Symptom 2. Confusion – Navigating Through a Fog
The second symptom, confusion, often accompanies memory loss in people with ARD. They may struggle to understand complex instructions, get disoriented in familiar places, or be unable to follow along with a conversation. This confusion can be intermittent at first, only occurring during periods of intense cognitive demand or stress. However, as ARD progresses, it becomes more constant and pervasive.
Imagine trying to navigate through a thick fog. You strain your eyes to see, but everything is blurry, indistinct. You struggle to make out shapes, to figure out where you are and where you’re supposed to go. That’s what confusion in ARD is like – a perpetual fog that clouds thinking and makes even simple tasks seem overwhelmingly complex.
Confusion in ARD is a result of widespread brain damage caused by alcohol toxicity. Specifically, the frontal lobe, responsible for higher cognitive functions like problem-solving, planning, and organizing, is often damaged. This brain region’s impairment results in the person struggling with tasks that require these cognitive abilities. (2)
