It may be that alcoholics fail to consolidate updated information about their level of memory performance into their personal long-term memory and instead base their predictions regarding current memory performance on outdated self-beliefs that their memory skills are good. A mnemonic anosognosia has been proposed to explain the pattern of metamemory impairment observed in alcoholics without the neurological complications associated with the profound memory impairment of Korsakoff’s Syndrome (Hannesdottir and Morris, 2007; Le Berre and Sullivan, 2016; Morris and Mograbi, 2013). These results provide support for the hypothesis that mild mnemonic anosognosia occurs in chronic alcoholism. Overestimation of actual memory abilities can limit benefit from clinical treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or educational-focused treatment. This recognition disability could place individuals at risk of laboring under the illusion that they have sufficiently consolidated and incorporated into their lexicon essential information acquired during CBT to enable maintenance of their abstinence or reduced alcohol consumption in their daily life.
