Alcohol Can Have A Lasting Effect on Your Brain

As my readers know, I often write about the dangers of drinking while driving. I usually do this using a serious or fatal auto accident as an example, with the intent that my readers will learn from, and avoid becoming a statistic in one of these incidents. The other day, I read an article about a presentation by psychologist Chris Brown, who shared, with a Stratford, CT crowd, his research about the affects alcohol has on the human brain. Brown asked a hard-hitting question – “Which part of your brain do you want to sacrifice to alcohol or drugs?” He went on to explain that alcohol is one of the greatest threats to an adolescent’s brain. As parents, we have learned much about protecting our children. We have seen a reduction in pregnant women who drink or smoke, we ensure our children are in the proper car seats, and we make sure they wear bicycle helmets, check both ways before crossing the street, and know how to dial 911 in an emergency. Yet, with all this focus on protecting our children, we sometimes neglect the greatest threat to a young, developing brain – alcohol. According to Brown, the brain is not fully developed until an individual reaches his/her early 20’s. During adolescence, the brain has difficulty handling emotions, and has poor planning and judgement skills. This combination leads to impulsive decisions, peer pressure, and risk-taking. The more one consumes, the greater the chance of dependency. As a school psychologist, Brown has been approached by students who can’t remember the events of the weekend. Alcohol has a profound and dangerous effect on the personal and academic lives of students. Teens and young adults who drink heavily will find over time that school and learning new information will become more challenging. He believes that parents have more influence than they think when it comes to keeping their teens from drinking.

Lawsuit Financial is one of the country’s most experienced providers of auto accident and/or traumatic brain injury lawsuit funding. We have seen first-hand the devastating impact of alcohol use. Because of this, Lawsuit Financial strongly encourages parents to talk to their teens about alcohol. Help them make wise choices and not succumb to the peer pressures. Help prevent their mental and physical self-destruction. Send a clear message to teens especially during their vulnerable years. It is scary not to remember what happened the night before. If that is not enough to make them think before taking a drink, hopefully explaining the effects on their brain will. The outward signs show up much later than the internal damage. Don’t wait until it is too late.