Jamaican Ginger aka “Jake” in 1930. They made thousands of bottles. Due to investigations of cases of “jake leg,” the bootleggers were indicted in December of that same year. Gross served a two year sentence while Reisman avoided serving any jail time.

Sadly, many of the victims of jake leg were people with very little political influence like immigrants, migrants, or itinerants, so they never received any kind of compensation for their injuries. The company that manufactured the Jamaican Ginger aka Jake was bankrupt, and attempts to petition Congress for financial support failed. The epidemic was especially common among lower-class African-American men, many of whom were not allowed in hospitals where they might have sought treatment. There was an extreme amount of stigma attached to sufferers of jake leg.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

5 Best Hangover Songs

margaritaville jimmy buffet

5 Best Hangover Songs

Music comes in all different forms and talk about all kinds of topics. It isn’t unusual to hear songs about drinking, using drugs and partying either because many musicians are living that kind of lifestyle. A hangover is almost universally relatable because almost everyone has had a drink and nearly every high school student, college student or adult has had a moment where they drank way too much.

That is why we made the 5 best hangover songs that include some of our favorite songs of all time. Who doesn’t like a song that reminds them of that crazy night with their friends? Okay maybe not all of us remember but we do like to relate. Hangovers bring all drinkers together in a common bond of headaches, puking and forgetting what they did the night before. The famous are not immune to it either. Check out our 5 best hangover songs and see if you can understand what they are talking about, if you have ever drank too much we are sure you can.

1. “Me and My Wine” – Def Leppard. Ah, the 80s metal bands sure knew a lot about drinking and partying and an equal amount as much about hangovers. It seems a lot of you can identify with lyrics like “Lying half dead on the floor, I don’t remember anything. What happened the night before?”  We’d like to thank the British beer swigging musicians for giving us our first best hangover song of all time.

2. “Rude Awakenings” – Dropkick Murphy.  Everyone has had a morning like this: “With equal surprise she opened her eyes, sat up and shouted ‘for Christ’s sakes who the hell are you?'” Not much more to say than this is one of the best hangover songs about one of the worst hangover situations.

3. “What Happened” – Sublime. “There’s no recollection of the evil things I’ve done. My head feels like I musta’ had some fun.” Sound familiar? Yep, that’s why Sublime’s “What Happened” is the third best hangover song of all time.

4. “My Own Worst Enemy” – Lit. Any song that starts (and ends) with, “Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk? I didn’t mean to call you that. I can’t remember what was said or what you threw at me. Please tell me,” is incapable of eluding a best hangover songs list! Not surprisingly it’s in the top 5 at least.

5. “Margaritaville” – Jimmy Buffet. This is our best hangover song ever because anyone who’s ever had a hangover can identify with the great Jimmy Buffet when he sings, “But I know it’s my own damn fault.”

Doesn’t matter if its rock and roll, country, or reggae all musicians speak the universal hangover language. The 5 best hangover songs are also some of the greatest and most well-known songs in the world. Coincidence we think not. Drinking is a social and relatable experience. Just makes sure to take it easy. Maybe we should start taking these songs as a warning not a push to try to experience the songs ourselves.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcoholism Risk Factors

Alcoholism Risk Factors

Alcoholism Risk Factors

There is no stereotypical alcoholic. Alcoholics come in all shapes and sized and from every socioeconomic background. Neither money nor fame can protect a person from the disease, as we see all the time in the media. Alcoholics living in homeless shelters or under bridges actually account for a very small percentage of the total. Most alcoholics are employed and have homes and families. Anyone can suffer from alcoholism. However, there are certain people that are at a greater risk than others.

Alcoholism Risk Factors: What is a risk factor?

While there is no one cause for alcoholism, certain psychological, economic, and social aspects that can increase the likelihood that someone will become an alcoholic. These are known as risk factors.

Alcoholism Risk Factors: Who is at risk?

Psychological risk factors for alcoholism include mood disorders like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, as well as personality disorders like antisocial personality disorder. Social risk factors for alcoholism include male gender, being between 18 and 44 years of age, Native-American heritage, unmarried marital status, and lower socioeconomic status.  Environmental factors, including a person’s family’s beliefs and attitudes and exposure to a peer group that encourages alcohol use, seem to play a role in initial alcohol use. Studies also suggest that there is a genetic component to alcoholism. People who have immediate family that suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction are more likely to abuse alcohol themselves.

Alcoholism Risk Factors: What are the lifestyle alcoholism risk factors?

Some of the alcoholism risk factors have nothing to do with your gender, race, mental status, marital status, or socioeconomic status. Some of them simply have to do with how you drink and how drinking affects you. Those who abstain from alcohol aren’t at risk for becoming alcoholics, so any alcohol consumption increases your risk of alcoholism. However, people who drink moderately are at much lower risk than people who drink heavily. Another one of the lifestyle alcoholism risk factors has to do with the age you are at when you start drinking. People who start drinking earlier in life have a greater chance of becoming an alcoholic. Likewise, the longer you drink, the greater chance that you will become alcoholic.

Alcoholism Risk Factors: What are the personality alcoholism risk factors?

For some time, we’ve known that people who suffer from certain mental illnesses are at a greater risk for developing alcoholism. In recent years, however, it has been shown that certain personality types are at greater risk as well. These traits are now considered personality alcoholism risk factors. These personality alcoholism risk factors include:

  • Having a low tolerance for frustration
  • Having aggressive tendencies or difficulty with impulse control
  • Needing an inordinate amount of praise
  • Feeling unsure or not worthy
  • Demanding perfection

Alcoholism Risk Factors: What if you have no alcoholism risk factors?

It is important to note that even if you don’t have any of these alcoholism risk factors, you can still develop alcoholism. Alcoholism risk factors do not cause alcoholism, and lack of alcoholism risk factors does not prevent it.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Movie: Limitless

Hangover Movie: Limitless

Hangover Movie: Limitless

Limitless is a 2011 thriller starring Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Abbie Cornish. Limitless is actually based on the novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn. You may think of the movie Limitless and wonder how it is hangover story but alas it is one of the greatest movies out there about drug addiction and parallels many of today’s most popular drug topics; for instance, the usage of Adderall in college students to max out their potential.

Limitless follows a similar story of a New York City author who comes across what is known as a nootropic drug to access 100% of his brain instead of the usual 20%. When Bradley Cooper’s character, Eddie, finds out that the drug really does work he is suddenly able to work and do things he was never capable of doing before. At the beginning of Limitless, Eddie is struggling to beat a deadline for the book he is working on. With the drug known as NZT-48 in the movie he is able to quickly and easily finish his book. Not just that but as he continues to take the drug, he realizes he can identify trends in the stock market and quadruple his investments. He begins to build a fortune very quickly.  And his success really takes off due to taking the drug.

Eddie is literally Limitless. There is nothing he can’t do and can’t do well. Only problem is having a continuous supply of the drug NZT. When he doesn’t have the drug after a long period of building success by taking NZT he begins to feel side effects. NZT has severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, and that is only the beginning. Eddie eventually meets a woman who was on the drug for a long time and then stopped and finds her sluggish, lazy, aged, and overall useless since she stopped taking the drug. That is one of the more permanent effects of activating 100% of her brain for so long of a time. Instead of stopping the use of NZT, Eddie continues to take the drug to keep from getting sick, keep up appearances, and keep his success rolling in. In fact with his new found wealth Eddie goes so far as to hire laboratories to reverse engineer the drug NZT so he can have an endless supply of it.

Eddie’s consequences due to his drug use start piling up. Not only does he have people searching for him (like the mafia, gangster, and crime bosses) but he gets involved with a murder but is let off because he is not recognized by the witness. Everything Eddie does is a lie because it is the drug NZT that is making him capable not himself. Eventually what he has done during his drug use starts to catch up with him. He loses his supply of NZT that he had and the crime bosses find him and try to kill him. It is at this point that Eddie decides he should stop the use of NZT but he has to find a way to avoid the permanent side effects of stopping its use. So he weans himself off by retaining acute mental abilities therefore making the effects permanent and has an endless supply due to his laboratories. Eddie remains wealthy and his book that he wrote becomes a success. According to the movie Eddie’s life continues on smoothly but this is after an absolute train wreck of murder, lies, stealing, manipulation, and chaos. One of the prices we all pay for taking drugs to heighten our performance in anyway is deterioration in our health and our lives.

This is very similar to those who take drugs to help them in school and work. They feel the toll and while their story may not be the same kind of success as Eddie, nor is the drug the same, nor will their story end as well-it goes to show there is a high price to pay for taking a substance in order to perform better.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Long term effects of alcohol abuse

Long term effects of alcohol abuse

Long term effects of alcohol abuse

Long term effects of alcohol abuse

If all the long term effects of alcohol abuse were written out in detail the result would be something like a book. Alcohol abuse penetrates every cell in a person’s body resulting in multiple long term effects. Alcohol is one of the most threatening drugs when abused for a long period of time.

The first and most obvious long term effect of alcohol abuse is alcoholism. Alcoholism is the physical addiction to alcohol to the point of having serious withdrawal symptoms if the drinker tries to stop consuming alcohol. That’s probably one of the least worrisome long term effects of alcohol abuse. Long term effects of alcohol abuse, more generally, are the risks of cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and chronic pancreatitis.  Damage to the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system are long term effects of alcohol abuse. The long term effects of alcohol abuse are seen in every system in the body.

Adolescents are especially susceptible to the long term effects of alcohol abuse. This is because the adolescent brain is still developing. In unborn babies the long term effects of alcohol abuse are grave and could result in fetal alcohol syndrome.

The long term effects of alcohol abuse on the cardiovascular system can be life threatening.  The long term effects of alcohol abuse in the cardiovascular system are peripheral arterial disease, intermittent claudication, heart attack and stroke, cardiomyopathy, hematologic diseases.

The long term effects of alcohol abuse on the nervous system severely impair brain development. The long term effects of alcohol abuse on the nervous system are brain shrinkage, dementia, physical dependence, brain lesions, brain damage, chronic fatigue, nutritional deficiency, alcohol withdrawal, risks of stroke, loss of memory, learning disabilities, and blackouts.

The long term effects of alcohol abuse also impact the digestive system and can cause serious weight gain because of the high sugar/high calorie content of most alcoholic beverages. The long term effects of alcohol abuse on the digestive system in general are chronic gastritis or stomach inflammation, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, and pancreatitis both chronic and acute. The long term effects of alcohol abuse can also lead to metabolic syndrome. The long term effects of alcohol abuse also have a large impact on the gallbladder. Long term alcohol abuse can lead to gallstones and gallstone disease.

Long term effects of alcohol abuse always negatively affect the liver. The liver clears the blood of any impurities so the liver has to filter alcohol directly from the blood when an individual drinks. Alcohol liver disease is a main effect of long term alcohol abuse. Not only that but the long term effects of alcohol abuse on the liver are fatty liver, cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, liver disease and liver cancer. In worst case scenarios heavy alcohol consumption for a long period of time can result in needing a liver transplant.

Long term alcohol abuse also affects the lungs by impairing some of its critical cellular functions. This means that long term alcohol abuse can cause lung disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The long term effects of alcohol also move into the kidneys and cause kidney stones. Not just that but the list of long term effects goes on and on. The effects of alcohol abuse in the long term can end up being sexual dysfunction, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and problems with the skin such as psoriasis or flushing and rosacea. Alcohol abuse can also affect the immune system. There is not really a whole lot long term alcohol doesn’t affect.

Alcohol can be very dangerous when used for long periods of time. The effects are grave and sometimes irreversible. What we thought was a social drink that may even be considered safe is far from safe when used for in the long term.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers

The other morning I woke up with what felt like a massive hangover. My head hurt, my eyes were grainy, and I felt sick to my stomach. The funny part was-I hadn’t had any alcohol the night before. I’d stayed out late, and I’d smoked a lot of cigarettes, but I didn’t have an alcoholic drink. I’d never thought about it before, but that morning I realized that part of the reason I felt so terrible after a night of drinking was the fact that I got very little sleep and smoked a lot of cigarettes.

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers: The Research

A lot of people smoke and drink at the same time. Even many nonsmokers will have a few cigarettes when they are out on the town. But studies suggest that smoking and drinking together cause massive hangovers. Findings published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that at the same number of drinks, people who smoke more have been shown to have more intense hangovers the next day. Smoking itself was shown to increase chances of a hangover more than nonsmoking. The subjects in the study were asked to rank hangover symptoms like nausea, headache, and difficulty concentrating.

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers: What causes a hangover?

Alcohol is broken down in the liver first to acetaldehyde, then to harmless acetic acid. Acetaldehyde is the main chemical that is responsible for the symptoms of a hangover. Smoking also increases your acetaldehyde in the body and this is why smoking and drinking together causes massive hangovers. The severity of a hangover is directly connected to the amount of alcohol an individual drinks and how much sleep he or she has gotten, and according to this new study, whether or not the person smoked a lot of cigarettes.

The hangover symptoms that individuals feel can be caused by:

  • urination (resulting in dehydration)
  • immune system response
  • stomach irritation
  • poor sleep quality
  • drop in blood sugar
  • dilation of blood vessels

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers: Prevention and cures

There is no real “cure” for a hangover. Most of the classic hangover cures really don’t work. The only really cure is time or preventing the hangover in the first place. Obviously, if you want to lower your chances of getting a hangover you can cut down on the amount that you smoke while you are drinking or not smoke at all. Also, getting adequate rest and drinking a lot of water have been shown to reduce your chances of getting a hangover. The main cause of hangovers, however, is binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as having more than four drinks in a sitting for men, and five drinks for women. This type of drinking, where your blood alcohol content increases quickly in a short amount of time, is the most important factor in getting a hangover. This is because your body gets overwhelmed and cannot break down the alcohol as quickly as you are consuming it, causing a buildup of acetaldehyde.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol and Migraines

Alcohol and Migraines

Alcohol and Migraines

Migraines are severe headaches that may last for a period of hours or days.  Migraines are a recurrent throbbing headache that typically affects one side of the head and is often accompanied by nausea and disturbed vision. The symptoms can incapacitate the migraine sufferer, who may need to lie down in a dark space until the headache has passed. Nausea and vomiting are side effects of severe migraines.

Migraines may be induced by triggers. Triggers for migraines can include anything from stress, to hunger, fatigue, and menstruation. Diet can also trigger migraines and alcohol is one of those things in someone’s diet that can cause migraines. Although, the underlying cause of migraines is unknown but they are believed to be related to a mix of environmental factors such as diet, lifestyle etc. and genetic factors.

So what about alcohol and migraines?

Alcohol is a common trigger in migraine sufferers for a couple of different reasons. First of all, alcohol is known as a vasodilator. This means that it causes the blood vessels in the body to dilate, or expand. This is what causes the reddening of the face in an individual who has been drinking. Dilation of the blood vessels in the brain is through to be the cause of a migraine, so this response to alcohol may trigger a migraine in individuals who are prone to migraines. Even a small amount of alcohol may cause the blood vessels to dilate.

There are also substances in alcoholic beverages that some people are more sensitive to. One of these substances is the amino acid tryramine – a well-known trigger for migraine or cluster migraines. Tyramine is found in red wine and champagne, as well as dark alcoholic beverages like scotch, beer, and bourbon.

Congeners, a chemical found in some alcohols, can also cause migraines in some individuals. Congeners are believed to trigger migraines because they make slight changes to the chemical composition of the body. Hard liquors, especially darker, amber liquors, usually contain more congeners than lighter liquors. Individuals who are sensitive to sugar may get a migraine due to the high sugar content in alcohol. Some alcoholic beverages use artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, which cause migraines in some people.

Ethanol has a diuretic effect on the body, causing it to produce more urine. This excess urination causes dehydration, which contributes to the symptoms of a hangover which can include migraines. Getting migraines is a common symptom that many drinkers experience after a night of excessive drinking. One way to prevent this from happening is to drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages during the day if you know you’ll be drinking that night.

The best bet if you get migraines is to avoid alcohol all together because alcohol and migraines do not mix well because of the multiple migraine trigger substances within alcohol. Not just that but because of the dehydration alcohol causes. If you want to drink and are prone to migraines it is best to only drink small amounts and to stay hydrated.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Cures : Drinks

Hangover Cures: Drinks

Hangover Cures: Drinks

Hangovers are awful! Between the headache, parched mouth, nausea, and muscle aches, you may well be asking yourself why you had those extra 4 tequila shots the night before. While there are no actual cures for a hangover, besides time, there are things you can do to relieve some of the symptoms. Keep in mind that not all hangover “cures” work as well as others.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Alcohol

“The hair of the dog that bit you”- This is probably the most well known cure for a hangover. It’s also the worst one unless you don’t have anything productive to do for the rest of the day. Drinking more alcohol won’t cure your hangover in the long run-it just gets you drunk again. Your hangover will most likely be worse when you finally feel it because you’re just adding fuel to the fire.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Gatorade

This is one that actually does help. Gatorade and other sports drinks replenish the body’s electrolytes. Electrolytes are ions in the blood stream that regulate fluid flow across cell membranes. Dehydration is caused by an electrolyte imbalance in the body. The side effects of binge drinking alcohol like vomiting, diarrhea and increased urination can cause the body to rapidly lose electrolytes and become dehydrated. In extreme cases, this dehydration can lead to seizures and even death, which is why it is so important to keep hydrated while drinking.

Hangover Cures: Drinks: Ginger Ale

Ginger ale is a great hangover remedy because ginger treats nausea. The carbonation in ginger ale will also help settle your stomach. Keep in mind, however, that not all brands of ginger ale actually contain ginger, so check before you pick one or it won’t be nearly as effective.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Peppermint or chamomile tea

These teas are natural antacids so they make good hangover home remedies. For extra relief, use honey instead of sugar to sweeten the tea. Honey contains fructose, which competes with the metabolism of alcohol. This helps a hangover, because the quick metabolism of alcohol is what causes many hangover symptoms.

Hangover Cures: Drinks – Mercy Soda

This product gained popularity when it was Gwyneth Paltrow told news reporters that she swears by it. Mercy soda is marketed as a hangover prevention product, not a hangover remedy. The best time to drink this hangover cure is while or shortly after drinking.  Makers of Mercy Soda even suggest that you mix it with your alcohol to make a cocktail. Mercy Soda is said to flush your system of acetaldehyde, the chemical that causes a hangover. It contains amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins.

Hangover Cures: Drinks: Coffee

Contrary to popular opinion, coffee won’t sober you up after you’ve been drinking. It can, however, help with the hangover. Especially if the hangover includes a pounding headache. Caffeine has been clinically shown to react against the chemical compounds of ethanol. Alcohol consumption causes a buildup of acetate, which is what produces a headache the next morning. Caffeine has been shown to reduce the amount of acetate in the system. For best results, take an anti-inflammatory like aspirin with your morning after cup of java.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Movie: Reality Bites

Hangover Movie Reality Bites

Hangover Movie Review: Reality Bites- Movie of a Lost Generation

Reality Bites (1994) focuses on the lives of four recent college graduates who drink, smoke, and sleep around. It’s a movie about the life and love in the post-Baby Boom generation.

Reality Bites opens with a speech in which the college valedictorian Lelaina (Winona Ryder) expresses her general dissatisfaction with the world. Her last words to the friends, parents, and fellow graduates listening to her speech are “There is no answer.” That vague angst is the most consistent plot theme in the film.  Lelaina and her three buddies Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), Sammy (Steve Zahn), and Troy (Ethan Hawke) have worthless jobs; play drinking games, and look for love. Lelaina and Troy have feelings for each other, but they haven’t acted on them besides one drunken encounter. Lelaina meets Michael Grates (Ben Stiller-also director of the film) who is production executive at a MTV-like television channel. The two start dating, and a predictable love triangle ensues. A lot of the film features the characters opining about their love lives, slacker friends, and their annoying parents.

Reality Bites has been criticized for its cinematography and soundtrack. It’s filmed as a documentary-in-progress, which does a little to explain the strange camera angles and poor framing. The whiny pop-songs, however, are perhaps less excusable.

Reality Bites has long been hailed as the anthem of Generation X. Most movies that represent this generation feature bored 20-somethings with no direction, no real ambition, and no desire to start a career, home, or family.  The youth of this era would rather waste time philosophizing than do anything productive. Generation X was creative, cynical, overeducated, looking for love in all the wrong places and tired of being told they’re over privileged whiners who don’t know what real problems are. Generation X witnessed the rise of the yuppies and the burst of the dot-com bubbles. Situated in between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials, Generation X is largely ignored these days. During the 90’s, though, Generation X had a brief moment in the spotlight. Dozens of movies like Reality Bites were released, showcasing the underemployed, overeducated, and hopeless Gen X-ers. This is the generation that refused to grow up. The ones who swore they would not end up like their parents. This is the first generation to say to their parents “We don’t want what you have.”

By all accounts, they didn’t get it. This is the first generation to make less than their parents did, reversing a historic trend. Between the Baby Boomers making headlines for every new stage of life they enter and the millenials Facebook-ing, Tweeting, and YouTube-ing everything they do, Gen X toils away in relative ignominy. New studies suggest, however, that this generation is relatively happy, family-oriented, and balanced, dispelling the stereotype of the materialistic, disenfranchised, and lazy youth born in the early 60’s to the early 80’s. So perhaps, there is an answer and maybe even some hope for the Gen-Xers after all.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

How Alcohol Affects the Hippocampus

How Alcohol Affects the Hippocampus

How Alcohol Affects the Hippocampus

The hippocampus plays a major role within the brain of human beings and other vertebrates. The hippocampus is a part of the limbic system and its most important role is in the storing and breaking down information in order for it to go from short-term memory to long-term memory. Humans and other mammals actually have two hippocampi. These hippocampi are located on either side of the brain.

In Alzheimer’s disease the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage. This is why those who have Alzheimer’s disease have such a hard time with their memory and disorientation is one of their first symptoms. As the hippocampus suffers more damage they may lose long-term and short-term memory permanently. Damage to the hippocampus can also come from oxygen starvation, encephalitis, epilepsy and even alcohol.

So just how does alcohol affect the hippocampus?

When people drink alcohol and seem to lose coordination, become disoriented, and lose memories from when they were drinking, that is because the hippocampus has been affected. Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and can cause severe impairment in the individuals who drink it. Alcohol acts a general nervous system depressant and affects specific areas of the brain to more of an extent in comparison with others. Losing memories or memory impairment due to alcohol is linked to the disruption of the hippocampus. Alcohol affects the hippocampus by damaging the hippocampus cells which are involved with the formation of memories. Drinking a lot of alcohol will significantly inhibit the formation of memories since the hippocampus plays such a big role in making them.

For instance, a long-term memory which can be stored for a few days up to a lifetime has to go through three processes. : encoding stage, storage and the retrieval stage. Each one of these individual process which are integral in storing long-term memory are alcohol affecting the hippocampus.

Alcohol affects the hippocampus by inhibiting explicit memory too. Explicit memory requires conscious and intentional effort to recall. It includes everyday events and factual information. Alcohol affects the hippocampus and therefore affects explicit memory. A blackout from drinking is an example of alcohol’s effect on the hippocampus when it comes to explicit memory. Blackouts are caused by a rapid increase in blood alcohol levels and this distorts the neurons in the hippocampus, when this happens it impairs a person’s ability to remember moment to moment events, conversations, etc.

High doses of alcohol affect the hippocampus by also disrupting its ability to store factual information, also known as, semantic memory. Alcohol keeps the hippocampus from being able to consolidate information and encode it.

Alcohol affects the hippocampus most in these two areas of episodic memory and semantic memory or everyday events and factual information. The retrieval of this explicit memory is significantly impaired by alcohol. When asked to recall task for everyday events intoxicated participants do very poorly next to their sober counterparts. Alcohol impairs word recognition tasks, retrieval processes, and more.

The hippocampus is an important part of the brain that deals with the ability to function in everyday life. Alcohol affects the hippocampus in significant ways making the person who is intoxicated unable to remember much of anything and affecting their memory even when they sober up.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.