by Dan Gaffney
Alcohol binge drinking is bad at any age. But binge drinking if you're young and have a mental health issue is a recipe for disaster.
The good news is that intervening early with appropriate treatments can reverse the harmful effects of excessive drinking on developing brains and minds, according to new research led by the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute.
"Alcohol is the elephant in the room when it comes to young people with mental health issues," says the BMRI's Dr Daniel Hermens.
"Binge drinking worsens mental health symptoms and causes a range of chemical and structural impacts on developing brains that affect memory and decision-making that are similar to the effects that occur older, life-long binge drinkers."
The prevalence of binge drinking among young people aged 12 to 17 years is between two and three per cent but four times that level among similar aged young people with bipolar and other mood disorders.
According to Dr Hermens, young people with mental health problems who drink to get drunk several times per week risk structural and neurochemical changes to the brain's hippocampus, which is responsible for working and long term memory. It also causes discernable effects in the forebrain, which is vital for executive decision-making.
"These alcohol-related effects compound mental health issues and make it harder to concentrate, focus, and learn new tasks at a life stage when the brain is experiencing its most dynamic period of change within the human lifespan," says Dr Hermens.
"Young people who drink heavily are more likely to make risk, dangerous choices at a time when they're learning new life skills, including sexual experimentation, driving and finding their way into the workforce. That's a volatile cocktail."
Twenty two year old Rachael Laidler began heavy drinking at the age of 19 as a way to cope with mood swings she experienced as a result of bi-polar disorder. "Drinking heavily was a distraction from the intense highs and lows I felt," says Rachael.
"It's also true that heavy drinking was just the done thing among all the people I knew and partied with at the time. I didn't realise I had a drinking problem - I thought that meant drinking at home alone, and I never did that."
Today, Rachael has her life back on track thanks to confronting her drinking and seeking expert help through services at Headspace and U Space, a specialist inpatient service for young adults with mental health issues based at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney.
Rachael hasn't drunk alcohol for 11 months and now has a range of healthy coping skills and support networks to call when she feels depressed or overly anxious.
"Now the bad days feel tiny compared to the massive mood swings I felt when I was self medicating with alcohol," says Rachael, who is studying business administration and volunteering with the NSW Consumer Advisory Group on Mental Health. "I'm proud of myself, and I'm proud of what I am going to achieve in the future."
Rachael's psychiatrist, Dr Elizabeth Scott of the University of Sydney, says Rachael's experience is "all too common" among young people with mental illnesses.
"Regrettably, using alcohol and other drugs to diminish feelings like anxiety, sadness and depression is all too common among people with mental health issues," says Dr Scott, who is also Director of U Space at St Vincent's Private Hospital.
"Once a person become reliant on alcohol or other drugs to feel less anxious or depressed, it adds another layer of complexity, and lessens their capacity for recovery.
One of the greatest challenges facing young people with mental illness is the lack of adequate and accessible services, especially in remote and rural areas, according to Dr Scott.
"Few services are equipped to meet the needs of young people facing the twin challenges of mental illness and alcohol and drug dependency.
"If a young person had cancer, or serious trauma or a major infectious disease, they could expect to receive care from an expert team. That's not the case with mental illness and poly drug use.
"Yet the scale of this problem is like an iceberg - it's massive but largely unseen."
Meanwhile, where can young people seek help? "If you're a young person and think you have a mental health issue, or you have a problem with drug and alcohol use - talk to your friends, see your GP, get on the web and find a Headspace service - there are about 90 of these around the country."
Explore further: One in 25 middle school children binge drinking
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Excessive alcohol when you're young could have lasting impacts on your brain
Dec 18, 2012
(Medical Xpress)—Alcohol misuse in young people causes significant changes in their brain function and structure. This and other findings were recently reviewed by Dr Daniel Hermens from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute in the j ...
One in 25 middle school children binge drinking
May 08, 2014
Four percent of Canadians aged 12 to 14 years old had consumed five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the preceding year, according to a new study from the University of Toronto. The study was published this week ...
Binge drinking in pregnancy can affect child's mental health and school results
Sep 10, 2014
Binge drinking during pregnancy can increase the risk of mental health problems (particularly hyperactivity and inattention) in children aged 11 and can have a negative effect on their school examination results, according ...
Excessive alcohol use when you're young could have lasting impacts on your brain
Jan 30, 2013
Excessive alcohol use accounts for 4% of the global burden of disease, and binge drinking particularly is becoming an increasing health issue. A new review article published Cortex highlights the significant changes in bra ...
Moderate weekly alcohol intake linked to poorer sperm quality in healthy young men
Oct 02, 2014
Moderate alcohol intake of at least 5 units every week is linked to poorer sperm quality in otherwise healthy young men, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. And the higher the weekly tally of units, ...
Recommended for you
Preschoolers with low empathy at risk for continued problems
6 minutes ago
(Medical Xpress)—A toddler who doesn't feel guilty after misbehaving or who is less affectionate or less responsive to affection from others might not raise a red flag to parents, but these behaviors may ...
Trying to share our 'epic' moments may leave us feeling left out
3 hours ago
We might love to reminisce and tell others about our extraordinary experiences—that time we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, got to taste a rare wine, or ran into a celebrity on the street—but new research suggests ...
Sense of purpose might ease diversity anxiety
Oct 03, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Envisioning an increasingly diverse America – the Census Bureau predicts ethnic minorities, combined, will constitute the majority of the U.S. population by 2050 – causes anxiety for a lot of white ...
Myths vs. realities of early parenthood
Oct 03, 2014
Becoming a parent is commonly imagined to be a joyful and "natural" life event. The reality is often very different. In the early weeks and months of life with a first baby, parents must master new skills including nap ...
Why we can't tell a Hollywood heartthrob from his stunt double
Oct 03, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Johnny Depp has an unforgettable face. Tony Angelotti, his stunt double in "Pirates of the Caribbean," does not. So why is it that when they're swashbuckling on screen, audiences worldwide ...
'Mini-stroke' may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder
Oct 02, 2014
A "mini-stroke" may increase your risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
by Dan Gaffney
Alcohol binge drinking is bad at any age. But binge drinking if you're young and have a mental health issue is a recipe for disaster.
The good news is that intervening early with appropriate treatments can reverse the harmful effects of excessive drinking on developing brains and minds, according to new research led by the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute.
"Alcohol is the elephant in the room when it comes to young people with mental health issues," says the BMRI's Dr Daniel Hermens.
"Binge drinking worsens mental health symptoms and causes a range of chemical and structural impacts on developing brains that affect memory and decision-making that are similar to the effects that occur older, life-long binge drinkers."
The prevalence of binge drinking among young people aged 12 to 17 years is between two and three per cent but four times that level among similar aged young people with bipolar and other mood disorders.
According to Dr Hermens, young people with mental health problems who drink to get drunk several times per week risk structural and neurochemical changes to the brain's hippocampus, which is responsible for working and long term memory. It also causes discernable effects in the forebrain, which is vital for executive decision-making.
"These alcohol-related effects compound mental health issues and make it harder to concentrate, focus, and learn new tasks at a life stage when the brain is experiencing its most dynamic period of change within the human lifespan," says Dr Hermens.
"Young people who drink heavily are more likely to make risk, dangerous choices at a time when they're learning new life skills, including sexual experimentation, driving and finding their way into the workforce. That's a volatile cocktail."
Twenty two year old Rachael Laidler began heavy drinking at the age of 19 as a way to cope with mood swings she experienced as a result of bi-polar disorder. "Drinking heavily was a distraction from the intense highs and lows I felt," says Rachael.
"It's also true that heavy drinking was just the done thing among all the people I knew and partied with at the time. I didn't realise I had a drinking problem - I thought that meant drinking at home alone, and I never did that."
Today, Rachael has her life back on track thanks to confronting her drinking and seeking expert help through services at Headspace and U Space, a specialist inpatient service for young adults with mental health issues based at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney.
Rachael hasn't drunk alcohol for 11 months and now has a range of healthy coping skills and support networks to call when she feels depressed or overly anxious.
"Now the bad days feel tiny compared to the massive mood swings I felt when I was self medicating with alcohol," says Rachael, who is studying business administration and volunteering with the NSW Consumer Advisory Group on Mental Health. "I'm proud of myself, and I'm proud of what I am going to achieve in the future."
Rachael's psychiatrist, Dr Elizabeth Scott of the University of Sydney, says Rachael's experience is "all too common" among young people with mental illnesses.
"Regrettably, using alcohol and other drugs to diminish feelings like anxiety, sadness and depression is all too common among people with mental health issues," says Dr Scott, who is also Director of U Space at St Vincent's Private Hospital.
"Once a person become reliant on alcohol or other drugs to feel less anxious or depressed, it adds another layer of complexity, and lessens their capacity for recovery.
One of the greatest challenges facing young people with mental illness is the lack of adequate and accessible services, especially in remote and rural areas, according to Dr Scott.
"Few services are equipped to meet the needs of young people facing the twin challenges of mental illness and alcohol and drug dependency.
"If a young person had cancer, or serious trauma or a major infectious disease, they could expect to receive care from an expert team. That's not the case with mental illness and poly drug use.
"Yet the scale of this problem is like an iceberg - it's massive but largely unseen."
Meanwhile, where can young people seek help? "If you're a young person and think you have a mental health issue, or you have a problem with drug and alcohol use - talk to your friends, see your GP, get on the web and find a Headspace service - there are about 90 of these around the country."
Explore further: One in 25 middle school children binge drinking
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Excessive alcohol when you're young could have lasting impacts on your brain
Dec 18, 2012
(Medical Xpress)—Alcohol misuse in young people causes significant changes in their brain function and structure. This and other findings were recently reviewed by Dr Daniel Hermens from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute in the j ...
One in 25 middle school children binge drinking
May 08, 2014
Four percent of Canadians aged 12 to 14 years old had consumed five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the preceding year, according to a new study from the University of Toronto. The study was published this week ...
Binge drinking in pregnancy can affect child's mental health and school results
Sep 10, 2014
Binge drinking during pregnancy can increase the risk of mental health problems (particularly hyperactivity and inattention) in children aged 11 and can have a negative effect on their school examination results, according ...
Excessive alcohol use when you're young could have lasting impacts on your brain
Jan 30, 2013
Excessive alcohol use accounts for 4% of the global burden of disease, and binge drinking particularly is becoming an increasing health issue. A new review article published Cortex highlights the significant changes in bra ...
Moderate weekly alcohol intake linked to poorer sperm quality in healthy young men
Oct 02, 2014
Moderate alcohol intake of at least 5 units every week is linked to poorer sperm quality in otherwise healthy young men, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. And the higher the weekly tally of units, ...
Recommended for you
Preschoolers with low empathy at risk for continued problems
6 minutes ago
(Medical Xpress)—A toddler who doesn't feel guilty after misbehaving or who is less affectionate or less responsive to affection from others might not raise a red flag to parents, but these behaviors may ...
Trying to share our 'epic' moments may leave us feeling left out
3 hours ago
We might love to reminisce and tell others about our extraordinary experiences—that time we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, got to taste a rare wine, or ran into a celebrity on the street—but new research suggests ...
Sense of purpose might ease diversity anxiety
Oct 03, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Envisioning an increasingly diverse America – the Census Bureau predicts ethnic minorities, combined, will constitute the majority of the U.S. population by 2050 – causes anxiety for a lot of white ...
Myths vs. realities of early parenthood
Oct 03, 2014
Becoming a parent is commonly imagined to be a joyful and "natural" life event. The reality is often very different. In the early weeks and months of life with a first baby, parents must master new skills including nap ...
Why we can't tell a Hollywood heartthrob from his stunt double
Oct 03, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Johnny Depp has an unforgettable face. Tony Angelotti, his stunt double in "Pirates of the Caribbean," does not. So why is it that when they're swashbuckling on screen, audiences worldwide ...
'Mini-stroke' may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder
Oct 02, 2014
A "mini-stroke" may increase your risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment