How Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Centers Treat Alcoholic Dementia

Alcoholic dementia can be treated with professional help.

Excessive drinking can lead to serious damage to the body including many unforeseen neurological and memory loss problems. Inpatient alcohol rehab centers provide treatment for many of the consequential damages caused by alcohol addiction, but in some cases, the damage created by long term alcoholism cannot be turned around. Permanent problems such as alcoholic dementia can and do occur as a result of sustained alcohol consumption that remains untreated over a prolonged period of time.

What is Alcoholic Dementia?

Alcoholic dementia results from excessive drinking that causes memory loss, cognitive disorders and learning problems. Brain damage can result from a lack of vitamins and other nutritional deficiencies, and although this is not the only cause of alcoholic dementia, there is considerable support in favor of such deficiencies being a major contributing factor to the disease.

Alcoholic dementia can make it difficult to learn new things or to remember things. Many cognitive abilities may still function normally in an individual who suffers from alcoholic dementia, but memory may function poorly and learning can be challenging at best. As the neurological challenges persist, noticeable changes in the unique personality of the individual can also set in.

Is Inpatient Rehab Really Necessary?

The severity of the dementia can shed light on whether or not there is a real need for inpatient rehab. For those who drink so heavily that they cannot control their alcohol consumption in a manner that will afford them the ability to stop, inpatient treatment is the safest option for help. Alcoholic dementia that results in an inability to make decisions or to understand what is going on is best treated in a residential setting where the patient can be monitored for his or her own safety as well as for the safety of others.

Inpatient rehab is necessary for those who continue to drink despite the cognitive deficiencies that occur as a result of the alcoholism. Many people who suffer from alcoholic dementia will lose track of time, have trouble recognizing people that they know, neglect their health, or suffer great emotional distress which can lead to fear, health problems and depression respectively. Inpatient rehab is a necessary treatment step for anyone suffering from alcoholic dementia severe enough to pose a threat to their own health or to the health or safety of others.

Can Alcoholic Dementia be Reversed?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for alcoholic dementia. The neurological damage that occurs as a result of drinking excessively for a long time cannot be reversed. The best treatment for alcoholic dementia is to quit drinking altogether. While some symptoms of dementia can be reduced and, if the dementia has not been a problem for a long time, may go away with each day of sobriety, the long term effects of alcoholic dementia will continue to pose risks and challenges for the recovering alcoholic regardless of his or her age, length of time in recovery or other factors.