Medical Daily says that people try to do all sorts of activities just to deal with unpleasant memories. Drinking alcohol is one of those activities, and a new study has revealed that this coping mechanism isn’t as effective as you’d think. What they found out is that it actually makes it worse. It even gives you one hell of a time when you have existing mental conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
This study was released in the journal Translational Psychiatry. The findings show that in animals, alcohol consumption does not help alleviate fearful feelings when remembering personal memories. On the contrary, it may even strengthen those negative feelings. The research was conducted on mice, however, the scientists believe that if the same experiment is also done to human clinical trials, it may even lead to a better outcome in terms of PTSD treatments and therapies.
Norman Haughey, one of the researchers of the project, says that drinking can sabotage any therapeutic effects. This means that alcohol itself can hinder improvement and cause failure.
Alcohol And Memory: Drinking To Forget May Strengthen Bad Memories, Hurt Sufferers Of PTSD
Many people try to deal with unpleasant memories by drinking alcohol, but a new study has suggested that this coping mechanism doesn’t work, and may actually worsen certain mental health conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Read more…
Hopkins Medicine talks about the results in detail. The results of the conducted study indicate that if the main objective is to ease or extinguish fearful emotional memories, alcohol does not have any therapeutic effect. The substance makes the emotional memories stronger and if it’s associated with fearful experiences, it prevents the mice from overcoming their fears.
Researchers say that at least 60-80 percent of people with the condition try to binge drink as a form of self-medication. This raises a lot of concern.
The experiment involved mice placed in cages. These have an electrified floor grid and played six tones accompanied with an electric shock. This is fear training as a model for PTSD. One group were given water while the other got water with 20 percent ethanol. In case you were wondering, this is drinking alcohol.
Find out about the results here:
Alcohol Prevents Ability to Extinguish Fearful Memories in Mice
In a summary of their findings, published online Jan. 3 in Translational Psychiatry, the researchers say their experiments also identified what they believe is the molecular mechanism responsible for alcohol-related fear relapses and successfully used a drug, perampanel — currently used to treat epileptic seizures — that reverses the malingering effects. Read more…
New York Daily News emphasizes on Norman Haughey’s statement. Alcohol can alter your ability to live a comfortable and fear-free life. If you’ve finally decided to attend therapy, abstaining from this substance is key for your own good.
It’s crucial for you to stop taking the substance in order to make your therapy sessions effective. He further went on to explain that if you’ve been drinking the night before your therapy, it can lower the effectiveness of therapy the following day.
Even further observations on mice brought about a discovery – the antiepileptic drug called perampanel made the psychotherapy more effective in correcting traumatic memory. Haughey said that perampanel is capable of generating a stronger and lasting response than just therapy along.
Alcohol Could Hurt Your Chances Of Overcoming PTSD: Study
As he worked on this paper, Haughey had an unexpected encounter outside his home with a down-on-his-luck, PTSD-suffering former Marine grieving his recently deceased father. Haughey, smelling alcohol on the man’s breath, advised him to abstain from drinking while he underwent therapy. Read more…
Truthfully, you wouldn’t want any lingering feelings of suffering on anyone you know. It may be your loved one, a family member, or a friend. Those who suffer from this condition need help and it should be a prolonged and sustainable approach. Clearly, the results of this experiment show the significance of therapy and awareness for substance abuse.
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