This man suffered an alcohol blackout and doesn't know where he is.Many people wake up the day after drinking too much wishing they could forget their behavior from the night before. Many others wake up with no memory of what happened after drinking. This is an alcohol blackout, a condition few want to experience. But many do.

Blackouts can mean you are left with no clues about your behaviors or experiences while drinking. These episodes can also mean you wake up in places you are not familiar with, not knowing how you got there. For many people, blackouts make them vulnerable to victimization in many ways, such as sexual assault.

Types of Alcohol Blackout

There are two types of alcohol blackouts. These occur when alcohol stops the brain from transferring short term memories to long term memories for later recall.

Those two types of alcohol blackouts are:

  • Partial Blackout: This type occurs mainly after only a small amount of alcohol has been consumed. It also causes people to forget what topic they have been discussing or details like phone numbers, names or addresses. When someone else can provide information to fill in blank spots, you can recall your activities from that blackout period.
  • Complete Alcohol Blackout: A complete alcohol blackout reduces your ability to make logical decisions. It also takes away your ability to make sound judgments. With no control over your impulses and behavior, you can behave very erratically. This type of blackout can last for minutes, hours or even a week following drinking. When other people try to help you remember the blackout’s events, you cannot piece together any memories.

How Alcohol Blackout Occurs

After only one or two drinks, alcohol starts affecting your memory. Blackouts happen when people drink too much or when they “chug” their drinks. Binge drinking like this causes the percentage of alcohol in the blood to rise too rapidly, leading to the blackout.

Blackouts are seen at 0.14 percent blood alcohol or higher. Anyone can suffer a blackout, at any age. Even with a small amount of alcohol consumed, a blackout may occur. These episodes are particularly common among people who are used to drinking every night. And there are those drinkers who blackout every time they drink.

Problems Caused By Alcohol Blackouts

When a blackout occurs, many bad things can happen to the person experiencing the blackout. Some negative results of a blackout include:

  • Victimization in rape or other sex assault
  • Vandalizing property
  • Verbal or physical fights
  • Obtaining injuries
  • Suicide
  • Death.

There are many feelings experienced by people who have blackouts, after those blackouts occur. They often feel:

  • Frustrated by the lapse in memory
  • Humiliated by their actions
  • Anxious about things they said or how they hurt others
  • Distressed by likelihood of a sexually transmitted disease
  • Unsettled because of not having been in control during the blackout period.

What to Do, If You Experience Blackout

If you have had alcohol blackouts, you likely need help for your drinking problem. You may be addicted to alcohol, or may suffer blackouts because you have negative drinking habits. Such habits that lead to blackouts also make individuals vulnerable to alcohol dependence. So even if you are not presently addicted to alcohol, you are well on your way to that addiction.

In a treatment program, starting with alcohol detox, like those at Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida, you can get the help you need. At Beaches Recovery, you will benefit from evidence-based therapy, education, support and guidance needed to control your life and stop abusing alcohol. Call Beaches Recovery at 8666050532 for more information. Don’t wait to make this call, as every drink you take is one drink closer to destruction of your life.