Can we talk about alcohol
 

I’m a 20 year old male with post concussion syndrome and anxiety from a lifetime of sports and a reckless crazy childhood

Despite my still frequent anxious posts, over the past 6-8 months or so I’ve made a realization that my youth is passing me by and that’s not something that I want to let happen. I’ve sort of come to the conclusion that even if I’m not fully physically healthy, I want to enjoy my life and do things that I want to do. These things include stuff like going out, traveling, starting my own business, not being afraid to go all out at school, jobs, have sex, excercise, party, go to concerts, create art and more. Basically all the stuff that people with exciting lives do. If it leaves me a brain damaged or CTE struck wreck who has to live in a home by the time I’m 25, then so be it. I’d rather live a full life then stay inside all day staring at a wall, afraid to move or do anything or panicking any time I fall my butt on the ice or bump my head or whatever

This is how I’ve been living for over half a year. Overall I can say that I do feel more fulfilled and more free. I’m not sure exactly if my brain has deteriorated from it, it’s a bit hard to tell but it’s definitely possible, I do feel quite foggy at times, although years of intense stress also plays a factor.

Part of this life though has included drinking. Not heavy black out drunk drinking or anything but a couple times a month having a glass or two of wine at night while at a bar, or in the past months due to quarantine, while sitting outside hanging with my friends after a long day

Is this something which has the potential to cause damage to my brain? I know that alcohol consumption isn’t good for the brain but can it cause lasting damage?

As far as I understand alcohol has never been good for the brain in any study?
I am pro medical marijuana but do to laws and politics we are decades behind....
It has been a miracle for sleep, PTSD, and sever headaches..Im sure more will disagree than agree with my opinion...
I have found a way to medicate without being "stoned" super high CBDs are very helpful for me....

Yah I get that alcohol is not good but I’m not drinking it because its good for you, rather for the pleasure of it. I wanted to know if it was bad in the same way like sugar is bad or if it actually has the potential to damage the brain is a permanent way?

And yah I live in Canada so we have weed here. I take cbd sometimes it helps me sleep and helps my asthma due to the anti inflammatory properties.

I have Cerebral Palsy which is a brain injury, and have officially banned myself from drinking because I saw my friends who also have Cerebral Palsy get drunk at a party and the results were bad. A tiny bit of alcohol seems to have a much larger effect on people with brain injury because they acted horribly and some injured themselves and had horrible intense hangovers after only 1 glass basically. It's my understanding that people with brain injury have more sensitive brains and when we drink alcohol any new connections we built via neuroplasticity immediately disconnect again so all symptoms will be magnified whether the person is aware of it or not. So no, I would not drink. But if you do so safely on your own and don't mind the effects than it's totally a personal choice.

Yah I mean I don’t really get drunk from one or two drinks. At most feel a bit buzzed but that’s all. What I’m wondering is if your saying it could be harmful for the brain?

Yes it disconnects the nerve cells in the brain even in small doses so eventually damage can become permanent in brain damaged individuals I'm told by medical professionals.... I think... I'm not 100 percent sure but I was repeatedly told not to drink for my neurologic health and heart health personally. Alcohol is literally toxic to the body. It dehydrates you too. Hope this helps!

Oh man this is pretty much word for word the type of thing I would of been writing in these forums when I was your age. Sports and a wreckless childhood I was also 20 when I got injured. The symptoms were there but they were livable, I discontinued contact sports and other dangerous activities but I didn't want to give up chasing girls and getting drunk.

I went hard over the holidays during my first year or so of 'recovery' with all the guys back in town, we drank and drank night after night, man my brain was melting, it didn't hurt but it was so unnatural, so crazy, many trips to the ER with them looking at me like I was crazy. The hangovers... sickening. When you're drinking, it numbs the brain, it makes you feel like you're fine., but it is poison.

I'm 27 now, the alcohol/partying sent me down a dark dark path that took me months to crawl out of(literally) and I've never been the same, 7 years later with severe struggles.. It did things to my brain that I could never explain to anyone. I was so stubborn and so stupid, I deserve everything I am receiving. I am confident if I took that first year of recovery serious and with more knowledge of the consequences I would be recovered today, 7 years later.

That's MY experience. If you choose the same path I did I wish you nothing but the best and good luck. Our brains are different, we've had different injuries, different paths, different amount of injuries, it's all a mystery, it's all a sick joke.

So I was talking about alcohol with others who have brain conditions and they reported being extremely dizzy, having unusual BMs and really bad hangovers after. These people also reported getting stoned caused a complete loss of depth perception and balance. Most of these folks had Cerebral Palsy and Autism but similar rules may apply. People with brain injury may enter a drunk state faster.