What teens do today can affect their cognitive functions later in life, he notes. This type of memory loss means a person has difficulty remembering new information, - therefore, the learning process takes longer. Abusive consumption of alcohol changes the underlying brain chemistry and those chemicals control ability and skills. But later in life the damage done to brain chemistry cannot be restored cannot cure itself. Many problems experienced later in life have direct correlation to when individuals started drinking.
Abuse occurs when an individual consumes more alcohol than the body can eliminate.
When people over-consume alcohol what they do is essentially overload their system, he says. The results are an impairment that only time can eliminate. Some people are more at risk for alcohol abuse or developing more serious problems with alcohol in later years. One characteristic of a person at risk of developing alcoholism, says Adams, is the sensitization of the nervous system with large consumption of alcohol. A family history of alcoholism and environmental factors should influence a person's decision about whether to drink.