What Happens When You Get Blackout Drunk?
Our brain is capable of incredible things and is often taken for granted. It’s only when things are not operating correctly that things can get scary. When alcohol consumption reaches a certain level, our brain loses the ability to form new memories. This is called getting blackout drunk.
Often misrepresented and misunderstood, getting blackout drunk is dangerous and can be a sign that something is incredibly wrong. Learning about what happens and how it happens could help you understand your relationship with alcohol.
Getting Blackout Drunk
Blackouts are essentially a malfunction in the brain that causes missing memories when you become severely intoxicated. Essentially, your brain never hits “record.”
The term “blackout drunk” refers to the technical term “anterograde amnesia.” It is a type of alcohol induced amnesia that stops new memories from forming.
This is not to be confused with fainting or passing out. Instead of losing vision or consciousness, when blacking out the individual has a certain level of control and can even engage in complex behaviors. A person might not seem any more intoxicated than before, and in some cases, they might act less intoxicated.
It’s not until the next day that the individual realizes they have no memory of when they were drinking.
How Long Do Blackouts Last?
The severity of blackouts can differ, creating two distinct types of blackouts. Some might be able to recall some information, but still experience gaps in their memories. These are called “fragmentary blackouts," but many people call them “greyouts” or “brownouts.”
The other, more commonly known, is a blackout. Someone who has this “en bloc blackout” has no ability to recall any memory during their time of intoxication. It can either start from the first drink, or after a certain number of drinks, and it will typically last until the alcohol is out of that person's system.
What Causes Blackouts?
Reaching high levels of blood alcohol content (BAC) is dangerous. Once someone reaches .08% BAC they’re considered to be legally intoxicated by most states. This level of intoxication is dangerous enough, but when people experience blackouts their BAC is closer to .16%.
At such high levels of BAC, not only is someone’s memory impaired, but their decision-making skills and other cognitive abilities are significantly impaired. The danger of reaching high BAC levels related to blackouts is amplified by this.
What Happens In The Brain?
Once someone reaches a dangerously high level of intoxication, it is found that their hippocampus becomes impaired. The hippocampus moves short-term memories into long-term storage.
This inability to function makes the hippocampus unable to process memories of events that just happened. Although the exact chemical mechanisms are not understood, the connection between brain cells is weakened as steroid production is impaired.
Blacking Out and Binge Drinking
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that blackouts are more likely to occur if alcohol enters the bloodstream quickly. This can occur when a person drinks on an empty stomach or, more commonly, during binge drinking.
Binge drinking is drinking five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women within a single drinking session. Although, most binge drinkers average 8 drinks per session. Most people probably associate binge drinking with college parties, but it’s far more common than most people think.
Binge drinking is an indicator of alcohol abuse, and doesn’t always mean someone is alcohol dependent. Regardless, the effects of binge drinking are dangerous.
Short Term Effects of Binge Drinking
Binge drinking is a dangerous activity with lots of repercussions. Someone who’s binge drinking can expect to experience;
- Blackouts
- Nausea
- Passing out
- Vomiting
While binge drinking, someone’s cognitive abilities are heavily impaired, and it is not expected that they will make sound judgments. They could put themselves or others in danger and make poor decisions that can negatively affect their social relationships.
Long-Term Effects of Binge Drinking
When binge drinking becomes a habit, many long-term effects can begin to materialize. Most of these long-term effects are major health issues that require years to recover from or could lead to death.
Those long-term effects can include:
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Pancreatitis
- Digestive issues
- Increased risk of cancer
- Neurological problems
- Alcohol use disorder (AUD)
- Learning and memory problems
Drinking in moderation will help avoid these effects. Some effects can even become less severe overtime when a person stops drinking.
When to Seek Help
As mentioned earlier, getting blackout drunk doesn’t mean you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, but it might be time to seek help if it is a pattern. Knowing the signs of alcohol use disorder, or AUD can help you seek treatment earlier and mitigate some of the mental and physical health effects.
Looking for Signs of AUD
The question to ask is, “is alcohol causing problems in my life?” These problems could happen to any number of different aspects of a person's life including relationships, mental health, or physical problems.
Some other signs to look for are:
- Experiencing negative physical symptoms when not drinking
- Canceling plans and commitments so you can drink
- Consistently scoring low in a job or at school due to drinking habits
- Planning what your next drink will be when you are drinking
If you notice any of these kinds of habits in yourself, it may be a good time to seek guidance about your drinking.
Get Help at Sequoia
Although not all heavy drinkers have AUD if you or a loved one’s drinking habits are harmful, it may be time to get help.
There are many forms of treatments for people struggling with alcohol use disorder, and individuals are encouraged to talk to their doctor about what treatment may be best for them.
Contact Sequoia Behavioral Health today. Our compassionate and experienced staff is here to give you the care you need. Reach out today to learn more about our inpatient care facility.