Repeated heavy drinking can trigger a form of brain damage that cannot be reversed, a Russian addiction specialist has warned.
Rafael Khakimzanov, a psychiatrist-narcologist, told the outlet Lenta.ru that the idea alcohol causes only temporary intoxication is an oversimplification. He said ethanol thickens the blood, reducing oxygen supply to the brain, and blocks the absorption of thiamine. Without that vitamin, the brain cannot process glucose, and neurons are gradually damaged and die.
Khakimzanov added that chronic alcohol abuse disrupts the balance of dopamine and GABA, the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter. That imbalance can produce acute or chronic encephalopathy, marked by hallucinations, seizures and a breakdown of thinking. Behavioral and neurological disorders follow as cognitive damage progresses.
He stressed that unlike ordinary intoxication, alcoholic encephalopathy is permanent. Dead neurons, he said, do not regenerate.
A separate warning came from psychiatrist Maria Kasperovich, who said using alcohol to manage stress can be a dangerous sign of developing addiction.
