Brain Fog: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

A brain scan may show evidence of wet brain, due to brain swelling from Wernicke encephalopathy; however, most doctors diagnose the condition by examining the list of symptoms. Treatment typically involves ingesting thiamine, either intravenously, intramuscularly, or orally, depending on how the person will best tolerate the vitamin. Although treatment will not change brain damage or memory loss that occurs from Korsakoff’s psychosis, it can prevent or delay any further progression of wet brain.

What Is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (“Wet Brain”)?

Feeling mentally drained happens to everyone from time to time, especially when experiencing sleeping difficulties. But brain fog is not the same as fatigue or lethargy, although they often go hand in hand or co-occur with symptoms of other conditions. Brain fog can be hard to define since it is not a medical term or diagnosis. Brain fog, also called mental fog, can happen after an illness, as a side effect of a medication (like chemotherapy) or as a symptom of an underlying condition.

• However, people who struggle with alcohol use disorder may focus on consuming alcohol instead of eating a balanced diet, with whole grains and lean proteins.
• Alcohol addiction is extremely difficult to overcome on your own..
• If a woman drinks too much alcohol while pregnant, it can affect the brain development of the fetus, and even cause fetal alcohol syndrome.
• If you focus on one and exclude the other, both might end up suffering.
• Sometimes, relieving brain fog is a matter of correcting a nutritional deficiency, switching medications, or improving the quality of your sleep.
• It is possible to have a normal conversation with someone with Korsakoff syndrome, but that person will probably not remember the conversation an hour or two later.
• The grim reality of chronic alcohol abuse is that the body can only handle so much; and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a tragic, heartbreaking consequence of the abusive nature of alcoholism.

Recovery Coaching

So, it may be very challenging for individuals to find freedom from alcoholism without professional help. Unfortunately, for patients who reach this stage of an alcoholic wet brain, symptoms are irreversible and parts of the brain often begin to die. The early stage, known as Wernicke encephalopathy, is more intense but reversible. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome can occur from reasons other than alcohol use; however, the term “wet brain” is used to refer only to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome caused by alcohol use.

The Hidden Cause of Your Brain Fog

• The truth is that chronic alcohol abuse has tragic consequences for many people even before its end stages.
• However, it could be a symptom of an underlying medical condition.
• Everyone feels fried from time to time, usually during a period of high stress.

Simply reading over the chapters or your notes may not help, especially if you tend to zone out while reading. Trying a new approach to studying could make a difference in your level of cognitive energy and your grades. If work or school has sapped your ability to concentrate, take a break from your desk and get outside if you can. Depending on your preferences, these foods may have a lot of sugar, or empty calories.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (wet brain syndrome) is a neurological condition that consists of two different syndromes. By Michelle PugleMichelle Pugle, MA is a freelance writer and reporter focusing on mental health and chronic conditions. As seen in Verywell, Healthline, Psych Central, Everyday Health, and Health.com, among others.

What can treatment for alcohol abuse and addiction do to stave off Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome? The earlier someone seeks help for their drinking, the quicker they can resume a normal life. They’ll also have a greater likelihood of avoiding serious medical and psychological complications from alcoholism. This includes helping to prevent the development of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. After all, no one wants to suffer from mush brain or go through lingering mush brain alcohol effects.

Group therapy helps the person develop a network of peers that can support the individual’s focus on maintaining sobriety. Group and family therapy help to build new relationships and rebuild existing relationships, so the individual has additional support once they leave the program. It is very important for a person to get help overcoming alcohol use disorder, especially before they develop chronic conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The best process for most people is to get professional help to safely detox from alcohol and then progress into a complete rehabilitation program. The primary symptoms of Korsakoff’s psychosis are memory impairment and loss. The person is no longer able to form new memories in the later stages of the condition; they lose memories progressively as brain tissue is damaged over the course of the illness.

Regardless of whether you’re dealing with mental or physical fatigue, exhaustion could make you turn to comforting or soothing foods, especially those that are quick and easy. Several of these studies have shown that years of abstaining from booze can allow brain regions to return to their original volume and can repair neural connections across different regions. Much of this restoration occurs in the system most adversely affected by chronic alcoholism—the frontocerebellar circuitry, which regulates decision making, reasoning and problem solving. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed that chronic alcoholism can damage the cerebellum, which plays an important role in regulating motor control, attention and language. It can also cause the prefrontal cortex to shrink and degrade, potentially impairing decision-making skills and social behavior. Studies have also found damage in the white matter of the brain, which connects these regions.

• We offer various therapy approaches, including art therapy, meditation, process group therapy, yoga, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
• While Korsakoff psychosis is less likely to cause a coma or death than Wernicke encephalopathy, it is a form of brain damage that will normally require someone to be constantly taken care of.
• Lowering your dosage or switching to another drug may improve your symptoms.
• Certain aspects of the condition can be helped with medication and treatment, while issues with memory loss are typically permanent.

Can Wet Brain Be Reversed?

A healthcare provider can help you determine what’s causing brain fog to help you feel more like yourself. Dual diagnosis programs can help people who are suffering from addiction along with a co-occurring disorder, such as anxiety, stress, or depression. People who are struggling to end substance use and dependence and cope with the symptoms of mental health disorders in their lives can get the help they need through a dual diagnosis program. As a result of this isolation, many people who suffer from alcohol abuse develop depression, anxiety, and other disorders and emotional struggles. When a person is suffering from addiction combined with things like depression, it can be even harder for him or her to overcome substance abuse.