Too Far Gone

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."
― J.P. Morgan

Dear Friends,

Recently, I was asked the following question by a client.
Can people reach a point in their drinking where they have damaged the brain so much that they are ‘too far gone’ to heal?

This question made me think about when I used to smoke. Once in a while I would ask myself, “Is this the cigarette that will give me cancer?” The truth is, these questions are impossible to answer definitively and we don’t know when we will reach a point with our drinking where we are ‘too far gone

Here is the answer I offered.
Someone who has over-used alcohol (or other drugs) for long periods will experience changes in the brain. These changes affect memory, decision-making, learning, focus, impulse control and problem-solving skills. For some people, these issues don’t resolve even after they’ve quit drinking. Physically, they may be okay, but certain cognitive abilities (mentioned above) are affected to such a degree that their ability to stay alcohol-free is massively compromised.
This is because these mental 'impairments' make it much harder to stop. Poor memory, low impulse control, and poor decision-making all contribute to the person's overall ability to stop drinking and also impact their willingness to fully commit to and engage in therapy or support programs.

It’s also important to consider that many people who over-use substances are often dealing with other mental health challenges, adding another layer of complexity to the question. This is why support structures are so important. Many people who quit on their own find themselves facing a lot of emotional issues that have been masked with alcohol. Without support, these issues can eventually become too much to deal with, and the person will often go back to the coping mechanism of alcohol.

It is impossible to know how damaged a brain is without doing scans, but I’m sharing a photo of a brain at the end stages of alcoholism below because this is what can and does happen to people. It’s also in line with my policy of being brutally honest. If you’re in denial, maybe this will wake you up.
I would imagine and hope that anyone reading this is a long way from the level of damage in the image below. For you there is a very real opportunity to heal. This is the good news. The brain has an incredible ability to heal, and for those of us who decide to stop the madness of over-drinking the brain will heal in between 2 to 12 months approximately, depending on the level of damage.

I will also add that it's important not to feel hopeless, no matter where you’re at. I have heard stories of miraculous recovery, but it is a fact that the sooner we stop poisoning ourselves, the greater the chance we have of avoiding our own point of no return.
Think about it like this: if you knew that one cigarette would give you cancer, would you smoke it? The same goes for a drink—you just don’t know how much it’s going to take to create lasting damage to your beautiful mind,

Love
Sarah

You can see how the brain is plump and filled out on the left and literally eaten away on the right.  Once brain damage is this severe it's likely the person will struggle with addiction and mental health issues for the rest of their life.