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Alcohol Dementia Treatment

Alcohol dementia is a condition caused by the abuse of alcohol. If you drink excessively the alcohol may begin to have a negative effect on your memory and other mental abilities. The abuse of alcohol may lead to other types of brain injuries as well, including Korsakoff's syndrome and Wernicke/Korsakoff's syndrome.

Fortunately, alcohol dementia can be treated if caught in the early stages. If the dementia has time to progress into one of the aforementioned diseases it will be harder to reverse the symptoms.

  1. Stop Drinking

    • The number one treatment for alcohol dementia is, of course, to stop drinking. You may be able to do this on your own but most people find that joining a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous and seeking the support of a physician or counselor is more effective for long term results. No other treatment for alcohol related dementia will be effective unless you stop drinking alcohol completely.

    Vitamin Therapy

    • After you stop drinking you must work with your doctor to develop a proper vitamin therapy program. Most people who have alcohol abuse problems develop severe vitamin deficiencies. Your vitamin treatment regime should include high dosages of thiamine, a water-soluble member of the B complex family important for the health of all of the cells in your body.

    Memantine Treatment

    • Depending on your level of memory loss, your doctor may opt to put you on a memantine regime for a few weeks. Memantine is a drug regularly used to treat Alzheimer's patients with very severe cases. After a short-term and temporary period of use, usually around 1 to 2 months, you should see notable improvements in your cognitive skills and overall memory.

    Reminiscence Therapy

    • Reminiscence therapy is commonly used to help individuals remember things from their past that their alcohol related dementia may have caused them to forget. This type of therapy usually happens in a group setting and you may find yourself discussing events that have happened at different times throughout your life, looking at and discussing familiar objects or even reminiscing as you review old photographs.

    Physical Therapy

    • Alcoholism and alcohol-related dementia has a number of impacts on the entire body, not just the brain itself. If you had a severe alcohol abuse problem you might notice that you have a marked gait when you walk, numbness in your limbs and sometimes a complete lack of coordination. Once the symptoms of dementia are treated, your doctor may recommend physical therapy to address your physical symptoms.

    Alcohol Dementia Treatment Takes Time

    • The treatment for alcohol related dementia takes time--sometimes up to a year. You may begin to see improvements in your memory and cognitive skills within the first few weeks of treatment, depending on the treatments you use, but it could take as long as a year for you to recover your lost memory. Individuals who reach the latter stages of alcohol related dementia before it is caught and treated may never regain 100 percent of their lost memories but should still experience vast improvements.

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