A study conducted by Fulton Crews, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, shows that binge drinking in teens causes increased loss of a crucial portion of the brain called the frontal cortex.
Between the ages of 12 to 20, brain development is at its peak. During this time, the brain is developing neural circuits and rearranging neurons that will help in decision making and successful independent living skills in adulthood. The frontal cortex is the key part of the brain that is affected by these developments.
The findings of this study suggest that those who drink heavily during adolescence may be more likely to have issues in dealing with life-changing events as well as decision making and impulse control.
“The brain is a delicate structure, no matter what age an individual is,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “However, during adolescence it is important to engage in activities that nurture brain development for adulthood, instead of engaging in behaviors that will have a detrimental effect on day-to-day life. Underage binge drinking is unwise for many reasons, but perhaps none is so important as inhibiting brain development.”
Although the changes within the brain due to binge drinking may be subtle, Dr. Crews points out that the impact of such changes could be enormous and contribute to an individual being less intelligent, more moody and impulsive.
If you suspect your teen has a problem with substance abuse, Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center specializes in helping families put their lives back together from the devastating effects drugs or alcohol. And, for the past 13 years, Mountainside has established itself as an innovator within the addiction treatment field, and the treatment modalities Mountainside utilizes are regarded as among the most cutting-edge approaches in helping individuals to get, and to remain, sober.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 13 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.
The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
