Harmony Recovery Center

Alcohol and Anxiety Disorders – Anxiety is a normal human reaction that is related to the brain’s “fight or flight” response mechanism.

Is Alcohol a Depressant? – Alcohol is classified as a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, but the answer is slightly more complicated than that.

Negative Effects of Alcohol: Physical, Emotional, and Social – Drinking too much alcohol, whether occasionally or consistently over time can take a severe toll on one’s emotional and physical well-being.

What Is Wet Brain? – Wet brain is a certain kind of damage to the brain that develops after chronic, excessive alcohol use. Also known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, wet brain is caused by a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Thiamine is a vitamin vital for the body that doesn’t occur naturally—a person must ingest it to reach their daily recommended amount. Levels of thiamine in a person’s body decrease as a result of a deficient diet, which sometimes occurs among those who chronically abuse alcohol. Also, alcohol impedes the absorption of thiamine and reduces the reserve of thiamine stored in the liver. Alcohol also interferes with an enzyme that switches thiamine into an active state. Thiamine is a coenzyme employed by the body to metabolize food for energy and to maintain proper heart, nerve, and brain function. Several enzymes in the brain require thiamine to work correctly, and some enzymes that need thiamine are essential for the synthesis of brain neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine (ACh). ACh is used to carry messages between neurons in the brain and is vital for cognition, learning, and memory.

Alcohol Withdrawal Medication – Alcohol withdrawal refers to a cluster of symptoms that occur from abrupt cessation of alcohol use following chronic or prolonged consumption.