A blackout is only truly dangerous if you are engaged in a task that requires remembering something for more than a few minutes. Alcohol is a part of life for many people, helping them relax, socialize and party. Excessive alcohol use can, however, lead to problems like alcohol blackouts. Blackouts cause permanent memory blanks during the time you were drinking and can have several negative consequences.
All but two kept their hand up, and one who had lowered his hand said he was adopted and did not know about his parents. Even infrequent blackouts can indicate you are misusing alcohol and should be taken seriously. Someone with blackouts should seriously consider cutting back their alcohol use or seeking help for addiction. While blacking out isn’t overly dangerous, it can carry several negative consequences. The inability to remember what you have done can have serious implications if you did something illegal, had intercourse, got injured or made an important decision while inebriated. Mary-Beth Miller, an addiction psychologist at the University of Missouri, found that a simple intervention technique could help blackout drinkers reduce their drinking, a finding she first showed in ex-army veterans and then extended to university drinkers.
If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Capital, and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Marathon runner Johanna Pakenham was rushed to the hospital after drinking five litres of water. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Most say that someone who is “mentally incapacitated” cannot give consent. But New York, for example, says mental incapacitation can legally result only from involuntarily being given a drink or drug, not from having chosen to drink.
That is true even in places with an “affirmative consent” standard, where unless someone has indicated their willingness, it’s assault. “If it’s ‘he said/she said’, you have to rely on a preponderance of evidence to determine whether or not consent was given,” says Wetherill. If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.
They might feel like they are functioning normally by talking, walking, and making decisions, but their brain is unable to store any permanent record of these actions, which creates a weird sensation of being awake without remembering what happened. During a blackout, people often report feeling disconnected from their own behavior and without the ability to fully control or recall their actions. Drinking alcohol until you’re “blackout drunk,” leading to a temporary loss of memory, is common – especially among young people. However, alcohol blackouts can be dangerous and can lead to other problems, including engaging in risky activities while intoxicated and not remembering. During en bloc blackouts, what most people refer to as being blacked out, someone can’t remember anything after a specific period of time. The brain’s ability to create long-term memories is completely blocked.
Is Blacking Out Alcohol Poisoning?
The most common is a fragmentary blackout, which leads to only partial memories being formed, with missing periods of time. The more serious type is an “en bloc” blackout, or completely forgetting what happened. These effects range in severity from momentary “slips” in memory to permanent, debilitating conditions.
Physiological Damage
By adhering to moderate drinking guidelines and recognizing individual responses to alcohol, one can reduce the likelihood of experiencing these memory impairments. Additionally, educating yourself about the risks and effects of alcohol can be an effective preventive measure. Most reports suggest middle-age males with alcoholism are more likely to black out. Yet, anyone drinking large amounts of alcohol is at risk for blackouts. Even with cues, you’re unlikely to remember what happened during this time.
Long-Term Effects of Blacking Out
- For most people, binge-drinking large amounts of alcohol causes them to black out.
- However, the night before Thanksgiving is often referred to as “Blackout Wednesday” due to increased heavy drinking before the holiday and requires some extra hands.
- Because females, on average, weigh less than males and, pound for pound, have less water in their bodies, they tend to reach higher peak BAC levels than males with each drink and do so more quickly.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly employed to help individuals understand the patterns and triggers that lead to excessive drinking.
She remembers talking to people at a party, but then after that a shadow drops over her memories. College students also binge drink at a higher rate than the general population. To stop blacking out when drinking, it’s solution focused therapy worksheets best to keep the BAC level low.
People pass out when they have had so much to drink that it is like going under anesthesia. Consciousness lapses and people become comatose, unable to be aroused. Blackouts, on the other hand, have no objective signs of their presence and no alteration in the level of consciousness. During a blackout, people can carry on conversations and complete complex tasks. I once interviewed a surgeon who had successfully removed a patient’s appendix while in a blackout. Members of the Montgomery County Police Alcohol Holiday Task Force will be devoting their full time and attention to detecting alcohol-related offenses this holiday season.
Our recovery programs are based on decades of research to deliver treatment that really works. A blackout also makes you more susceptible to injury, such as from a fall or car crash. Timmen L. Cermak, MD, is a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction medicine. He is the author of numerous books, including From Bud to Brain and Marijuana on My Mind.
She has now been sober for eight years and is glad to no longer fall into the black trapdoors of memory loss. “Across the board there seems to be inherent brain vulnerabilities, and genetic vulnerabilities, that put a person at risk,” she says. “I was like, well that’s weird, I don’t know what happened… I just kind of laughed it off, it just seemed normal to me,” she recalls. If you think you’ve been injured, sexually or physically assaulted, it’s important that you get medical attention immediately and talk to the police about everything you can remember. Alcohol is dehydrating by nature, so making sure you’re drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is important. Being aware of potential signs of intoxication can also be helpful in understanding your limitations.