Experts warn that thousands of people could be living with alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) without knowing it.
Research has shown that drinking 35 units of alcohol per week for five years or more can lead to ARBD, a brain disorder that may impair a person’s ability to carry out everyday tasks.
Lee Caldwell, a 56-year-old former Royal Navy engineer, was diagnosed with ARBD last year. He says he now struggles with short-term memory and impulse control.
According to Professor Gareth Davies, a leading expert in the field, ARBD is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed due to a lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding the condition.
For example, some people with ARBD may be misdiagnosed with early onset dementia.
If left untreated, patients with ARBD may need around-the-clock nursing care. With prompt treatment, however, they can continue to live independently.
For Caldwell, who received his diagnosis last year, admission to a residential rehabilitation facility was necessary.
He recalls feeling shame and guilt at the peak of his drinking but said that buying alcohol was much easier than confronting those feelings. He admits that his addiction eventually “became more important than living.”
Describing his daily struggles, he shared that there are times he can’t find his room in rehab and often forgets whether he’s taken his medication.
Since his diagnosis, Caldwell has completed six months of rehab. While he still feels anxious in unfamiliar places, he no longer wakes up with cravings and is in better physical shape.
As for whether he will be leaving rehab to return to his home in North Wales, Caldwell says his feelings are mixed.
Alcohol-Related Brain Damage on the Rise Since the Pandemic
Sue Gwyn, who heads the Brynawel House – a charity that specializes in ARBD rehab – said that they have seen an increase in people with alcohol-related brain problems since the pandemic.
She emphasized that drinking just 35 units of alcohol per week (approximately four bottles of wine) over a few years can significantly affect the brain.
Without proper treatment, however, their condition often worsens, and in some cases, they may end up needing long-term nursing care.
Jan Bevan, an occupational therapist at the facility said they “see a massive change” in patients by the time they leave rehab.
