Memory Problems From Drugs - What To Do?

Introduction: What Are Memory Problems While Using Drugs?

One speaks of memory problems under the influence of drugs when a person has taken drugs and when intoxicated or afterwards shows cognitive deficits, i.e. has problems with thinking.

In addition to the temporary “film tear” after a night of partying, this also includes persistent short- and long-term memory disorders due to permanent brain damage that can result from drug use.

Causes - Why Do Drugs Have Memory Problems?

Drugs damage the entire body.
But it is precisely the cognitive performance that suffers from sustained consumption.
Because in order to achieve their intoxicating effect, these substances have to cross the barrier between blood and brain, the so-called blood-brain barrier.
This serves to protect the central nervous system, since almost all substances that can be absorbed by the body and get into the blood damage the nerve cells.

Due to their chemical structure, drugs can overcome this limit and thus cause intoxication in the brain, but also cause damage.
What exactly this damage looks like depends on the substance.

Alcohol, for example, is a deadly cell poison that causes brain cells to die.
All mental functions suffer from this, from memory to motor skills.
Read about this: Korsakoff syndrome

Ecstasy, on the other hand, changes the metabolism of an important messenger substance, serotonin, and through this mechanism leads to brain damage.
Memory problems are particularly typical here.

Cannabis use influences short-term memory and logical thinking through various processes.

Amphetamines, e.g. Crystal meth are also fatal for nerve cells and, in addition to memory disorders and behavioral problems, have much more serious consequences, such as cerebral haemorrhage or strokes.

How can it be diagnosed that the memory problems are caused by the drugs?

Memory problems, attention disorders and concentration disorders can have many causes.

For clarification, the anamnesis is therefore most important, in which the doctor asks the patient comprehensively about the disorders and possible triggers.
If the patient reports drug use, this is usually the reason sought.

Nevertheless, additional examinations are carried out, such as imaging of the central nervous system, and a psychological evaluation in order to exclude neurological or other psychiatric diseases and to determine any consequential damage caused by the drugs.

What other accompanying symptoms are there?

Every substance has a more or less specific damage pattern, in which memory problems are only part of the total brain damage.
Drugs such as alcohol and amphetamines, which are toxic to all nerve cells, damage all areas of the brain and users therefore have problems with every cognitive performance, even with their motor skills.
Thinking is slowed down, judgment limited, concentration disturbed, attention reduced and fine motor skills not coordinated.

Such brain damage can make the addict an absolute need for long-term care, both mentally and physically.
In addition, drug use increases the susceptibility to mental illnesses such as depression, behavioral problems and even schizophrenic disorders.
Substances like ecstasy, which influence the messenger substances in the brain, can also trigger psychiatric symptoms via this mechanism.
Memory disorders are therefore just one of many cognitive problems that drug use causes.

What can you do about memory problems?

Of course, the memory problems cannot improve until the trigger has been removed - the person must therefore stop using the drugs.
Whether and when the memory recovers depends on the type, amount and duration of drug use.

"Light" drugs such as cannabis and alcohol usually only lead to temporary impairment of memory, which disappear again after a period of abstinence.
The occasional use of so-called “party drugs” such as LSD or ecstasy only leads to permanent restrictions after prolonged use.

"Hard" drugs such as crystal meth, on the other hand, cause devastating damage to the brain in a very short time that cannot be reversed.

But even long-term alcohol consumption destroys many nerve cells that cannot regenerate.

If the drugs have caused structural damage to the brain, only rehabilitative measures such as memory training are available to the patient.

You can find more on the topic at: Korsakoff syndrome

Duration of memory problems

How long such memory disorders last under the influence of drugs depends on the substance.

Alcohol, for example, causes memory problems during the period of intoxication and possibly for a short time afterwards, while the consumption of ecstasy and other drugs can leave permanent memory lapses.
Once a person has become dependent, cognitive impairment persists until weaning has taken place.
If there is permanent damage through drug use, the original memory performance never comes back.

This is the prognosis for memory problems caused by drugs

As already described, depending on the substance, there may be temporary or permanent memory problems.
In most cases, once drug use is stopped, the prognosis is good.
Then the brain can work again undisturbed and compensate for minor damage.

If there has been major damage, either from very aggressive substances or from long-term abuse, the prognosis for memory performance is very poor.