From Peter McCann


Belfast’s “Sunday Life” writes about teenage binge drinkers in Ulster being caught up in a deadly game of Russian Roulette – oblivious that they are risking a terrifying brain disease. They are referring to Korsakoffs psychosis and it is described as “a ticking time bomb” as young people are flooding clubs and pubs for bargain basement booze and happy hours. This is not just in Northern Ireland but across the whole UK and the Netherlands. Experts say that Korsakoffs is now beginning to emerge in people in their 30s and also appearing for the first time in women.

Korsakoffs can prove fatal for some for others it could mean a lifetime of care usually in inappropriate nursing homes, a lucky few can catch it in time and with total abstinence from alcohol and drugs can return to a somewhat normal life. What happens with Korsakoffs, well you lose your short term memory and you can suffer from disorientation and you develop an awkward gait. It must be ghastly remembering your youth but losing all knowledge of your life of recent years and even days.

Total abstinence is a must but the difficulty for some of these cases is that they cannot remember the danger that alcohol has for them and so if they are offered a drink they accept it.

Castle Craig is looking very seriously at helping patients with alcohol related brain damage and we hope before too long to have a specially designed package of treatment for these patients.


Monday, 21st August 2006