Why Do I Black Out When I Drink? Effects Explained

The person can continue to drink and socialize, order drinks at a bar, dance and so on. In the long term, alcohol consumption at levels high enough to induce blackouts will cause significant damage to the brain, including the centers that form, store and retrieve new memories. This level of consumption kills brain cells and may result in nerve damage, in addition to the long list of physical damage done by chronic alcohol use. He found that out of 100 alcoholics, more than 60 experienced regular blackouts, some total and some fragmentary. He also revealed that individuals experiencing a blackout can act in a remarkably coherent manner. For instance, he showed that during intoxication subjects revealed “no impairment” of immediate memory and even were able to perform simple calculations.

Substance Use Treatment

Forexample, a mother with problematic drinking habits might contribute to anenvironment that is characterized by lower parental monitoring and increasedalcohol availability. These environmental factors, in turn, could createstress and contribute to early initiation of alcohol use and maladaptivedrinking behaviors in her offspring, especially sons, who are geneticallypredisposed to alcohol misuse and alcohol-induced blackouts. Given thepotential impact of these findings on prevention and intervention programs,additional research examining genetic and environmental factors contributingto alcohol-induced blackouts is needed. They found that alcohol dependence symptomspredicted an increased frequency of blackouts and consequences the followingyear. Alcohol-induced blackouts during the past three months prospectivelypredicted increased social and emotional negative consequences, but not alcoholdependence symptoms the following year. These findings contradictJellinek’s theory of alcoholism, which posits that alcohol-inducedblackouts are a precursor of alcoholism (Jellinek, 1952).

What Are Alcohol Blackouts?

1. More than 50 percent of adults have blacked out at least once in their lives.
2. Although prevalence rates were typically around50%, one study reported a prevalence rate of only about 20%;however, this was a qualitative study examining how university students definebinge drinking (Clinkinbeard and Johnson,2013).
3. Research suggests that fragmentary blackouts are far more common than those of the en bloc variety (White et al. 2004; Hartzler and Fromme 2003b; Goodwin et al. 1969b).
4. Research shows that as many as 50 percent of people who drink experience blackouts.

In medical terms this memory loss is a form of temporary anterograde amnesia, a condition where the ability to form new memories is, for a limited time, impaired. That means you can’t remember a stretch of time because your brain was unable to record and store memories in the first place. Other studies have found using benzodiazepines such as Valium and Rohypnol alongside alcohol greatly increase the chances of a blackout. Abusing these drugs without alcohol can cause memory loss, but alcohol enhances the effects of the drugs. Research also indicates that smoking marijuanawhile drinking increases the likelihood of blacking out. People who are drunk or blacked out are more likely to try illicit drugs than they would be sober.

Are Blackouts a Sign of an Alcohol-Related Problem?

Binging, pre-partying, and alcohol games, especially on an empty stomach, all produce a rapid rise in blood alcohol levels that make blackouts more likely. As might be expected given the excessive drinking habits of many college students (Wechsler et al. 2002), this population commonly experiences blackouts. White and colleagues (2002c) recently surveyed 772 undergraduates regarding their experiences with blackouts.

Curious about all the amazing benefits a break from alcohol can bring?

It’s crucial to recognize that blackouts are not exclusive to those with an alcohol use disorder; they can occur in any individual who consumes alcohol, regardless of age or drinking experience. The recurrence of such episodes, especially high-intensity drinking behaviors, can increase the risk of developing more severe alcohol-related problems, including dependency. As such, experiencing even a single blackout should prompt individuals to evaluate their drinking habits and potentially seek medical advice.

Blackouts: State-Dependent Memory Formation?

Sex differencesin alcohol-induced blackouts are another area in need of study. Behavioral genetic research suggests that there is a heritablecomponent to experiencing alcohol-induced blackouts (Luczak et al., 2006; Nelson et al., 2004; Slutske et al., 1999). Two recent studiesexplored genetic influences excessive alcohol use and risks to women’s health by examining the potential effects of familyhistory of alcohol problems on blackout occurrence (LaBrie et al., 2011; Marino and Fromme, 2015). In a study of 2,546college students, LaBrie and colleagues(2011) found that a family history of alcohol problems increasedthe likelihood of blacking out.

Run-ins with the law, as well as poor decisions regarding finances or sexual activity, are often immediate consequences of blacking out from drinking. 1It is well beyond the scope of this review to assess the impact of alcohol on memory utilizing multiple perspectives on information processing and storage. For simplicity, this review will characterize the effects of alcohol on memory using a three-stage process of memory formation akin to the modal https://sober-home.org/crack-cocaine-symptoms-and-warning-signs/ model. The interpretation of the effects of alcohol on memory likely would vary somewhat depending on the memory model one uses. Manipulations that disrupt the theta rhythm also disrupt the ability to perform tasks that depend on the hippocampus (Givens et al. 2000). Alcohol disrupts the theta rhythm in large part by suppressing the output of signals from medial septal neurons to the hippocampus (Steffensen et al. 1993; Givens et al. 2000).

It all comes down to the amount of alcohol in each drink you’ve consumed and the way the alcohol affects you. People pass out when they have had so much to drink that it is like going under anesthesia. 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.

Aside from the sex differences, there could be a genetic component to who is more likely to blackout. Individuals whose mothers had a history of alcohol problems were found to be more at risk. Another study, this time on more than 1,000 pairs of twins, found that a genetic link accounted for half the blackouts experienced. The Recovery Village Atlanta offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. Because your short-term memory works during a blackout, you can still remember things that happened a few minutes ago while actively having the blackout. It is difficult to tell if someone is blacking out unless you ask them to recall something that happened several minutes prior during the blackout period.

States that include voluntary drinking, on the other hand, usually include the caveat that the accused must ‘reasonably’ have realised the person was incapacitated. But since people who have blacked out can seem highly functioning, the accused can argue that they didn’t realise. Those experiencing blackouts may be more vulnerable to potential perpetrators in the moment. But if they try to press charges after, they also are vulnerable to having https://sober-house.org/prescription-drug-detox-withdrawal-treatment-how/ their cases dismissed. “The frequency with which people reported bingeing and being drunk in the past month played a role, as did whether they smoke and took more than one psychoactive drug,” he says. In follow-up experiments, he plied alcoholics with whiskey (up to 18oz – or half a litre – in four hours) and presented them with situations that were set up to “provide memorable experiences, which sober persons have no difficulty remembering”.

Be prepared to give medical professionals any information you know about the person who needs help. Try to figure out what they’ve been drinking and how much they’ve consumed. You may be worried about getting them in trouble, but any information you share can be life-saving, so don’t omit any details that could help emergency responders provide care. In this guide, we’ll explain what is a blackout, what symptoms to look for, and what the risks of alcohol-induced blackouts are. Other researchers hope that asking about previous blackouts will in turn help reduce other types of risky behaviour. “It’s definitely interesting that a blackout is one of the most negative consequences of alcohol, and it might be a canary in the coalmine for more significant problems,” Haas says.