Introduction
The brain is a very complex organ. Perhaps the most complex and at the same time least understood. Over the decades knowledge about the brain has grown greatly and from the early days when the focus was on the gross and microscopic anatomy, we are now able through sophisticated imaging and biochemical markers to understand the pathophysiology of many diseases that heretofore with mysteries.

There have been long-standing academic and scientific discussions of whether or how we can differentiate the brain and the mind. They are clearly intimately entwined. Just imagine that Sigmund Freund appeared at the time to open a lens into the mind, and developed ideas about mental health disorders and promoted what many call “talk therapy”. This approach has morphed into very varied and complex approaches to communication ranging from the traditional Freudian and other psycho-analytical approach to more contemporary Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) where the “cause” over the psychological conflict is less important than strategies to deal with them. In some instances, now that we understand the neurochemistry of some mental disorders such as depression, we have produced medications that act on the chemical transmitters, and this often results in improvement or at time complete amelioration of the disorder- this approach is often combined with some component of “talk therapy”.

Currently when physicians evaluate patients with neurological and psychiatric conditions, the exploration of life-style practices have become an important component of the interview process. Below are two of numerous cases that I have seen where alcohol played a major role in the clinical condition, which was not realized during the initial and at time numerous medical assessments.