Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Alcohol dementia

23 replies

TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 03/04/2023 22:56

Hi...has anyone had experience with this?
A family member is alcohol dependent but in denial. No illnesses as of yet but their memory is terrible. By this I mean you can have an in depth convo about something and say, a few months later and they cant remember it. Or even if a minor (but memorable) event took place, they cant recall it. They put it down to just having a bad memory, but seriously its just so much more than that it seems.
I have looked online about alcohol dementia but not sure if it could be this as dementia makes it sound as if its worse than it is?
Thanks

OP posts:
LemonPeonies · 03/04/2023 22:59

It's called korsakoffs syndrome, I've looked after patients with it. Can you get them to a gp?

OnceBitten25 · 03/04/2023 22:59

Could it be Korsakoff syndrome? Sorry, I don't have any experience in actually dealing with it but am bumping your post in the hope someone will be along who is more help than me...

Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 03/04/2023 23:02

Thank you, I will look that up now.
They wont go to gp as they are in complete denial

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dementia & alzheimer's
Puppylucky · 03/04/2023 23:03

Korsakoff syndrome is a bit more than having a bad memory though (best friend has it). It's amnesia which is compensated for by the creation of false ( and often very bizarre) narratives. In my experience at least you wouldn't be in any doubt that something was seriously wrong .

DetoxedAlcoholic · 03/04/2023 23:06

Alcohol dependency can lead to terrible memory, whether dementia or other. It's part and parcel of pickling your brain. There's bits of my life I will never remember. Your family member can reverse the damage but they need to stop drinking. Their drinking will be affecting their body physically and mentally even if it's not being acknowledged.

Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 03/04/2023 23:07

Puppylucky yes, just looked it up and apart from the memory loss the other symptoms dont fit

OP posts:
Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 03/04/2023 23:09

DetoxedAlcoholic..thank you. Unfortunately they will not admit to having a problem, or they dont want to

OP posts:
DetoxedAlcoholic · 03/04/2023 23:12

I'm afraid then you can just keep pointing out that you've already had that conversation and keep letting them know that you're willing to support them in getting help. Good luck.

Nicflowers82 · 03/04/2023 23:58

I had this with my father who was alcohol dependent in his 40s, 50s, and 60s , on and off. Memory got worse but it wasn’t diagnosed as dementia until too late (late 60s) . This may not be the same situation as you but I always thought looking back that we all dismissed the signs as being alcohol related and that became all consuming. But also meant he lost a lot of sympathy and was written off as an alcoholic. But that was masking and potentially exacerbating the dementia that was developing .

notprincehamlet · 04/04/2023 07:12

Could be thiamine deficiency, common with heavy drinkers.

Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 04/04/2023 17:31

Thanks all. It's all so difficult

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 04/04/2023 17:34

How much is he drinking ?

Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 04/04/2023 17:47

Hard to say because they hide it but they get very drunk about 3 nights a week, the other days they still drink but not to that extent

OP posts:
Nottodaysausage · 04/04/2023 18:00

Sorry OP ❤️it's so hard. Based on my own experience of alcoholism within the family, I think the bad memory an be linked to being so heavily in denial. Having to live a lie and tell yourself and loved one's lies every single day must have a negative effect on what your mind can process.
Who is the person to you OP?

2022again · 04/04/2023 18:33

Having worked in psychiatric care, as others have said alcoholics can develop Wernicke's encephalopathy (which is down to lack of B1 and at that stage is reversible, if not treated it progresses to Korsakoffs which is irreversible dementia.) Aside from this, alcoholism is related to numerous cognitive and physical changes ,often their lifestyle is poor in other areas (eg. smoking, poor diet) which also predispose to other types of dementia, liver disease,pancreatitis and cardio-vascular disease. Can be hard to assess as obviously until they are clean you have no idea whether its temporary cognitive deficit related to intake or if they have done themselves permanent damage .Their GP wont be able to discuss them with you but you could write and get the GP to put on file what you are noticing and what their current alcohol intake is. At least if they then do rock up at the GP's for other reasons the GP can be aware of their addiction.

YakobRiceMoorgan · 04/04/2023 18:41

It won't be wet brain syndrome just from this amount of drinking.
Stress, depression which is linked to alcohol as a cause or reason to drink also cause memory loss. Highly doubt it's alcohol dementia.

YakobRiceMoorgan · 04/04/2023 18:43

The concept of clean or dirty in terms of substance misuse is really outdated language and doesn't help with the sense of shame and isolation that this group already face. But you must know this, @2022again

Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 04/04/2023 18:43

2022again, yes they have the poor lifestyle to go with it. I was contemplating telling their GP but I don't want to cause a rift.
Nottodaysausage they lie continuously even when there's no reason to

OP posts:
2022again · 04/04/2023 18:52

TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 04/04/2023 18:43

2022again, yes they have the poor lifestyle to go with it. I was contemplating telling their GP but I don't want to cause a rift.
Nottodaysausage they lie continuously even when there's no reason to

ahh you know your situation best OP but if your rel if not going to be truthful at least the GP would be aware.
@YakobRiceMoorgan I'm retired so sorry for not knowing the up to date terms but that's being a little bit nit picky, it's still common parlance in everyday language. I think recovering alcoholics have got rather more to contend with and worry about than being described as "clean".

2022again · 04/04/2023 18:55

and @YakobRiceMoorgan you can hardly say "It won't be wet brain syndrome just from this amount of drinking." how often do rels know how much an alcoholic is drinking when most people disguise the amount they drink!!

pointythings · 04/04/2023 19:58

It doesn't sound like full blown Korsakoff's - my mum had this and it was really obvious. She had good verbal fluency but the content that came out was just piles of nonsense. She also had virtually no short term memory left, didn't really eat at all, just drank.

WunWun · 04/04/2023 20:01

I know someone who developed frontotemporal dementia, party due to alcoholism.

Original poster
TheWorldsGoneMadAndSoHaveI · 04/04/2023 20:14

This is why I wasnt sure to use the word dementia as it seemed a bit extreme for memory loss but theres something going on as they cant remember things that most people would

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page