More reasons to stay sober!!

http://heart.health.ivillage.com/newsstories/drinkingalcoholshrinksbrain.cfm?general=NL_HEART

Drinking alcohol shrinks the brain...

All the best to everybody!

[illo]

From what I've read, everytime a person drinks, no matter how little, they damage and kill brain cells.  The brain is the only organ in the body that doesn't make new cells & regenerate.  Scary.

[antman]

someones father that i know literally lost his mind from drinking. he lives in a mental ward and can't recognise his own children. sad.

[FullOfHope77]

Alcohol is no doubt the worst drug know to man. I have learned that over the years as well. The stuff we did to get the HCV to begin with is bad but the 'legal' stuff is no doubt the worst. In the 50's the name for HCV was 'Alcoholic Hepatitus (hepatitis)'. One piece that is newer is the fact that brain cells in fact to regenerate which is contrary to past understanding of that terrible drug but is especially bad for us Hep C (HCV) folks. It is equal to about 20 drinks compared to one for a normal person. It really is another reason to stay sober.

[hippygem]

Hi, I agree with you, I am forever reading the 'what we did to ourselves' phrase, maybe it should be 'what I did to myself' to whoever writes it.  I contracted hep c from being beaten up by my ex husband, and the exchange of blood etc. He was the drug user, I wasnt.
Anyway, that doesnt mean to say that I look down upon anyone that contracted the disease by using drugs, that was their decision.  I guess Im just still mad at my ex for giving me this virus...lol...
Take care all.

[motheroffour]

I never thought of blood transfusions and tatoos or ear piercings as bad :-(
Forgive me, but I take great offense at the statement "the things we did to ourselves to get Hepatitis" it's what perpetuates the stigma. Again forgive me but my H and I know 5 people, all good friends, who have treated for Hep C.  3 got their Hep C from blood transfusions during surgery from car accidents and 2 are in the medical field, My H is the 6th and he got his from a stupid tatoo he got when he was doing construction during college, thankfully easily hidden by clothing, that I know he personally wishes he would never have gotten.

[GoofyDad]

- In the 50's the name for HCV was 'Alcoholic Hepatitus (hepatitis)'.
- It is equal to about 20 drinks compared to one for a normal person.

Where do you get this stuff? With all due respect, a change in moniker might be in order....

[gjonez]

"Again forgive me but my H and I know 5 people, all good friends, who have treated for Hep C..."

Wow! I find it astounding that you know six people with HCV and one hundred percent of them know exactly how and when they contracted the disease!

[motheroffour]

Yup, it's because none of our friends were IV drug users, none of them engaged in high risk behaviors that would lead to Hep C save the blood transfusions and one is in the medical field assume that's where he got it   One got a tatoo at the same place and the same week as my H so assumes that's it.  They all drink in varying amounts and have since they were 18.  None would be considered alchoholics. 2 of the 6 quit drinking for good and 4 resumed after the all clear from the doc.   3 were Geno 2 (the blood transfusions), the Geno 1s were the medical and the presumed tatoo.  H is a geno 1 from the tatoo.   All were diagnosed and treated within the last 7 years. Most had bx and relative liver damage was all over the place from very little  to my H who is the worst we think.  All the Geno 2s cleared.  One Geno 2 got so paranoid this year after H was diagnosed he went and got rechecked - he's still clear, he was the first to be diagnosed and treated. Interestingly all are men and none of the wives contracted the illness.  We've all been married to the same partner in first marriages.   One geno 1 was pulled off treatment because of sx (vision) and is not going to retreat and the other geno 1 cleared.  Interestingly enough in comparing notes, not all 6 were in the same state in the US when they believe they contracted except for H and the other tatoo.. We are all in our early to late fifties.   It's definitely been an eye opener.  We all got air-gun innoculations but we don't put any credence on that as possible transmission, because so did most of us women. None of the guys were drafted or served in the military.  No one talked and no one knew until my H was diagnosed and I told everyone one I could and then all of a sudden all this information came out.  The last to come forth and open up was the geno 1 who got pulled off treatment, I think hearing of all of his friends who managed to clear probably depressed him and his wife alittle.   All these guys worked through this and no one knew, one of them has a very physically strenuous job.  It was interesting to hear the Riba rage stories after the fact from the wives though!  This is a very scarey virus and seemingly normal people who led unexceptional lives do get this.

[GoofyDad]

Wow normal people too, Huh? Amazing.