Untreated alcohol use disorder can put you at risk of a condition known as wet brain, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This disorder is actually two different conditions:
Wernicke’s disease: A neurological disease that affects voluntary movement and causes eye abnormalities.
Korsakoff syndrome: A mental disorder that results in disproportionate memory loss.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is characterized by an almost nonexistent ability to form new memories. Signs that someone struggling with alcoholism may also have wet brain are symptoms like those associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Wet brain syndrome is treatable as long as you stop drinking and seek help immediately.