What happened to my brain?!

[JimBeam911]

I've just logged day 25 AF, and something occurred to me, namely, how subtle the effects of alcohol have been on my brain over the years. Nature has endowed me with what many have described as a "photographic memory", an attribute that has served me extremely well over the years. It's not that drinking has completely destroyed this capacity, but it certainly has robbed it of its potential, judging by certain deficits in short-term memory I've observed.

However, in less than 1 month I find myself awestruck over how much my short-term memory has improved. Currently I'm reading a rather dense historical account of The Crusades, and my brain seems to be absorbing every minute detail discussed in the text. It's not that this wouldn't happen while I was drinking, but rather that I would have trouble remembering key details the next day. It's so nice to feel like my brain is getting back on track, as now I seem to once again vividly recall everything I've read the following day.

Not much point to this post, I guess, but I just felt like recounting some of the short-term benefits of quitting drinking to highlight how much it's worth it.

[cowgal]

What happened to my brain?!

hopeful

Jim Beam, your post makes me hopeful, I ,too had always had a photographic memory, and since my hospitalization, my short term/long term memory has been shot................you have just given me hope, along w/ my doctor, who reassured me that the body/brain is an amazing machine, and it WILL come back, not soon enough for me tho, but this will teach me patience................for sure!

lots of love.:h :lthanks for the hope!!:thanks:

MA:h

[allswell]

What happened to my brain?!

One more example of nothing but positives when letting the grip of alcohol go. Financial, health, memory capacity, confidence, motivation, no shame. The list may very well be endless. When alcohol is involved we are only a fraction of our true selves and what we can be.

[rubywillow]

What happened to my brain?!

The effects of long term drinking on our brains, personality, habits is cumulative, and take a while to dissipate after we stop drinking. Looking back even at pictures when I drank, I'm astounded now that I thought I looked and acted normal, which couldn't have been further from the truth. A fool only fools a fool. Sobriety is a wonderful journey of rediscovery.

[Gearhead]

What happened to my brain?!

Wow this is good to hear!
I wasn't a blackout almost daily binger for most of my career, just the latter part after my divorce, basically March thru October of last year, up to that more of a "heavy drinker" going way back to high school (mid 30's now). I have often wondered what the toll of chronic alcohol use has been on my brain.

I'm on day 118 myself AF. I have noticed that I have a longer attention span (I'm convinced I have ADD but that's another story), I am able to solve more problems, and my memory is definitely improving.
Other awesome things in my life:1) I have money 2)My relationship with my kids is 200% improved 3) I have waaaaay more free time.

Life still has ups and downs but we deal with them much better sober.