The Little Blue Book

DAMAGE TO THE Brain Alcohol, like nicotine, is a neurotoxin and one of very few substances that can cross ‘the blood-brain’ barrier and reach neurons directly. And because alcohol is readily absorbed into the bloodstream, it reaches the brain within minutes of drinking. Over time, with excessive consumption, the toxicity of alcohol poisons the brain – causing cell atrophy (loss of neurons and neurotransmitters) and doing permanent damage to nerve cell communication systems and to brain cell metabolism and blood flow. The body’s response to alcohol can be different for different people. And the dangers excessive drinking poses can also be different. Its toxic qualities, for instance, are particularly dangerous for pregnant women, as well as for the developing brains of younger people. But the way alcohol infiltrates the brain and acts on neurotransmitters – the ‘chemical messengers’ of the brain – and the central nervous system, is the same for everyone. And the long-term damage it does when taken in high doses is also the same for all. DAMAGE TO THE LIVER The liver recognises alcohol as ‘a poison’ and gets to work to clean it from the blood from the moment alcohol enters the bloodstream. But the toxicity of alcohol has a cumulative effect on the health of the liver (and on other organs like the pancreas and kidneys). Drinking too much causes fatty deposits to develop in the liver; and, in breaking down alcohol, it also develops scarring from the production of a toxic enzyme called acetaldehyde. Over time, with excessive drinking, it can become inflamed and permanently scarred, resulting in a serious life-threatening disease called cirrhosis of the liver. (Bringing with it an increased risk of liver cancer.) Excessive drinking can also cause inflammation of the pancreas – or pancreatitis – a painful condition that can cause vomiting, fever and weightloss, and can be fatal. This degeneration causes learning and memory problems, loss of cognitive ability and psychiatric symptoms such as mood changes, confusion and other neurological disorders. The developing brains of younger people are at particular risk of alcohol damage to the frontal lobe and hippocampus – the regions of the brain associatedwith planning, problem solving, impulse control and addiction. 1 Pregnant women should also avoid alcohol because it can cross the placental barrier and find its way into the foetal blood (increasing the risk of harm to the baby). Alcohol can also enter the breast milk of breastfeeding women. THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL RECOGNISING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER DISORDERS 88