Alcohol and Substance Use
Statistics indicate that alcohol is a major contributing factor in more than 50 percent of the head injuries sustained in the United States. Moreover, statistics indicate that a brain injured person has a four-fold chance of having another injury. Significant efforts must be made to prevent another brain injury from occurring.
Alcohol and drug use undermine the success of rehabilitation and threaten future recovery. It's important that family and friends are aware of such use after brain injury.
After a person sustains a brain injury, there is an increased risk of seizures. Alcohol and some drugs further increase the likelihood of seizures. Alcohol and drugs may have a negative impact on any prescription medications the brain injury survivor may be taking as alcohol not only impacts metabolism, but also interacts with the medication enhancing or negating its effects.
After a brain injury, a person may go through many changes. The use of alcohol, and other drugs can significantly compound these problems. As a result, it's recommended that a person who sustains a brain injury abstain from alcohol. We encourage families and patients to be honest with themselves, each other, and health care professionals about their pre-injury pattern and behaviors.
Assistance in helping brain injury survivors abstain from alcohol, and the use of other drugs is available in a variety of approaches and methods. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meets at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital regularly. Please ask your social worker for details. The physician, psychologist, and social worker often work as a team to make suggestions and recommendations to patients and families regarding treatment options. We encourage families and patients to use these resources while here at Mary Free Bed.